Beware. Your tech gear is costing you money while you sleep. Sure, the stuff looks innocent enough: cable box, HDTV, computer monitor, and sundry other electronic gadgets that consume power even when in “sleep” mode. While their energy-sucking ways may seem harmless, they cost you big bucks over time.

How much? U.S. households spend about $100 per year to power devices in low-power mode, around 8 percent of home electricity expenses, according to the government’s Energy Star program. Your water heater, lighting, air conditioner, and heater are the biggest energy hogs. The good news is that you can cut your energy bills without spending a fortune to do it.

First, you need to know which home appliances are the biggest power hogs. The P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt is an inexpensive electricity usage monitor that plugs into a standard wall outlet. Simply connect a suspected energy hog—an old refrigerator, for instance—to the Kill A Watt, which measures the appliance’s power consumption by the kilowatt-hour and shows the results on its LCD display. Priced at just over $17 online, Kill A Watt displays amps, volts, and wattage.

The twilight of the incandescent light bulb is upon us, and most versions of the venerable (and highly inefficient) bulb won’t be available in the U.S. by next year. Fluorescent, LED, and even new “hybrid” incandescent lights save energy and money but are sometimes hard to find for chandeliers, vanity lights, and other unique items. Measurements on bulb packages can be confusing when you’re unsure which size is right for your fixture. Light Bulb Finder is a free mobile app (Apple or Android) that helps you find the right energy-saving bulb. Enter your zip code, and it automatically determines the average electricity rate for your region. Then, scroll through images of lighting fixtures, and choose the type of incandescent bulb you want to replace. The app generates a list of recommended power-efficient bulbs and shows images and tech specs for each product.

Desktop computers and monitors are notorious energy wasters, particularly in home offices where tech gear is often left on 24/7. Many low-cost power-saving devices can stop the power drip and cut your electric bill. The Belkin Conserve Switch Surge Protector with Remote ($40), for instance, is a power strip with six switchable (on/off) outlets, and two additional outlets that are always on. The wall-mountable wireless remote works up to 60 feet from the power strip. To turn off up to six devices—a computer, monitor, printer, speakers, and external hard drive—simply flip the switch. The two always-on outlets are great for gadgets that need power 24/7, such as an Internet router or cordless phone.

And for the technophiles among us, there’s the amazing Nest, a programmable, power-saving thermostat you can install. The $250 Nest Learning Thermostat can cut your heating and cooling bill by up to 20 percent, the company claims. The Nest thermostat studies your heating/cooling habits and adjusts itself accordingly. For instance, if you raise the temperature in your home on a single occasion, Nest will ignore the change. But if you raise it two Mondays mornings in a row at 7 a.m., Nest will learn from your behavior and start making the change automatically. Created by a former Apple executive, Nest is sleek and stylish. And you can control Nest with your smartphone, PC, or tablet via a Wi-Fi connection.

More economical alternatives include the Honeywell Wi-Fi 7 Day Programmable Thermostat, which includes a free app for Apple and Android mobile devices. It’s more affordable at $100 to $120 online.

Of course, you don’t need new energy-saving light bulbs or power-cutting gizmos to reduce your utility bill (although they help). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers some simple suggestions, such as remembering to unplug mobile phones, tablets, and MP3 players once they’re charged. And remember to remove power adapters from wall outlets too. If you don’t, these insidious power drains will continue to cost you money.

Insidious Power Drains The Saturday Evening Post

Photo by Tyler Olson via Shutterstock.

Due to rapid advances in technology over the last few years, maintaining a broadband connection has become essential for many of us in our daily lives. Streaming more HD movies, downloading music, and using data-heavy video chat services like Skype and FaceTime can make basic broadband speeds seem a bit sluggish.

Luckily, you do have some options to choose from. We’ve taken a look at three of the larger broadband providers in the country—Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon—to show you some options if you would like to dramatically increase your internet speeds.

How fast is my broadband now?

The average speed that Americans get from their home internet service is 5.8 megabits per second (Mbps). Those numbers may seem decent, but those speeds place the United States in 13th place worldwide, behind countries like Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Romania. Even the city with the fastest internet service in America, Boston, Massachusetts, only averages 8.4Mbps—a speed that wouldn’t place it in the top 50 cities worldwide.

