How to Find the Right Mover

We're well into the move season now, and millions of Americans are preparing to move. Moving can be one of the most stressful events in a person's life, so taking some time to make sure you make the right decisions is important.

One of the biggest decisions a mover has to make is what moving company to go with. Ask your friends and family and you're sure to hear horror stories about terrible movers. Making the wrong choice here can transform your move from stressful to .

Here are some top tips to make sure you find the right mover:

• Shop around – You wouldn't buy a car or television without getting a few different prices, right? Moving service is the same way. Get mover quotes from at least three companies to make sure you're not overpaying.

• Get referrals – Ask your friends and family if they have any companies they'd recommend.

• Ask for references – Remember, these people will be handling your most valuable possessions and spending time in both your old house and your new house. It's best to make sure someone has been happy with their service in the past. Also, check with the Better Business Bureau and any local licensing agencies to make sure the company doesn't have a history of poor service.

You Can Now Use Microsoft Hohm Without a Smart Meter

Still don't have a smart meter but want to use Microsoft's popular Hohm application to manage your home's electricity usage? Now you can. Similar to how you can use Google's PowerMeter software with a TED device, you can now use Hohm with a Blue Line Power Cost Monitor WiFi Edition.

Microsoft has partnered with Blue Line Innovations to develop an energy monitor optimized for Hohm. The device tracks energy usage in real-time, allowing consumers to monitor their usage down to the minute or dollar without having to wait for their electricity provider to install a smart meter.

The raw data collected by the Power Cost Monitor is received by Microsoft Hohm and then instantly collated into easy-to-understand charts and graphs. With this information, it's easy for consumers to get a good understanding of their energy habits and track the impact of any improvements they have made to lower their electricity bill.

The Blue Line Power Cost Monitor WiFi Edition is available now with an MSRP of $268. Check the Blue Line site for a list of retailers.

Microsoft Hohm is free and you can get started now at the Hohm homepage (Hohmpage?).

Image via Microsoft

City Highlight: Moving to Baltimore

A few months ago we started to do a feature on the blog that highlights different cities around the country, and the deals that people can find. The idea is that anyone moving to or currently living in these locations can get better deals that help them to save on their home services like home phone, TV and Internet.

For this week's feature, we're going to be taking a look at the great city of Baltimore, home of the Orioles, the Ravens and the Washington Monument. Check out the list below to see a list of the best deals in the area!

Transitioning to a Digital Age

We speak quite a bit on this blog about the rapidly changing technology of the day, and how the world of communications is moving forward at a blinding pace. It is interesting to consider that just ten years ago, there was no such thing as iTunes or even YouTube, two of the things that people spend a great deal of their time doing online. In this digital age, things are almost transforming faster than people can keep a handle on.

If you're curious about the numbers associated with this digital revolution, Newsweek has put together a nice article with an infographic depicting these changes. Titled How the Digital Revolution Changed Our World, it's a fascinating look at some cold hard facts. It demonstrates just how far things have come in the last 10 years, some of which are in ways that surprised me.

For instance, did you know that the numbers of books published has quadrupled? I wonder how much of that has to do with e-readers. Likewise, time spent online has increased by almost 1000 percent. That's just the tip of the iceberg, so if you're curious about what the other numbers are, I would definitely recommend checking out the article. What are some things that surprise you about the list?

Source - Newsweek

Cell Phone vs. Home Phone

Life sure does change quickly these days. Just a few years ago, it seemed that literally almost every house in the country had a landline. However, with the rapid rise of the cell phone, people are now starting to question whether they need to keep home phone service and many people have already ditched their landline. It's not just young people either, my own mom has cut the cord!

While cell phones are great, there are still plenty of reasons to keep your landline. With that in mind, I put together a list of the pros and cons of keeping the landline and pulling the plug:

• Reliability – Cell phones suffer from dropped calls, busy networks and other issues that keep them from being 100% reliable. In contrast, when was the last time you dropped a call from your home phone? Home phones are just more reliable right now and that matters, especially during an emergency.
  Advantage: Home Phone

• One Number – One benefit of going cell-only is that there's only one number people need to know. This cuts down on phone tag and lets people get in touch with you faster, no matter where you are.
  Advantage: Cell Phone

Poll: How Much Time Do You Spend Online?

