Solar panels can do more than cut your power bill

Imagine trading energy with your family or best friends or next-door neighbour.

That's what Fred and Eglantine Oualid are hoping to do as soon as next year.

They don't have a solar system but are strong believers in renewable energy.

"We like to choose where the energy comes from and who gets our money for it," said Fred Oualid.

He finds dealing with the big energy providers frustrating and is unsure where his energy comes from.

Fred and Eglantine have signed up to trial and eventually use Local Volts, an energy trading system (for example: GOAL ZERO YETI 400 SOLAR GENERATOR KIT )which doesn't require anything more than a mobile phone or computer.

"It's connecting people together that have the same ideas. I think that's a really important factor," added Eglantine Oualid.

Local Volts founder Jitendra Tomar describes his system as the eBay of energy trading.

His company will take care of the regulatory requirements, the licences and the bureaucracy.

Households join up for a flat annual fee and trade energy, whether or not they have solar systems or the capacity to store electricity.

Buyers will be able to get their energy from anywhere - the big energy retailers or their next door neighbour who might have a solar system with batteries and excess energy to sell.

"There's no transparency at the moment," Mr Tomar said.

"Local Volts will increase competition and consumers will see the real cost of that energy."

Mr Tomar also said trading can be tailored to be as simple or complicated as individual consumers need.
Surging power prices prompt search for alternatives

The search for alternatives has been stepped up by news households are facing massive increases in electricity prices.

"We've seen a very quick rapid surge in solar system installations in response to media reports," said Tristan Edis, the director of policy and analysis at Green Energy Markets.

Giant German energy company Sonnen is a much bigger player hoping to exploit consumer anger and dissatisfaction.

Sonnen has partnered with South Australian energy company Zen to take on the big energy retailers.

"The rest of the world's going in a direction of consumers playing a much bigger role, demand management playing a much bigger role and this way we can end up with a cheaper grid," said Zen Energy's chairman Ross Garnaut.

A Sonnen battery will cost around $8,000 but, once installed, members of the "Sonnen community" will be charged between $30 and $50 a month for all their energy needs.

In exchange, the company will have the right to sell any excess power into the grid.

Tristan Edis said Sonnen wants a share of a lucrative market dominated by the established energy retailers.

Sonnen can use the battery at times when it is being underutilised.

It enables Sonnen to participate in selling some of the capacity in that battery to either an electricity network or to the wholesale electricity market where they can exploit large premiums, while the householder effectively does not even notice.



Richard Martin's giant 10 kilowatt solar system makes him almost immune to the price hikes.

He is his own power plant, with plenty of excess energy to sell, but the big energy retailers are paying him a pittance for it.

"We're in the situation now where we're generating power, it's just not recognised as a valuable commodity," he bemoaned.

Richard Martin plans to add batteries to his system, store the power for himself, and leave the grid.

But that will prevent him from joining the push for individual households to be part of the energy trading market, free from the dictates of the established power companies.

The prospect that households could become more active energy traders in the not-too-distant future changes the idea of what it means to be independent. It makes the national grid even more important.

"The only requirement we have is that you have to be on the electricity grid," explained Mr Tomar.

David Martin at Power Ledger is already testing a system giving households more control.

His software enables consumers in groups of apartments or commercial properties to sell excess energy from their solar systems to their neighbours.

"Consumers really don't have to do anything at all. They log into the system, they pre-purchase their electricity, and then the system does all of the trading for them," he said.



The establishment of energy communities will help to reduce pressure on the grid at peak times, and prices should reflect that.

But it will be easier said than done, according to Ross Garnaut.

"Then we'll actually bring the cost of the grid down. Now that won't be easy, that's hard policy," he argued.

"Very strong vested interests will have to be confronted. [Chief scientist Alan] Finkel mentioned in his report that it's going to be important to look at writing down the sunk cost in the grid."

Regulators have guaranteed grid operators their revenue - so when demand falls regulators have sanctioned price increases.

That will have to change.

Energy retailers making big profits on reselling energy fed into the grid from households will also take a big hit as trading platforms unleash competition and improve transparency.

As electricity prices skyrocket, motivated consumers are cheering on the disruptors.

"You don't have much power as an individual. Certainly the larger companies have a lot more power than we do," said Richard Martin.

The established players will not give up their profitable privileged positions without a fight.

The question is, will the fight mean lower costs for households or politicians pushing back against consumer-led change.

Why Is the Pay Stub Form Necessary?

A fake-paystub.com form is crucial for a business as well as for an individual to have. There are lots of advantages that are brought by the usage of this form. The form is essentially a little document that reveals wage or salary details. The particulars comprise gross pay, deductions and net pay.