America’s slow broadband speeds aren’t due to lack of availability but a lack of knowledge among cable companies’ customers. Cable companies push low-end broadband packages, because they are usually cheaper—and much slower. For instance, most Verizon customers don’t have a clue that Verizon offers broadband with speeds of 300Mbps on June 17—the fastest broadband connection in the country, fast enough to download a two-hour HD movie in under two minutes.

What are my high-speed options?

Photo by Tyler Olson via Shutterstock.

Aside from Verizon’s world-class offering (which costs $204 a month), there are other extremely fast options from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon.

Coming in right behind Verizon’s highest broadband package is a 150Mbps offering that costs $94 a month. Another option is an $84-a-month plan that will get you speeds of 75Mbps. Be aware of the hidden costs with Verizon; all of these prices are contingent upon a two-year contract (if you don’t sign, the price goes up $5 a month, plus you have to pay a $100 equipment fee) as well as Verizon’s home phone service (another $5-a-month surcharge if you don’t have it).

Time Warner Cable also has faster options for you, but they are nowhere near what Verizon is offering. Time Warner’s highest offering is $79 a month, which gets you speeds of 50Mbps for your home internet needs. For $49 and $39 a month, you can get speeds of 30Mbps and 20Mbps, respectively. All of these prices are promotional and will rise after the first year.

Comcast does offer higher speeds than Time Warner Cable, but it comes at a premium. At 105Mbps, Comcast’s fastest option comes in at $199 a month, $5 cheaper than Verizon’s highest option, which offers speeds nearly three times as fast. For $115 a month with Comcast, you will get speeds of 50Mbps, while $72 a month will bring you speeds of 30Mbps.

Is it worth it?

If you live by yourself and are not an avid internet user, you may not need this kind of speed. But if you live with techies or have teenagers who are constantly on the internet, it will definitely come in handy.

Even with all of the advances in technology, your broadband connection shares a trait with your water heater—if everyone uses the hot water at the same time, the water will lose heat more quickly than it would otherwise. The same is true with broadband. If you are streaming Netflix and surfing the web on your iPad, your 5Mbps internet connection will take much longer to download that large file than it usually does.

If you are experiencing slow speeds or just want a faster connection, a super-fast internet connection is definitely worth paying for. If you do choose to upgrade, you will miss out on all the fun of buffering Netflix shows, slow-loading YouTube clips, and long waits for file downloads—but we’re sure you’ll find something to do with all that free time.

Is It Worth Paying For Super-Fast Internet In Your Home? The Saturday Evening Post

In recent months, an increasing number of companies and organizations have been asking prospective employees not only for their Facebook usernames, but also for their passwords. What started as a seemingly isolated incident in North Carolina last year turned out to be a lot more common than we thought. Last Friday, Facebook addressed the situation for the first time, and the company has this to say: You have the right not to give employers your passwords if and when they ask.

In an update on the website, company Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan talked about how alarming the practice is, and how it compromises the privacy of everyone on your friend list, along with your own. According to Egan: “It is important that everyone on Facebook understands they have a right to keep their password to themselves.” In fact, if you take a look at Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, it’s a violation to share your password with anyone else. 

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is currently writing a bill to prohibit any employer from ever practicing the unspeakable policy. The Senator told the website Politico that he is deeply troubled by this tactic, and that his bill would be ready very soon.

Facebook: You Have the Right Not to Give Employers Your Passwords The Saturday Evening Post

Apple just announced its brand new iPad, and it’s an absolutely gorgeous piece of computing power. It’s got a stunningly brilliant printed-paper-quality 2084 x 1536 display. It’s got a powerful new 5-megapixel camera, with auto focus and white balance control. It’s even got blazingly fast 4G that you can use as a wireless hotspot, if you’re willing to pay for it. But is it the right tablet for you?

Maybe, maybe not. Before you shell out $499 — or more — for a new tablet, consider whether your new piece of tech is a need … or simply a want.

Why you want to upgrade to the new iPad:

Because the new iPad is darned cool. There’s no way around it: Apple products define cool. You look at those holding iPads on the commuter rail with envy. Your friends — at least your technologically-minded friends — have one. Your kids are going to put it on their holiday shopping list. It’s trendy in a way that no other tablet can hope to match. If staying on top of trends is important to you, then the new iPad is going to be a hands-down must-have gadget.