I've noticed that over the last several years, the time I spend online has increased more and more. Even five years ago, using the Internet as much as we do now was totally unthinkable, simply because of the fact that there just wasn't as much available for us to interact with. Now, we have online video, radio stations, word processors, and the like, and all of it is gradually replacing some of our simplest desktop functions. This is only increasing all the more with the advent of smart phones and mobile browsing.

For me, high-speed Internet has changed from a service to a necessity, almost a utility like electricity or natural gas, simply because there is so much of our lives that require the use of the Web. I know that I'm not alone in this, but I was still curious how much other people out there spent time online. So, I thought I'd make a poll and find out from our readers.

How much time do you spend online? Feel free to vote and tell us in the comments!

High-Speed Internet Access Becomes a Legal Right in Finland

Earlier this month, Finland became the first country to guarantee broadband access to each citizen. Under the new law, the government does not pay for the actual cost of Internet service, it simply ensures that every Finnish citizen has the ability to purchase high-speed Internet. For now, the promise is access to a 1 Mbps connection, but the plan is to make the minimum a whopping 100 Mbps by 2015.

According to the BBC, the UK is working on a similar plan. However, unlike the Finnish law, the government there is actually committing to providing a 2 Mbps connection to everyone by 2012.

These movements really highlight how integral the Internet has become in today's society. No longer just a diversion filled with funny pictures of cats, the Internet is now becoming a requirement for modern living, like the electricity and home phone service before it.

Do you think broadband will ever be a legal right in America? If so, how long do you think it will take?

The Hottest Deals on WhiteFence Right Now

Summer is now officially in high gear, and people across the country are feeling the pinch with higher bills arriving in mailboxes everywhere. Don't worry though, WhiteFence is here to help with a slew of hot home service deals. Our providers have lots of great promotions running right now that can help keep your bills a little lower this summer.

Here are the most scorching deals on the site right now:

• Get three FREE months of Starz and Showtime with select DIRECTV plans.

• Get a a $150 welcome bonus with select TXU Energy electricity plans.

• Lock in your price for life with select Windstream bundles.

• Order home security service from ADT from Security Choice and get a $100 Visa gift card.

• Get $150 back and $5 off per month for two years with select Verizon bundles.

• Sign up for a Gas South plan and get a $50 bill credit.

• Save over $400 on certain AT&T bundles.

These promotions are running as of the date of this blog, but could be removed at any time. Not everyone will qualify for each of these deals. To check availability in your area, just visit WhiteFence.com and enter your address. More details are available once you have entered your address.

Should Cell Phones have Health Warnings?

Do you think cell phones should come with health warning? Well government officials in San Francisco seems to think so, as they passed the Cell Phone Right-to-Know ordinance last month.

The new city ordinance mandates that all stores post the level of radiation emitted from each phone they sell. This of course has cell phone distributors up in arms, but on the flip side health advocates view this city ordinance as a victory.

The ordinance stems from the claim that cell phone cause brain tumors. Some experts say that is true while others claim the data gathered from research is inconclusive so the statement would be false. 

To read more about the Cell Phone Right-to-Know ordinance, read the article San Francisco cellphone radiation law raises health issue by USA Today.

Poll: How Do You Shop For Services?

There are any number of factors that influence our decisions over the home services we choose. Interestingly enough, this seems to differ depending on which service you're talking about, but I think we all have methods that we use to determine what provider and package we're ultimately going to go with. What it comes down to for most individuals, though, is a question of features versus price.

Some people I know tend to shop for what will give them the maximum amount of features, no matter what the cost. They want all premium channels, the fastest upload speeds, unlimited long distance and anything else they can think of. Others shop based on price alone, seeing what the bare minimum is that they have to pay for the service they want. I know that for me, it's a combination of features and pricing. I like to see what options I have that won't break the bank, but still give me lots of cool features for the plan that I choose.

So how do you shop? Are you more interested in getting the most features, paying the least amount of money, or a combination of the two? Vote in the poll and feel free to leave a comment!