The gross pay part will be needing particulars of the number of hours worked and the rate per hour. These are calculated to give the gross pay. There may be additional amounts from bonuses or rewards which include housing allowances. In the part of the deductions, there will be details of amounts which are subtracted for taxation, insurance and medical aid amongst other details. The last amount is your net cover. This is the amount that will be composed on the fake-paystub.com.

The fake-paystub.com form is easy to comprehend and can be computed without any difficulties. In case the fake-paystub.com form is used on a regular basis, it may be set as a template. That is obviously only when the data doesn't change. After it has been saved, there's just a need to enter information of every employee on the payroll. They may be published when they are needed.

The fake-paystub.com form may be employed by an individual to secure a mortgage or loan. This is sometimes at a bank or a devoting magician. Among the prerequisites from any monetary Institute is proof of a normal income. There may have to hand in the forms which cover a span of six months. This will prove whether you're capable of paying back the money owed within the agreed period of time.

The very best way to acquire a fake-paystub.com form is through the net. You will find samples and templates that can be personalized and downloaded accordingly.

Amazon Fire Stick Design

Amazon launched the Amazon Fire Stick hack three years ago, offering a microphone-equipped distant as an optional accessory or as part of a top $60 bundle. Its latest media streamer--and its just one accessible "stick" type--includes a remote from the box that gives you access to voice search and Amazon's Alexa voice helper. Additionally, it features an upgraded quad-core chip, and possibly most striking of all is available for only $39.99. Despite some omissions in streaming apps, the Amazon Fire Stick jailbroken Using Alexa Voice Remote readily offers enough in the way of features and value to make it our Editors' Choice for budget media streamers.

TheAmazon Fire Stick for sale at Amazon is only a hair wider than the previous version, at 3.4 by 1.1 by 0.5 inches (HWD), but otherwise appear identical. It is a plain black plastic rectangle using an HDMI plug on one side plus a micro USB port on a single side. As Amazon Fire Stick free channels meant to plug in the back of your television, it does not need to appear impressive or possess any real controls or screen.

The included voice distant seems to be the exact same remote which was available for the previous stick. It is a 5.9-inch horizontal black plastic wand with a glossy circle near the top that functions as a navigation pad, using a clickable Confirm button in the middle. A Microphone button sits over the mat, using a pinhole microphone above that for speaking into. Menu and playback controls sit below the navigation pad.

App and Accessories

You can use the Amazon Fire Stick jailbroken with Kodi program for Android and iOS if you would rather control the Amazon Fire Stick with Kodi with your smartphone or tablet. It's much simpler than the distant app used with Roku apparatus, mostly supplying a touchpad for menu navigation, a handful of playback controls, a voice search function with your device's mic, and (much useful if you need to enter login information) an onscreen keyboard. It doesn't offer personal listening such as the Roku program does, which flows audio through your smartphone or tablet so that you can listen to what you're watching with a pair of headphones plugged into it. Considering that the Amazon Fire Stick Kodi supports Bluetooth, nevertheless, it's possible to simply pair a set of Bluetooth headphones directly with the stick to get a similar purpose.

Besides the voice remote, the Amazon Fire Stick unlocked has a short Amazon Fire Stick fully loaded extender cable (handy if the HDMI ports on your tv are recessed), a micro USB cable, a USB power adapter, and a pair of AAA batteries for the remote. It is everything you will need to begin streaming media, brief of the TV itself.

Trail Cameras, Game Cameras, or Deer Camera — Valuable hunting tool

Arguably one of the most innovative wildlife management and hunting tool ever created is the scouting or trail camera.(for example Moultrie panoramic 150 ) Early trail cameras functioned very similar to 35mm cameras; in fact many actually had 35mm cameras housed inside that were triggered by a motion detecting sensor. Users were limited to 24 or 36 exposure film, and would have to exhibit great persistence in monitoring the camera’s exposure count (think about your trail cameras only being able to take a MAXIMUM of 36 pictures), as well as patience while waiting for the film to be developed. The dedication may pay off and the photos may reveal a ghost-like, monarch or just as easily nothing but empty scenery (we have all experienced the “nothing” images). Trail cameras have rapidly evolved, and today’s wildlife manager and hunter have an incredible amount of technology at their fingertips.



The evolution of the trail camera into “digital” format took research and scouting to a whole new level. A user now had the ability to leave a camera in the field for an extended period of time, with little worry that the camera’s photo capacity would fill up. Better yet, the user could view the photos nearly instantaneously on their computer. Today, many hunters will simply “swap cards” or change out the SD memory card in the camera. This way their camera is never “out of service” while reviewing what it captured.