Because you didn’t buy the iPad 2. If you skipped the iPad 2, this might be a phenomenal time to grab the new iPad. After all, the iPad 2 added a slew of features to the already-awesome original iPad, such as a front-facing camera and a better processor. Since the new iPad adds a whole bunch of features to what you already missed out on, it represents a massive technological leap over what you already own. Faster processor. Better resolution. Better camera. And 4G LTE for faster internet on the go — it’s all pretty hard to beat.

It’s hard to get better. The new iPad has a lot of undeniably cool features, like better-than-HD resolution, a powerful camera, and 4G wireless. These features are so cool, in fact, that it’s hard to imagine the iPad 4 being significantly better on either of these fronts. After all, if your eyes can’t tell the difference, why increase the resolution? Is there any point to putting a better-than-5-megapixel camera in an iPad? And 5G wireless internet is years away — something we’ll likely be enjoying for the first time on our iPad 9s or possibly even iPad 12s.

Of course, that’s not to say there aren’t some avenues where an iPad 4 can better this latest iteration, namely in processor and battery life. But if you keep putting off your purchases by saying “the next one is bound to be better,” you’ll likely never buy another piece of tech in your life.

Why you don’t want to upgrade to the new iPad:

Money is a factor. Clocking in at $499 on the low end, a brand new iPad isn’t within everyone’s budget. And to get the most out of your iPad, you’re probably going to need to shell out a few hundred extra to get the 4G wireless. That’s the bad news. The good news, of course, is that the presence of the new iPad makes the iPad 2 cheaper — both new ($399 from Apple) and used. And if you really want to save some green, check out our selection of the 8 best tablets currently on the market.

You just don’t need a tablet. There’s no denying that iPads are cool. They’re Star Trek-level tech in the palm of your hand. But do you really need one? Probably not — there’s really nothing you can do on an iPad that you can’t already do on an iPhone or a home computer.

You prefer a smaller option. The new iPad clocks in at 9.7″, just like its predecessor. Plus, it’s slightly bulkier than the iPad 2. That’s still small, sure, but if you’re all about portability, the far cheaper Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet both have a real advantage. Besides, it’s rumored that we’ll be getting a smaller, more portable iPad later this year. It may be worth sitting on your hands … for now.

You’re going to do most your computing at home. One of the most compelling features of the new iPad is the higher-speed 4G LTE internet connection that’s usable as a wireless hotspot. It’s really the only must-have new feature — most of the rest merely represents upgrades over what’s already there. If you’re planning on spending most of your time with your new iPad via a WiFi connection, then you don’t really need 4G.

Any piece of brand new Apple technology is hard to resist, and we’re going to have a lot of trouble holding on to our purse strings over the new iPad, even if it is easier than ever to sell our iPad 2s. Still, before you get out that credit card, it’s worth considering that if the existing features of the iPad 2 make you happy, you’ll probably be better off saving up your money for the fourth-generation iPad. After all, it’s only about a year away.

Is Now the Right Time to Buy a New iPad? The Saturday Evening Post

Photo by Thomas Euler.

As Facebook continues to take the world by storm, many scammers are also spending countless hours lurking around the network — and they’re not looking for their friends from college. Instead, there are nefarious types who are more than happy to use Mark Zuckerberg’s creation to their own ends: making money, stealing personal information, gaining access to bank accounts, and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to keep the bad guys from getting hold of your information, time, and hard-earned cash. All you need is a little common sense and a little less haste when it comes to clicking links.

1. Ignore anybody asking you for money.

Unless it’s your little sister and she’d like you to spring a $50 so she can buy gas, most people asking you for money on Facebook are up to something.

The most common form of digital panhandling is advance fee fraud, also known as the 419 scam. It’s a variation on the scam from everybody’s favorite African royalty, the Nigerian prince. This time around, rather than spending money to receive your share of someone’s father’s inheritance, you’re asked to transfer cash to help a friend in danger.

If a chat window ever pops up from a friend claiming, “Help! I’ve been mugged in London!” (or Sydney, or Madrid, or Kansas), you should close it again — and contact your friend via another means to let them know their account has been hacked.

