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'Backseat Driver' wins fuel-saving video contest

A video featuring two buddies preparing to carpool who get fuel-efficiency tips from a literal backseat driver snagged the top prize in the Drive Smarter Challenge video contest.

David Markus, a California-based freelance videographer and aspiring film director, walked off with the $5,000 prize for his "Backseat Smart Driver" short while taking a humorous approach to serve up driving tips to help motorists spend less on gasoline.

"At an early age, my father gave me tips to drive more efficiently -- accelerate slowly, inflate tires -- so when I started filming, I already knew most of the tips," says Markus. My friends actually tease that I 'drive like a grandma.'"

Click here for the lowdown on the Drive Smarter Challenge.

Morning Deals: Power Bar, Angie's List & travel guides

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'Smart meters' get green light thanks to grants

Say "bye-bye" to the old-school way of measuring household energy usage. At least 18 million American homes will turn on the national switch of electronic "smart meters" that show customers how much their power use costs them at any given time, allowing them to adjust that use accordingly.

Armed with the new gadget, utility companies will be able to know when a meter is in need of repair. Also, the new meters eliminate the need for meter-readers and automatically notify energy providers when the power goes out.

With 18 million more smart meters, the nation's total will be up to 40 million, thanks to $400 thousand to $200 million dollars in stimulus grants according to the Department of Energy.

On Tuesday, 100 utility projects were named that will share $3.4 billion in federal stimulus funding. The goal? To lower energy use, make the electric power grid more robust and speed deployment of advanced technology, a Wall Street Journal article reports. President Obama firmly believes in automating utility substations and installing advanced digital meters throughout the U.S.

How will smart meters help the consumer? According to Department of Energy officials, they'll automate the energy consumption process. The new meters will instantly tell customers how much it costs to consume power at peak times - such as hot summer afternoons. And they will be able to interact with smart thermostats and other household devices to reduce power use automatically.

Also, advanced digital meters are slotted to handle the ups and downs of uneven bursts of energy from solar power systems or wind turbines, allowing greater efficiency of electricity.

In California and Texas, however, millions of smart meters have already been installed by utility companies. Will these states be penalized because they have advanced in smart meters before the stimulus grants were offered?

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Rising home prices indicate signs of recovery

U.S. home prices rose in August for the third straight month, indicating housing recovery after a steep three-year decline. But, will it last?

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index shows a dramatic turnaround. For three months straight--June, July and August--home prices in 15 metro cities were on the rise. San Francisco, Minneapolis and San Diego led the turnaround.

However, prices are still extremely low compared to 2006. For example, an Associated Press article reports that Miami's prices have climbed for three months in a row, however they're still only half the price of an average price for a Southern Florida home in 2006.

What does this mean? Zach Pandl, an economist at Nomura Global Economist believes prices are still destined to bottom out before they begin to recover for good in 2010.

"We need to see flat to rising prices in the winter months," Pandl says. "That would be a very encouraging sign that prices have bottomed out." This is likely to be true. As foreclosures and unemployment rise, and a tax credit for first-time homebuyers expires next month, home prices may fall once again.

An expired tax credit due next month has caused congress to consider prolonging the tax credit into next year. An increase of the credit is in the works as well. The increased tax credit will help first-time buyers, by saving them 10 percent of the sales price, up to $8,000. What's backing supporters? This month of October, the U.S. economy has declined once again, and the Consumer Confidence Index fell 6 points from September, now down to its lowest level since May.

Although the rising home prices are widespread, they're certainly not everywhere. Seattle, Las Vegas and Charlotte N.C. have fallen to their lowest levels since August. The largest feast-to-famine city? Las Vegas. After the city's peak in August 2006, home prices have since fallen 56 percent.

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Renters willing to live with ghosts to save money

Willing to play host to a ghost? A recent survey commissioned by Wakefield Research on behalf of Rent.com found that 11 percent of renters believed that their home had ghostly guests, while others insisted they would endure paranormal activity to save money.

Here's the lowdown from the Rent.com press release:

In fact, 69 percent of renters would be willing to crash with Casper for the right price. More than half (51 percent) of renters would share their home with a ghost in exchange for free rent, and over one quarter (27 percent) would do it for half-price.

Three in 10 people who have rented (30 percent) said they’d bunk with the boogeyman if they received free utilities, while nearly one in four (23 percent) would do it in exchange for a free flat-screen TV with cable.