Shortly after digital trail cameras entered the market, a new feature to capture night activity was introduced. Infrared (IR) technology entered as a substitute to the long-time “flash” feature. An IR capable camera, like the 2013 DLC Covert Red 40, would fire a burst of light in the infrared range of the color spectrum. This is far out of a human’s range of vision (we see the IR glow on the camera as it is triggered in low light), and recent research out of The University of Georgia’s Deer Lab suggests it may be of very low visibility to whitetails as well. However, anyone who has seen a deer trigger one of these cameras in a low light situation probably has seen the deer stare down the trail camera. This is more likely because they see the intense change in contrast, rather than the infrared burst that is cast on them. Still, the lack of definitive knowledge that this is the cause has led to the addition of “black flash” trail cameras, like 2013 DLC Covert’s Black 60. Though still utilizing the IR technology in low light, a tinted cover nearly eliminates the red “glow” of the LEDs, at least to the human eye.

The transformation of these tools over the last two decades is truly remarkable. But, we aren’t done yet! In the last 5 years, trail cameras have gone from an incredible tool to capture photos when we can’t be there, to now even recording high-definition video with sound. This capability has dramatically increased the amount of information we can gather on wildlife, particularly with regards to vocalizations and social interactions. We have also introduced cellular capable cameras, like the 2013 DLC Covert Black Ops, that can let you view your photos without having to go to your trail camera.

But with all the technology that deer managers and hunters have available to them with today’s trail cameras, most do not take full advantage of what they are gathering.

Most users download their photos to a computer or tablet, look through them, save some of the best ones, and trash the rest. Of the users who did save some photos, most will collect “cyber dust” somewhere in their hard drive never being viewed again. And maybe right now you are thinking “Well what else you can do with them?”



Every photograph captured by a trail camera is a wealth of knowledge, waiting to be mined by the researcher, manager, or hunter. From factors that may drive deer activity to changes in diet across the seasons, it all can be collected through a trail camera when used correctly. When is the last time you saw a doe and very small, weak, newborn fawn at her side and said “Well that fawn is likely a week or less in age, and it’s (Insert Date). So approximately 200 days ago that doe was bred by a buck. Which means the 5 days prior to that were probably some amazing hunting!” You’re probably thinking about bringing up some summer photos and grabbing a calendar, and start dusting off the math skills. Before you break out your calendar and start back dating, there is now a much simpler way.

The proprietary deer hunting and management software, tRACK RECORD™, developed by The Buck Advisors is one of the most diverse trail camera photo management and maximization tools ever created. Our clients can submit their trail camera photographs “virtually” through their secure My Account webpage with The Buck Advisors. Their advisor will then manage their photographs and create customized reports for things like “Rut Estimation” on your property, or individual buck patterning showing details like estimated core area, travel routes, and the best place, time, and weather conditions to harvest that particular buck.

Nearly everyone who owns a trail camera uses it for scouting, however, and increasingly growing group of trail camera users add them to their deer management toolbox. By far the best way to truly know how your management is positively, negatively, or not affecting your deer herd is through herd monitoring. Without herd monitoring there is NO possible way to determine if you are truly improving your herd, and most important getting a return on the time and money you have put in. Simply just saying, “The deer look bigger, healthier, or there is more of them” is a very subjective measurement. Many hunters collect harvest data, which is a good method of herd monitoring and The Buck Advisors offer Harvest Data Analysis and Management, as well as virtual Jawbone Aging services. Harvest data does come with some bias because the deer that data are collected on were not “randomly” chosen, particularly the bucks. For example, most people managing for quality bucks, try to avoid shooting any young bucks. So if there are no 1 ½, and maybe even no 2 ½ year olds in the harvested deer, does that mean there are not any in the herd? Of course not, it just means that the hunter chose not to harvest any. Now in no way does this mean harvest data is not valuable. Having deer in hand is the most accepted way to age a deer (via Jawbone or Cementum Annuli), and the only way to get weights, which are typically one of the best herd health indicators.

But there is a lot of other information that managers desire, so how do we get around this bias to accurately collect data?



Well this is an article about trail cameras. Using trail cameras, particularly in the form of The Buck Advisors’ Trail Camera Survey service offered, a manager or hunter can gain incredible data like buck to doe ratio, fawn recruitment, age structure, antler quality by age class, and much more in a relatively unbiased manner. The Buck Advisors can either come On-site to set up the camera survey using your trail cameras, or DLC Covert Scouting Cameras provided by The Buck Advisors on a rental basis. If you wish to have more of a DIY path, The Buck Advisors can provide you with instructional material to set up your survey, and you can upload your photos through your My Account at www.thebuckadvisors.com or you can mail the cards to our advisors who will promptly return them once they are downloaded into the system.