Similarly, keep an eye out for charity scammers, particularly around times of natural disasters or national holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving. To ensure your money gets where you want it to go, do not donate money to any organization that you do not completely trust. You’re much better off going directly to the charity’s website and using one of the listed payment options.

2. If it sounds too good to be true… guess what?

Has a friend of yours “won a new iPad 2 OMG”? Could you win one too, if you just go to a certain website and hand over a bunch of personal details? Chances are, probably not. Look at the person’s post carefully, and you’ll see a few telltale signs that all is not what it seems.

Are there spelling errors from a person with typically impeccable grammar? Are they the sort of person who would enter a competition for, win, or crow about a new piece of technology? How does the “via” indicate the post was sent? Particularly if it’s been sent from an app you don’t recognize, you should delete the post and let your friend know their account has been compromised.

3. Look before you log (in).

Photo by Johan Larsson.

Phishers are very good at making their fake websites look very similar to the real thing, in the hope that they can steal your username, password, and other personal details.

If you receive an email that looks like a Facebook notification, check the link that it takes you to. If it’s anything other than http://www.facebook.com, do not enter your login details. Simply close the window and take no further action.

4. Resist temptation.

If a private message pops up or a friend posts on your wall that you “won’t believe” what’s being written about you on a blog, take a deep breath and do not click the link. Delete the post and (you guessed it!) let them know that they’ve been hacked. These links, just like the ones about the video you just have to see or the photos of the girl at the party, are all ways of preying on human nature — you can’t help but want to know what’s behind the curtain.

We’ll spoil it for you: There’s probably nothing there. Perhaps a pile of advertising, perhaps a lengthy survey (and a pile of advertising), perhaps a form for you to enter all sorts of personal details (with a pile of advertising on the side). There’s definitely no scandalous blog, no terrifying photographs, and no information on who’s been looking at your profile. Sorry.

5. Use your common sense.

If a friend’s Facebook post seems not quite right, don’t follow the link. Instead, send them a quick message (or contact them using another method) to let them know their account may have been compromised.

The weakest link

Of course, sometimes you’ll slip up. Curiosity may get the better of you, and before you know it, you’ve installed an app that’s posting bizarre messages all over your friends’ Timelines.

Don’t worry, you can still recover from this. Head to Account > Privacy Settings > “Edit your settings” (under Apps and Websites) > Edit Settings (under “Apps you use”), and then click the X next to any apps you want to delete. Take a few moments to go through this list while you’re there, and remove any apps you do not still use or those that you didn’t mean to add in the first place.

Then delete any posts that the app has made in your name; they should be listed on your Timeline, too. If you want, you can make a post on your Timeline about what’s happened, but there’s no need to send everybody a private message.

Finally, change your Facebook account password — and next time, be more careful.

5 Tips to Avoid Facebook Fraud The Saturday Evening Post

By now, unless you’re a really steadfast old-school photographer, you’ve probably embraced the wonders of digital cameras. And it’s no wonder, with their ability to take as many pictures as your memory card will hold, preview images instantly on your camera’s LCD screen, and easily whisk digital copies out to friends and family.

But what about photographs from before you started snapping away in digital delight? You know, the ones languishing in dusty photo albums or shoeboxes tucked in the back of your closet? Great photography didn’t start with the invention of the digital camera, after all, so it’s quite likely you’ve got some old print photographs lying around somewhere, whether they’re your own snapshots or hundred-year-old black-and-white family portraits.

So what can you do with them? And why would you want to go through the trouble? Read on to find out!

Why digitize?

Photo by Riccardo Panello.

Why should you take the time to digitize your old photographs? After all, doing so can be an extremely lengthy and sometimes expensive process. There are, however, several important points to consider as you decide whether it’s worth it to you.

• Preserving history. Unless you have the original photo slides or negatives archived somewhere safe, those old photos you have might be the only copies of those images that exist. As you’ve probably noticed, old photos tend to degrade over time and exposure to light, moisture, and other environmental factors. Creating digital copies allows you to keep the original while also safeguarding those memories in digital format, which is easy to back up.
• Restoring images and repairing damage. With a digital copy, you can repair a lot of the damage that occurs to physical prints over time. Scratches and tears, discoloration, dust spots, and other issues can all be fixed with the right software and a little time and know-how. And all this can be done while leaving the original untouched, thus preserving its historical value.
• Sharing is caring. While it’s certainly possible to make a copy of a physical print, it’s much easier to make a digital copy of a digital file. Once that copy is made, you can send it anywhere in the world with a simple email, post it online, or do anything else you want to with it. 

