A Plant so Powerful it can Move a Jet

I was stunned when I read an article about this plant called Jatropha. It's a weed that is normally used as a hedgerow but it has recently caught the attention of scientists looking for innovative renewable energy resources.

The oil from the plant has already been used in test flights for Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines and Continental Airlines, and so far the test have come back with positive results.

This isn't something that's going to be commercially ready for the market tomorrow, but it maybe in the near future. Perhaps it will be possible to power all commercial jets with plant power.

To learn more on the research being done and other form of biofuels, read the article, Alternative Jet Fuel: The Jatropha Plant.

Clean Homes Mourn the Loss of Product Pitchman Billy Mays

If you are like me, you have at least one bottle of Orange Glo, OxiClean or some other "as seen on TV" product in your house somewhere and you were saddened by the news of the passing of Billy Mays this weekend. Most American TV watchers (and house cleaners!) could recognize his trademark booming voice from his famous commericals and infomercials.

"It is with incredible sadness that we have to report that Billy Mays died in his sleep last night," said a statement from the Discovery Channel, where Mays was featured on the reality TV show Pitchmen. "Everyone that knows him was aware of his larger-than-life personality, generosity and warmth. Billy was a pioneer in his field and helped many people fulfill their dreams. He will be greatly missed as a loyal and compassionate friend. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time of incredible loss."

In honor of Mr. Mays, tell us about your favorite infomercial product and how it changed your life for the better.

Study Finds Finds Clean Energy Economy Generates Significant Job Growth

According to a report recently released by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the number of jobs in America’s emerging clean energy economy grew nearly two and a half times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007.

Pew found that jobs in the clean energy economy grew at a national rate of 9.1 percent, while traditional jobs grew by only 3.7 percent between 1998 and 2007. There was a similar pattern at the state level, where job growth in the clean energy economy outperformed overall job growth in 38 states and the District of Columbia during the same period. The report also found that this promising sector is poised to expand significantly, driven by increasing consumer demand, venture capital infusions, and federal and state policy reforms.

“The clean energy economy is poised for explosive growth,” said Lori Grange, interim deputy director of the Pew Center on the States. “These jobs are driving economic growth and environmental sustainability at a time when America needs both. There is a potential competitive advantage for federal and state policy leaders who act now to spur jobs, businesses and investments in the clean energy sector.”

The report also showed that the emerging clean energy economy is creating well-paying jobs in every state for people of all skill levels and educational backgrounds. Included in Pew’s definition are jobs as diverse as engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants, teachers and many others, with annual incomes ranging from $21,000 to $111,000.

For more on Pew's findings, download the full Clean Economy report (PDF).

CEA Reminds Consumers to Responsibly Recycle Analog TVs

Now that you've successfully transitioned to digital television service, you might be saddled with a large and useless analog TV taking up space in your garage. The Consumer Electronics Association would like to remind you that it's not a good idea to just toss the old thing out. They suggest you take advantage of the many ways to safely dispose of unused analog televisions by checking out their list of manufacturer and retailer-led electronics take back and recycling programs as well as the searchable database of electronics recyclers by zip-code at www.myGreenElectronics.org.

“TVs do not belong in the trash,” said Parker Brugge, CEA’s Vice President of Environmental Affairs. “Consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers have worked diligently to provide the public with access to easy and convenient recycling options, as have many state and local governments. Consumers play a critical role in making sure that electronics products are recycled responsibly.”

CEA says it has long supported efforts to create a federal solution to the growing problem of electronics waste disposal, which the industry believes will not only be the most cost-effective solution, but will also allow the U.S. to ensure that electronics recycling is done in a safe and responsible manner.

For more information on the CE industry’s efforts toward environmental sustainability, check out www.CE.org/green.

RCN Adds Shalom TV to Free Video ON DEMAND Line-Up

RCN recently announced that will now offer Shalom TV as part of its free Video ON DEMAND cable television service.

"We are so thrilled to bring Shalom TV to RCN's customers," said Mark S. Golub, President of Shalom TV. "RCN provides Shalom TV's unique spectrum of programming -- everything from our Jewish Film Festival, Israel and interviews with the leading figures on the world Jewish scene to Shabbat TV Kids and Jewish Studies."

Shalom TV is the only television network with programs from the renowned 92nd Street Y and the only national network featuring Jewish programming for children. In addition, it is the only place on television where viewers can learn to read and understand Hebrew, study a page of Talmud and learn the mysteries of Kabbalah.

Shalom TV's programming offers extended coverage of AIPAC's annual policy conference, the major addresses from the UJC's annual General Assembly, talks by major intellectual and rabbinic figures on the world Jewish scene, and conversations with leaders of national Jewish organizations.