So the next time you look at a trail camera or a trail camera photograph, think about the evolution of the technology and amount of information you have the ability to gain.

All clients of The Buck Advisors are eligible for exclusive discounts on DLC Covert Scouting Cameras as well as other wildlife management and hunting products, which have been tried and tested rigorously by our advisors and we have determined them to be some of the highest quality, yet affordable products on the market.

Design Thinking: Improving In-flight Entertainment

 Design Thinking: Improving In-flight Entertainment

Emirates, one of the most prestigious airline companies in the world is considered to have the “Best In-Flight Entertainment” two years in a row, according to Airlineratings.com. Sure, you have access to the news, your email, and can browse over 1,800 different channels of movies/games/television in 30,000 feet, but do airlines really pay attention to the little details in building this technology?

After doing some research on my flight from Chicago to San Francisco on Virgin America (also known for having one of the best IFE systems), I’ve come to realize majority of these airlines don’t pay attention to the design and ease-of-usability when it comes to in-flight entertainment.

I give Emirates credit for giving their flyers access to great content and the ability to clean out your inbox, when you have nothing better to do 30,000+ ft in the air. Though, we live in an age where design plays a key factor in our everyday lives. Our brains are wired to the simplicity of our smartphones and tablets. Why can’t the 7th largest airline company (by revenue) design a better IFE system for its aircrafts?

This question was being repeated in my head throughout the first half of my flight. So as any ADD design freak would do (ok maybe just me), I decided to pull out my laptop and design a quick mock of what I expect 2015 IFE systems to look like. Thankfully, Virgin America has an IFE system in all of their planes.

While other pop stars make albums, Kanye is making entertainment software

While other pop stars make albums, Kanye is making entertainment software

You will probably never again own a new album by Kanye West. But if it makes you feel better, you can rent his software.

You probably won’t be too upset, either, just like when people quickly forgave Bethesda Softworks last November when their blockbuster game, Fallout 4, shipped with a few glitches.

To address the bugs, Bethesda released an update (called a “patch”) that had to be installed to make the game work properly online. Even if you’re not a gamer, you’ve probably seen a so-called “day one patch.” Think about the day you bought your smartphone: odds are that as soon as you turned it on, you had to download a set of fixes that developers forgot to include with the original product.

Kanye West quietly introduced rap music to the “day one patch” when he uploaded “No More Parties in L.A.” to his website in January, only to quickly delete it. He then uploaded a new version, because as he said, there was “slight distortion in the main loop” of the first one.

"Un momento, there was a slight distortion in the main loop within Real Friends.

Kanye took this a step further when he finally released “The Life of Pablo” on Tidal, but tweeted that he was going to “fix ‘Wolves’,” the 13th track on the album. Then, he said that the album would never be available for download, which essentially means that he is reserving his right to make any changes he wants — to “Wolves,” to “30 Hours,” whatever — tomorrow, next year, a decade from now.

Men Intentionally Sabotage Reviews Of Entertainment Aimed at Women

Men Intentionally Sabotage Reviews Of Entertainment Aimed at Women

It didn’t come as a surprise that a particular subset of men online set out to sabotage the upcoming all-female “Ghostbusters” remake. But surely that kind of intentional, misogynist scheme didn’t pertain to all entertainment that was either aimed at women, starring women, or had a large audience of women, right? Men don’t spend a significant amount of time online trolling through ratings sites like IMDb in order to trash women-centric entertainment, do they?

Well shit, actually there are men who do just that. According to a detailed investigation from website FiveThirtyEight, male users are sabotaging the online reviews of TV shows aimed at women.

The analysis began when the writer, Walt Hickey, noticed a discrepancy in the way HBO’s hit series “Sex and the City” had been rated on IMDb. “Any reasonable person should concede that ‘Sex and the City’ was an above-average television program (at minimum),” Hickey wrote. “You don’t need to think it was a perfect show, or even an outstanding one, but I think most people would agree it was better than average.”

Its IMDb ratings would argue otherwise. Hickey detailed, “‘Sex and the City’ has an overall rating of 7.0 on a scale from 1 to 10 — the average score of an English-language television series with 1,000 or more ratings is 7.3. So why did a show roundly considered seminal in the now ubiquitous genre of driven-New York-women-make-a-go-of-it programming score so low? Yeah, it’s men.”