Should you try doing it yourself?

If you have either a stand-alone desk scanner or an all-in-one printer, you can scan your old photos yourself. Such devices are pretty cheap these days, and most scan at high resolution. There are some pros and cons to doing it yourself, though.

DIY pros

Photo by Delilah Jenkins.

• It’s free, assuming you already own the scanner.

• You control the set-up for each photo you scan, so you can adjust for layout, size, and so on.
• The photos never leave your possession, so you don’t have to worry about precious memories getting lost in transit.
• Immediate gratification — you’ll have the digital copy as soon as you scan it.
• You control the creation of the digital files, so you can choose how to name, organize, and store them.

DIY cons

• Home scanners are generally slow, so if you have hundreds of photos to scan, it will take you a lot of time.
• You’ll need some technical knowledge of the scanning device and software and how to handle the resulting digital file.
• Doing any major restoration or alteration requires software that can be expensive and challenging to learn.

Scan it yourself

Photo by Carolyn Williams.

If you’re going to scan your photos yourself, here are a few tips to help you get the best results.

• If you have the option and ability to scan negatives or slides instead of prints, do so. They are far less likely to be discolored or scratched, and you can scan them at a higher resolution than prints. (More on that in a moment.)
• Before you begin, check your photographs for dust and debris. Don’t attempt to clean or repair the actual prints; if they’re dirty, simply wipe gently with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Never use liquid on photographs — it will discolor them.
• Check the scanner bed (called the platen), and clean it if necessary. Again, use a clean, soft cloth — you can use a bit of cleaning solution like Windex if you’d like, but be sure to apply it to the cloth, not directly to the platen (to avoid getting liquid in the scanner). Be sure the platen is completely dry before you put any photographs on it.
• Adjust the settings. Check your scanner’s manual to see how to adjust the resolution of the scans. Generally, your goal is to aim for 300 DPI (dots per inch) at a size of 8 x 10 inches. Most scanners let you set this directly, but some only allow you to set the scanning resolution instead of the target size; if that’s the case, you’ll have to do some math. If you’re scanning negatives or slides, you’ll have to use a very high resolution — around 3,000 DPI — because the original is so small. Note that using a target resolution higher than 300 DPI is generally not necessary, as it won’t yield any better results. This is because you’re scanning a photograph that’s only printed at about 300 DPI, so there isn’t much more data there to scan!
• Save your images as either .jpg or .tif files, and be sure to use the highest quality and lowest compression settings.

Let someone else do the work

If scanning your photos yourself sounds like too much work or you have a large number of photos to scan, you might decide to send your photos off to a scanning and digitizing service to do it for you. There are some significant advantages to this option. Many companies do things like color correction, cropping, rotating, red-eye removal, and fixing dust and scratches.




Photo by Erwin Recinos.


Before you send off your precious memories to a company for scanning, be sure to read all the fine print and know exactly what you’ll be getting, what they’ll be doing, and how much it costs. Find out if they include retouching, and if so, is it done by a human being for each photo individually or by a computer? How are the digital files named and organized, and how will they be sent back to you? What sort of packaging do they require your photos be sent using, and how will they be returned?

Keep your memories close

However you decide to digitize your old print photos, the results will be completely worth it. Imagine being able to write a family history and post it to your website, including photographs of your ancestors. As long as you keep a backup, your photographs will be safe from fire, flood, and loss and available for future generations to enjoy.


This story originally appeared on Tecca. More from Tecca:

Beginner’s guide to digital photography

7 ways to manage your digital photo collection

Digital Photography 101: The care and feeding of your digital camera

How to Digitize Your Old Print Photos The Saturday Evening Post

]]> http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/03/02/health-and-family/tech/how-to-digitize-your-old-print-photos.html/feed 0 http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/02/17/health-and-family/tech/9-easy-ways-reduce-home-energy.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=9-easy-ways-reduce-home-energy http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/02/17/health-and-family/tech/9-easy-ways-reduce-home-energy.html#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:30:34 +0000 Laura Selby http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/?p=50940 Taking steps to reduce your electricity and energy use at home is a smart choice, and we have a few quick and easy projects to get you started.

