Looking for a New Chair?

Here's one for that special geek in your life!

Get a Power Inverter in Case of Power Outage

A colleague brought a great blog post to my attention; I thought the concept was brilliant! The post was about using a power inverter connected to his Chevy Volt during a power outage. As I read it I thought, "You don't need a hybrid to enjoy that benefit; any vehicle in good operating condition will do!"

So I tasked myself to get an inverter to test.

I went to my local Lowe's and found a Stanley 800 Watt Power Converter; out the door for just under $65. I brought it home and put it to the test.

Proof of Concept
I connected it to my Ford F-150's battery and started the truck. Then I turned on the inverter (Stanley calls it a Power Converter) and plugged in a portable air conditioner. It worked! And the converter's digital readout said it was only using 100 watts. So I also plugged in our refrigerator. When the refrigerator compressor kicked in the converter registered nearly 1250 watts, but then quickly settled down to a combined total of about 450.

It turns out that Consumer Reports wrote about this too! Because it is a great solution to power outages in our homes! Who knew?!! I thought you needed a $1000 generator-- which makes a lot of noise when running-- for that!

Thjere are a couple of cautions when using an inverter:

• Make certain the vehicle is outside and well ventilated; not doing so can result in death.
• Be careful when connecting the inverter to your vehicle battery. No one enjoys electrical shocks.

Bottom Line
I'm going back to Lowe's and getting a second unit, and we'll keep one in each vehicle trunk-- just in case.

New Article: Microsoft Surface Pro Review

I just released my review of the just-released Microsoft Surface Pro to the publisher.  If you'd like to read an advance copy of it, click here!

New Article: Should You Switch to Google Apps?

A common discussion these days is whether a move to Google Apps makes sense. Is it a good option compared to Microsoft Office? I just released an article for publication; click here to link to a copy of it on our website!

Amazing Grace & Power!

I am amazed anew that God chooses to use me-- a far-from-perfect or -righteous guy, and that he does so with power. Clearly he proves through me that:

• He uses the normal, regular people (1 Cor 1:25-31), and
• He can work, or speak, through anyone or anything (Numbers 22:27-31)!

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of serving You and Your Church.

Addendum: Click here to see my speaking schedule this year.

Family Doesn't Like My Holiday Beard

It's true!  And they keep coming at me with new reasons why I should shave now instead of waiting a little longer.  Here's the latest:

21-year-old daughter:  "Your beard makes you look like a grandfather, and that's putting pressure on me to have babies even though I'm not married yet."

Okay, that one might work...

Addendum:
The Facebook interest and comments (a robust debate!) about my beard are so fun! Click here to see the conclusion!

2013 IT Task List Article

New year, new beginnings, and new task lists! Are there some things that should be on your IT task list for early 2013?

Click here to see my quick article that can help!