Look for Shalom TV in your RCN On Demand menu. Not a subcriber? Find RCN cable service plans and pricing available in your area.

CenturyTel and EMBARQ Merger Approved By FCC

CenturyTel and Embarq Corporation announced last week that CenturyTel's pending acquisition of EMBARQ has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The merger now has received all necessary approvals, and the companies expect the merger to be effective on July 1, 2009.

“The FCC’s approval is a significant and exciting milestone toward completing the merger,” said Glen F. Post III, CenturyTel's chairman and chief executive officer. “It has been a rigorous review process and we are pleased to have the FCC’s approval and recognition that the combination of CenturyTel and EMBARQ offers many benefits to our customers and the communities we serve.”

“We have committed to the FCC that we will remain focused on infrastructure development and broadband deployment after completion of the merger,” said Tom Gerke, EMBARQ's chief executive officer. “Our combined company is committed to investing in our communities and providing our customers high-quality, reliable communications and expanded broadband services.”

We will keep an eye out for how this will affect current customers and ordering service from the combined company moving forward.

DIRECTV and DISH Network Agree On One Thing: No Taxes in Kentucky!

Satellite television service rivals DIRECTV and DISH Network rarely agree on who has the most HD channels or the lowest prices. However, the two entertainment giants recently found one thing to agree on. In a recent joint statement, DIRECTV and DISH Network applauded the Kentucky Supreme Court's unanimous decision to strike down a Kentucky law allowing local governments to tax satellite TV.

"The decision is a resounding affirmation of federal law that was designed to promote competition by preventing local governments from imposing unfair taxes on satellite TV service. In addition to promoting competition, Congress imposed the prohibition because it believed it was inappropriate to impose burdensome taxes on national TV services that beam their signals directly to homes from satellites and, unlike cable TV services, do not use or impact public property. The Kentucky Supreme Court faithfully obeyed Congress's will and we believe this ruling is a great win for DIRECTV and DISH Network, and for consumers."

The decision may help the satellite companies bring stiffer competition to local cable service companies that are still subject to local taxes.

Comcast and Time Warner Partner to Put Cable TV Content Online

Time Warner recently announced that it is partnering with Comcast to distribute its television content online. The agreement between the companies will make it possible for Comcast customers to access programming from Turner Broadcasting’s entertainment networks free online and on demand.  In addition, Comcast announced it will begin a national technical trial of its “On Demand Online” service in July carrying programming from Time Warner’s Turner networks TNT and TBS.

"We have been working for a year to bring more TV and movie content to our customers online and we are thrilled that Time Warner is joining us in our national technical trial," said Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast. "Ultimately, our goal is to make TV content available to our customers on all platforms.”

The On Demand Online technical trial will deliver more TNT and TBS programming online, free of charge to Comcast video customers, than what had previously been made available. Comcast customers in the trial will be able to access TNT programming like The Closer and Saving Grace, as well as the TBS line-up including Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and My Boys. The shows will be initially accessible on Comcast.net, Fancast.com and will soon be available on TNT.tv and TBS.com.

The only catch is that customers must first prove they have cable or satellite service before accessing the content and a high-speed Internet connection is recommend for the best viewing experience.

For more, check out Time Warner, Comcast test approach to more TV on Web.

Tech Packaging Starting to Go Green

If there's one thing that bothers me more than ridiculously hot summer days in Texas, it's tech packaging. I don't know about any of you, but trying to open electronic packages with the clam shell plastic wraps might as well be like breaking into Fort Knox. In addition to being tedious, all of that extra packaging is wasteful and unnecessary.

However, it seems like some top tech companies are finally taking notice and changing the way they present their products. CNET reports that Microsoft in particular is reducing the weight of their Windows 7 package by 37 percent, and improving the econometrics score by as much as 50 percent. Hopefully this becomes a trend, seeing as how almost a third of all consumer waste comes from packaging.

To read more about Microsoft's new tech packaging, check out CNET for more information.

Blu-ray Slow to Gain Mass Popularity

Even though Blu-ray was declared the winner in the HD format battle, it seems that not many of us are jumping on board with the new technology. Be it the price of entry or some other barrier, one in ten Americans (11%) own a HD DVD player while only 7% own a Blu-ray player, according to a report from Harris Interactive. However, those numbers don't include people like me that use their Playstation 3 for watching Blu-rays - looking at just those numbers, 9% own a Sony Playstation®3 (which plays Blu-ray ). 3% have the external HD DVD drive for the Xbox® 360 (which plays HD DVDs).

It seems that there are a variety of reasons that have kept the general public from taking the Blu-ray plunge. According to the poll, some people want to wait for prices on the technology to come down. Others like having standard definition discs bundled in the same set as the high definition discs, and some just like having a digital copy included as well.

So who out there has jumped in with Blu-ray?