9 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Home Energy Use The Saturday Evening Post

]]> Maybe you’re a full-fledged tree hugger who’s already drooling over the new Ford Fusion Energi electric hybrid sedan. Or maybe you’re just hoping to save a few bucks on your next electric bill or make your living room a little less frigid during the cold months of winter. Either way, taking steps to reduce your electricity and energy use at home is a smart choice – and the good news is you won’t have to replace all your windows or move to a yurt do it. Here are a few quick and easy projects to get you started.

1. Insulate electrical outlets.

Insulate the electrical outlets in your house that are located on exterior walls. Your local hardware store probably sells foam socket sealers that will help block cold or hot outside air from entering your home. You’ll need a screwdriver to remove the outlet plates or switch plates, but the whole process shouldn’t take more than a few minutes per outlet.

2. Get an energy audit.

Pay attention to your utility bill. Some utility companies occasionally offer a free energy audit, which typically entails a home inspection from a utility employee. If your electric bill seems high and you can’t figure out the reason, getting an audit is a great starting point for investigation; the results will help you understand the factors that may be affecting your energy use, such as drafty windows or a poorly insulated roof. If you’re lucky, the utility company may even throw in a few energy-saving freebies such as low-flow faucet heads or compact fluorescent light bulbs.

3. Switch to fluorescent light bulbs.




Compact fluorescent bulbs are brighter and more efficient than incandescent bulbs.

Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or LEDs. Compact fluorescent bulbs are brighter and more efficient than incandescent bulbs; they may be more expensive up front, but they’ll last much longer. LED lights are another option that’s even more energy efficient; the downside is that they’re pretty pricey (expect to spend $20 or so per bulb). If the light generated by fluorescent bulbs is too harsh or industrial for your taste, try replacing existing incandescent bulbs with incandescent bulbs with lower wattage.

4. Give your fridge a hand.

Vacuum the coils on your refrigerator. Pet hair and dust bunnies accumulate on the coils over time, causing the fridge to have to work harder to get rid of the heat. If you clean off the coils now and then, the fridge will have less work to do and will use less energy.

5. Block off unused heat registers.

Be smart about heating and cooling. Is there a room in your home you rarely use? Is there a register in your laundry room two feet away from the furnace, resulting in a double dose of hot air? In rooms you don’t really need to heat and cool, insert something in the register to block it off and redirect the air flow toward other areas of the house.

6. Close the chimney flue.

If you have a fireplace, make sure the chimney vent is closed, unless you are about to make a fire. This helps insulate your home from warm or cold air, so your heating and air conditioning won’t require as much energy. Closing the chimney flue also prevents wildlife from taking up residence there. Trust us on this one: Having a live raccoon fall down your chimney in the middle of the night is an experience you’d rather omit from your bucket list.

7. Winterize windows and doors.




Try a window insulator kit.

If you live in a place with long, cold winters and your home is drafty, it’s definitely worth investing in winterizing supplies. Double-sided foam tape can help plug gaps along the edges and bottom of exterior doors and window frames so the wind doesn’t whistle through your kitchen.

If you notice lots of cold air coming through the windows, consider getting a window insulator kit. Most kits contain what looks like a large roll of ordinary double-sided tape and several giant sheets of plastic wrap. Installation is simple. Outline the window frame with double-sided tape, stretch an appropriate-sized piece of plastic wrap over the window, and blow dry the plastic until it tightens up like a drum. Yes, your windows will look a little odd for a day or two until you get used to it, but the difference in warmth is noticeable.

8. Turn down appliances.

Besides your HVAC system itself, the fridge, freezer, and hot water heater are probably the biggest energy users in your home. Check the thermostat in your refrigerator and freezer; your fridge should be set between 37 and 40 degrees and your freezer at about 5 degrees. Hot water heaters are typically set at 140 degrees, but you can probably get away with setting yours at 120 degrees unless you have health concerns that require extra-hot water. For more tips on optimizing home energy use, check out the U.S. Department of Energy website.

9. Insulate hot water pipes.

If you have easy access to your hot water heater, hot water pipes, and heating ducts, insulate them with foam or insulator foil. It’s a little bit of trouble, but the energy-saving results are impressive, especially considering that the materials are relatively inexpensive.


