Mossberg Video: Buying a Decent Computer on the Cheap

Are you in the market for a computer? Walt Mossberg shares some tips on finding a decent computer during these tough economic times. You might want to bookmark this article for the day when your computer goes adios. Also discusses Apple versus PC. Not surprising, says if its PC stay away from Vista. Some good stuff and cheap like he says.

Ill Wind: FPL Cites Bad Third-Quarter Breezes

How long before there is futures contract on wind? This news might make Boone Pickens a bit nervous.

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clipped from blogs.wsj.com FPL Energy, the biggest U.S. renewable-energy operator, said wind conditions in the third quarter were the worst it has seen since starting a wind-power database in the early 1970s. Electricity generated by FPL’s wind farms—esecially in prime wind-power country like Texas and the Great Plains—came in well below the expected output. FPL’s Texas wind generation, for example, was just 72% of expected output in the quarter—and just 53% in September. Granted, variable wind is just that. FPL enjoyed a better-than-average second quarter of wind, and for the year the company’s wind-power operations have generated 98% of the juice they expected.

Using the Internet Promotes Memory and a Healthy Brain

Learning how to execute sophisticated searches on search engines like Google is good for your brain. Over the long haul it keeps your brain sharp and promotes brain health

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com I just finished reading an article about how using the Internet promotes memory and a healthy brain. This should be of great interest to the millions of baby boomers facing the possibility of Alzheimer's disease in their future. A Pew/Internet study showed that seventy five percent of Leading Boomers (age 51-59) use the Internet. The numbers are lower for Matures (age 60-69) at fifty four percent. The brain study found that Internet savvy users that use search experienced greater brain activity. While there are no conclusive studies at this time, boomers should be thinking about ways to keep the brain healthy and memory sharp as they age. It appears the use of the Internet helps. "This suggests that just searching on the Internet may train the brain -- that it may keep it active and healthy," said Small, whose research appears in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Energy Seed LED Lamp Concept Could Give New Meaning to Battery Recycling

For a more long-term approach to the problem though, there's always the option of using rechargeable batteries.

clipped from www.goodcleantech.com So your alkaline batteries can't power any of your gadgets anymore. In fact, they're so drained they can't even be used for the remote control. With the Energy Seed concept designed by South Korean Sung Woo Park, these old batteries are given a whole new purpose. Instead of being sent for recycling (or more realistically, being thrown away), they could be used to power LED street lamps.

MDI's AIRpod Is a Minute Air-Powered Car

Want one for the trunk of your car?

clipped from www.goodcleantech.com Europe-based company MDI Corporation already promised a six-seater compressed air-powered car for the US come 2010. Here's another vehicle from the brand, although it's far from the family-sized vehicle the US will get. The AIRpod is a minute car by MDI powered by compressed air that's slated for a Europe release on 2009. The vehicle can seat three (non-claustrophobic) people, with one forced to sit facing backwards (that someone would probably have to be immune to motion sickness). The AIRpod has a maximum range of 130 miles (220 kilometers) and a top speed of 40 miles per hour (70 kph), making it suitable for city driving which is probably the company's aim in the first place. Using compressed air as a power source means huge amounts of air are compressed into a small tank that would have to be released slowly to move the car's pistons , the AIRpod is expected to be really efficient and of course, since it runs on air instead of fossil fuels, it's also environmentally-friendly.