Megavolt Newsletter

"Banning" seems to be the word when it comes to electricity this month. Governments and politicians around the world are all trying to ban something in the name of "energy preservation".

For instance, the government of Rwanda has just announced their plan to ban electric water heating. "The NewTimes Online" writes that the State Minister for Energy and Communication says that the decision will be cross-cutting, applying to households, hotels and factories and among other entities. The government is considering the use of solar power as an alternative.
( read more: http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=1 )

California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine announced he would propose a bill to ban the use of incandescent bulbs in his state. "The light bulb was invented a long time ago and a lot of things have changed since then," said Chatzidakis, a Republican from Burlington. "I obviously respect the memory of Thomas Edison, but what we're looking at here is using less energy."
(read more: http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2007/02/09/edisons-light
-bulb-could-be-endangered/?url=http%3A%2F%2
Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2FwireStory%3Fid%3D2862138%2
6CMP%3DOTC-RSSFeeds0312&frame=true ).

California isn't the only place wanting to ban incandescent bulbs. The Australian government on Tuesday announced plans to phase out incandescent light bulbs too, and replace them with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs across the country. "Legislation to gradually restrict the sale of the old-style bulbs could reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tons by 2012 and cut household power bills by up to 66 percent", said Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
(read more: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=
/n/a/2007/02/20/international/i075822S04.DTL )

Green Business News reports that the EU ban on energy profligate products moves closer. What is THAT all about?

On another topic all together, unfortunately I have been informed that the VoIP provider "Go-Telecom" is closing it's doors. Go-Telecom was the VoIP provider that I used. They provided superior quality, which they accomplished by being the only company with a server operating in Israel. They had no set-up fees and their support was fantastic. I'm waiting to get a press release from them before I take them off the list altogether. Sorry to see them go.

Have a good day.

JZK

NEW AT  Megavolt

Those new in Israel, or those arriving soon, may not be familiar with the cell phone companies operating here. "Cellular Communication Networks in Israel" will give you general information about each company as well as a link to their site.

For those who haven't been up to date on the latest news, Israel has a new phone provider competing with Bezeq and Hot. Read all about it in "Third Israeli Phone Provider: Zahav 012".

It seems that General Electric doesn't want to see the incandescent bulb become extinct. Instead they are working hard on a "new & improved" bulb that will match the energy savings of a florescent. "Energy Efficient Incandescent Lamp from General Electric" will tell you about GE's special plans for the future.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Bring in the Sunlight

Solatube Daylighting System brings daylight into your home where it couldn't reach before. Solatube redirects light down a highly reflective shaft and diffuses it throughout your interior space. Useful for those dim, closed-up rooms without windows or those rooms low on natural light. You can get more info from: http://www.solatube.com/

Let a Robot Do Your Cleaning

Ever wish that you could just have some sort of robot do your cleaning for you?
Well, your wish is their command. iRobot makes a number of small "mini" robots that will move around your home and vacuum the rugs or wash the floors. It is flat enough to go under sofas and beds. When it's done, it'll run right back where it came from and start recharging itself. There are a few models to choose from, each for a different purpose. You can learn more about these amazing devices at: http://www.irobot.com/ and don't forget to see the product video of how they work. So cool.

Warning from The Electric Company

The Electric Company must be having a major problem with people getting hurt lately, for them to put out a seemingly obvious warning as this. IEC is warning people not to open any of IEC's electrical cabinets or climb their electrical poles and/or installations. For me it seems like a "no-brainer", but never the less there are always those who have to do something "special" and without thinking. So please, stay safe and keep an eye on your children too.

TIP OF THE MONTH

Many times when a incandescent light bulb is replaced, the new bulb that is put in doesn't work. The homeowner tries yet another bulb thinking that the new bulb was a "dud" but the second bulb doesn't work either.
Obviously, there are many things that could be happening here, but one of the most common problems is that the bulb is simply not making contact. All that is needed to fix this is to bend the contact piece in the bulb socket back in place.
You can see an illustration of this at http://www.megavolt.co.il/Tips_and_info/socket_trouble.html.
WARNING: Be safe and make sure that the power is turned off  before touching anything.