Just the other day I was talking to a guy who is in his 50s.  In ten more years, he plans to retire but is scared about his 401K tanking.  He said that his money is buying lots of stock right now, and if the economy rebounds he’ll be in pretty good condition.

I guess I am just the eternal optimist because I wholeheartedly believe the economy is going to rebound.  There is usually one industry that takes full advantage of the down economy.  It follows Benjamin Franklin’s advice, “Necessity is the mother of all invention.”  These industries spark the interest of people and the economy as a whole.

Even though I am not a psychic, I see one of two industries emerging into the forefront.  The whole green movement or better energy sources.  More people are recycling these days.  For example, in the 80s our landfill usage peaked at 150 million tons of trash each year.  Because recycling efforts have picked up, 32% of that is recycled these days (www.howstuffworks.com).

Although this is great for our environment, I don’t see the green movement being a money making industry.  I do see energy being the next big wave.  The rising gas prices the past two summers (and most likely this one) have sent people in a tizzy.  Everyone was demanding better sources of energy…until the prices went down.

There are still those brilliant minds out there who are brainstorming the next best thing.  More efficient engines, better ways to conserve our energy, different sources of power, etc.  Eventually, one person will release that new energy source.  People will flock to it, and industries will form around it for support.

Factories and plants will pop up everywhere.  Businesses will thrive simply by making the peripherals needed by these companies.  Restaurants will be packed by the workers.  Homes will increase in value.  The economy will return.

Does anyone else share the same opinion?  What form of energy do you see being the next big thing?  To get your mind working look at MAG-LEV trains.  This is a perfect example of what I’m predicting for our future.

Surges, dips & power protection power anomalies and surges pose a big threat to computer equipment. Our computers are sensitive and these things can cause harm.

Do you live in the country, or in an older home or apartments…does the power flicker and surge? Did you know that an electrical surge can travel through telephone lines into your house ?

There are many reasons for the power anomalies and surges, and electric companies are not solely to blame. Often the old interior wiring is a culprit, and even in buildings where the wiring is newer, many everyday appliances like microwaves, vacuum cleaners, and hair dryers can cause data-damaging interference.

Computer components, especially the microprocessors, are more sensitive to fluctuations in power amounts than other appliances. They function best when receiving stable current at the correct voltage, and a start-up demand from a microwave lasts only fractions of a second-but, if that fraction occurs while you’re using your computer, the results can be devastating ! A single brief surge/dip of electricity (Houston Texas Electricity Rates) could render your machine useless and/or destroy delicate parts.

A power strip, which is a simple strip of outlets, is not a surge protector.

A surge protector may look like a power strip, but it has built-in protection against power surges. These come in many shapes and sizes and are now available just about everywhere. Some models will include a telephone jack to protect your telephones and modem (Houston Texas Broadband Internet).

For emergency back-up power to give the user time to save their work and shut down properly, many consumers and companies have turned to the UPS units- short for uninterruptible power supply. These are designed to provide a safe and stable electrical current in the event of dips/surges and total power outages.

Having an on-line UPS avoids these momentary power lapses by constantly providing power from its own inverter, and the UPS has internal batteries to guarantee that continuous power is provided to the equipment.

The UPS models vary alot, and you have options. You can get a small system to run from a few min to larger units that will keep you working for many hours, you can even find solar charged UPS units for sunny areas.