This article originally appeared on Tecca.

More from Tecca:

Top Electric Vehicles: Prius vs. Leaf vs. Volt

Melting buildings could help solve the energy crisis

Futuristic Taiwan Tower to borrow design from a tree, will harness renewable energy


9 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Home Energy Use The Saturday Evening Post

]]> http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/02/17/health-and-family/tech/9-easy-ways-reduce-home-energy.html/feed 1 http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2010/03/22/health-and-family/tech/facebook-generation.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=facebook-generation http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2010/03/22/health-and-family/tech/facebook-generation.html#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:20:31 +0000 John Rozewicki http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/?p=20119 No longer relegated to hip college students trying to find dates, the Facebook community now includes everyone from 20-something celebrities to grandmothers and sewing circles. Is it for you?

The Facebook Generation The Saturday Evening Post

]]> Facebook, over the past year, has reached a critical mass. No longer relegated to hip college students trying to find dates, the Facebook community now includes everyone from 20-something celebrities to grandmothers and sewing circles.

As a 20-something myself, I thought it would be interesting to profile the ways in which Facebook is changing how my generation communicates with friends and family.

I am part of the first generation that will never long for a high school reunion; Facebook has made it more difficult for me to lose track of old acquaintances. Whenever I go on Facebook, I see a stream of all the things my friends are currently doing. Even if I don’t speak to them for three months at a time, there’s still a “connection.”

In the past, this type of passive communication on a mass scale was impossible. If I wanted to stay connected to a group of 15 friends from long ago, I might have sent letters, but it would have been far from efficient. I would have written the same things to each of them. The personal content of these letters would have been small compared to the informational pieces that would be the same in the other 14 letters. Facebook makes your information a kind of boilerplate. It becomes a given, so conversations with old friends can be a lot more productive when I do see those people. In a way, I never really lose my connection.

That feeling of social ties is the magic of a service like Facebook. My family, like a lot of other modern families, is spread out across the Unites States, from Florida to California. I also have family members overseas. I’m lucky if I see my entire family once a year. Yet, with the assistance of Facebook, I can apply the the same efficiency of staying connected with high school friends as with my family. My sister, for example, recently had her first child. I have met my niece only a handful of times since then, but she is constantly in my thoughts thanks to a stream of pictures and updates about how she’s doing. It’s a lot like the old family Christmas cards except it’s happening every single day of the year.

The Internet has come a long way in the last couple of decades, and we’re seeing some noticeable generational trends. For instance, one of my friend’s aunts “friended me” on Facebook, and I noticed that she had three times the number of Facebook friends as her nephew, despite the fact that she has only recently started to spend more time on the Internet. She spends more time on Facebook than he does. Yet he is part of the younger generation that grew up using the Internet.

The beauty of Facebook is in the packaging of the service. Almost every facet of Facebook is technology that existed from years before: e-mail, instant messaging, photo galleries, personal Web pages, RSS, etc. Facebook has taken these function, which young people have been able to do for the past decade, and made them more user-friendly, more accessible—for young and older generations alike.

Facebook is the second act in the people’s Internet Revolution; the first being America Online, which spurred the adoption of the Internet in the homes of ordinary Americans. In a similar fashion, Facebook is spurring the adoption of Internet use in demographics that have been dismissed as the non-Internet users. It gives people a reason to be online in a way that simply checking e-mail, the 1996 equivalent, did not. Facebook is active in a way that the general population may find more rewarding.

Instead of waiting for items to roll in addressed to you personally, as in the case of e-mail, you can take the initiative to find out about your friends without having to speak to them directly.

The ability to communicate (or not communicate) with your friends in different ways also heightens the ‘stickiness’ of the service. For example, it tells you who else is using Facebook right now. You can then exchange instant messages with any of them. There’s always one more thing to check, see, or do on Facebook. It’s like a never-ending dinner party and all your friends and family are invited.

Whether or not Facebook is a festive Christmas card or more of a raucous dinner party is up to the user (or non-user). Suffice to say, even if the Facebook service goes offline tomorrow, services like Facebook have changed the way we communicate in our society.

The Facebook Generation The Saturday Evening Post

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