Digital Products and eBooks

If you have been wondering about the possibilities ofsolar power or wind energy, you certainly are not alone.  Thousands of people are escaping the hold of utility companies by finding out for themselves how to make solar panels that can reduce their energy costs and help the environment at the same time.

There are many reasons to look into the idea of using alternate energy sources.  Solar and wind energy look to be the wave of the future.  Some people are motivated mostly by the idea of doing what is best for the environment.  Issues like the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have served as a real wake up call to many people.  We cannot keep beating our planet down and using up natural resources like there is no tomorrow.

It seems that the issue has finally gotten the attention of government officials as well.  The “Green” movement is a real force and the current push seems to be for finding a way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while looking for ways to implement energy sources that do not pollute when we use them.

Of course, most of use already know and understand the importance of helping the planet.  That brings us to the second source of motivation people often have for exploring how to make solar panels and even windmills.  People today want to find ways to reduce their OWN dependence on expensive energy sources.  It comes down to weighing the costs of installing alternative energy sources versus how much money they will save for homeowners in the long run.

I’m sure that most people would love the idea of changing over to solar or wind energy and eliminating, or at least cutting down, their monthly energy bills.  The problem has been the high cost of making the conversion.  People have gone to the trouble of figuring out the practicality of using these forms of energy in their own home, but then have been stopped in their tracks by costs that can range into the tens of thousands of dollars.

Now, there seems to be an option for these people to explore that will cost considerably less.  Someone has finally taken the step to make the costs low enough that the average person can realistically benefit from making a change.  Earth4energy offers not only easy to follow plans, but also instructional videos about how to implement solar and wind energy on your own property.  If you are ready to make a change that could affect your energy bills as well as benefit the environment, this is a site you should definitely check out!

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Sometimes I like to look for unusual applications of digital technology.  Other times, I like to look for cool new things in digital technology.  The Motorola Droid smartphone might be one of the coolest things to come along since…well, maybe the iPhone.  I checked, and it looks like Amazon is already set to go with their Motorola Droid gear.

I’ve got nothing against the iPhone.  I don’t personally have one because the cost just seemed to high for what you get.  That and the fact that every time I’ve rushed out to get the first generation of some cool new thing, it seems like something better comes along cheaper in no time flat.  I still recall shaking my head in amazement as people hurried out to drop $500 on the iPhone when it was released.  That was a no-brainer for me.  I didn’t have that kind of money sitting around or burning a hole in my pocket, but I did think it was pretty interesting.

The Droid is supposed to be the first real competition that the iPhone is running into and it even has some features (like free GPS) that out-do the iPhone.  The Droid also offers users the opportunity to use not only a touch screen, but an optional keyboard if they prefer that.

The Motorola Droid was shown off to the public on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.  It will formally be unleased on November 6.  You might want to start the stopwatch if you didn’t already.  It could be exciting to see if this sparks any kind competition that drops prices even more or if any kind of frenzy breaks out like it did when people lined up to get their hands on the iPhone.  If nothing else, this may force prices for iPhone services to drop a bit which is very good news for their owners.  When you take into account a rebate that is being offered by Verizon, the Droid will only cost about $200!  Even tacking on a calling plan that covers the nation will only add on an additional thirty bucks.

Even though Apple isn’t the kind of company to start trembling in its boots over something like this, they have got to be watching very carefully.  I don’t own an iPhone and I don’t plan on rushing out to get a Motorola Droid, but I’ve got to admit that I’m sort of pulling for the underdog in this one.  I think part of it may be that many people I know with iPhones are just a bit snobbish about the fact.  I don’t like to think that I suffer from phone envy, I just get tired of hearing about everything it can do.  I’ve got a Blackberry, and I’m comfortable with that for a while.  I think the other reason this caught my attention is that like it or not, when I hear the name Motorola, I still think of the old walkie talkies we played with when I was a kid.  My how far they’ve come!

You can read more about the Motorola Droid Smartphone at PCWorld.

Here are a couple of video walk through tours of the Motorola Droid that show off some of its many features!

This one is from CNET

and here is one more…

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