Overall, 31 percent of renters said no deal. Nothing, “not even a million bucks,” would convince them to conquer their phasmophobia (fear of ghosts). However, a greater percentage of males than females are willing to live with ghosts for any given tradeoff (74 percent vs. 64 percent).

Click here for the ghostly details.

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Morning Deals: Calendars, laptops & iPods

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Morning Deals: Automotive, travel guides & football

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Morning Deals: Eyeshadow, recipes & dining out

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Morning Deals: Pet food, bath products & costumes

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College tuition costs on the rise this fall

Parents with college-bound kids may get a Halloween-inspired spook that will leave their hair standing on end. Tuition is climbing faster than financial aid. Now, that's scary.

According to a report released by the College Board on Tuesday, Oct. 20, tuition and fees to private four-year universities rose 4.4 percent to $26,273 while charges to public four-year universities spiked 6 percent for both in-state and out-of-state students.

In contrast, financial aid isn't keeping up with the spike. Grant money only grew 4.7 percent during the 2008-2009 academic year.

Over the past decade, college costs increased on average by 4.9 percent at public colleges and 2.6 percent at private universities. The survey suggests that the swell in fees is a direct result of the economic downturn with private school endowments plummeting and state funding for public schools dropping 5.7 percent per student this year.

"Every sector of the American economy is under stress and higher education is no exception," says Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education. "It's regrettable, and it's yet another piece of disappointing economic news that affects families.”

Click here for the lowdown.

Don't be spooked by high energy prices

Does the prospect of high energy prices this winter make your blood run cold?

With Halloween around the corner, Google has come up with a clever solution to help save consumers money on their monstrous heat and energy bills. The site serves up various techniques on how to combat "energy vampires," or electric and heating appliances that literally suck the blood out of the average consumer's bank account and has the ability to worry folks as winter approaches.

So, in order to help users save a good deal of money per year on these appliances, the ghost busters at Google came up with an application called the Google haunted house which gives users a few Halloween-themed tips on how to help minimize home-energy consumption this winter.

Haunted by ghosts? Close the fireplace flue damper. Wanna combat energy vampires? Turn off game consoles when not in use.

Shown on its micro-site here, they serve up savings tips and ways to cut energy waste. The application also gives an estimate of the amount of money one could save if they follow the tips.

When one enters the number of each appliance such as game consoles, computers or lamps that are being used in the house, the haunted house savings calculator automatically gives users a rough figure of the amount of money they could save and the pounds of carbon dioxide that are not not being consumed.

Learn more about the Google haunted house calculator by clicking here.

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Morning Deals: Calendars & LCDs

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Morning Deals: Arm & Hammer, tickets & car care

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Morning Deals: Music, VistaPrint.com & travel guides

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Should consumers spend to save the economy?

In the current post-recession economy, taking a hold of our finances is key ... but should we save or spend?

The Obama administration is spearheading policies taking an aim at financial responsibility. However, tax rebates are given out to Americans to shop till they drop.

The ultimate mixed message? Perhaps.

So, what's good for the economy in the long run? In order to be productive in the future, consumers need to save now which will ensure financial stability to spend in the future.

According to an article at Yahoo Finance, "Economists have long fretted about the dangers between what the U.S. spends and what it earns." The U.S. borrows large sums of money from abroad, these debts continue to put downward pressure on the U.S. dollar. This is called an account-deficit. Thanks to our current economy, U.S. policy makers realize the time to end the gap is now.

"If you suffer a heart attack, your doctor's advice will probably include getting lots of regular exercise in the future -- but first you've got to get back on your feet," explains Mark Iwry, a senior adviser to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

We need to close the gap, before it gets any larger and causes any more damage. Although U.S. policy makers realize the gap needs to be closed, proposals have yet to be implemented. There is a proposal for expanding a tax credit for low income savers, and a retirement account requirement for employers. Saving as a requirement is the only way toward U.S. financial health.

The U.S. job outlook is a negative one, and little income growth certainly does not support consumer spending. This, along with tight credit, is only another reason to save. Yahoo Finance reports, " Although the U.S. account deficit dropped to 2.8 percent of the gross domestic product in the second quarter from a peak of 6.5 percent in late 2005, the latest news reports a growth in deficit.

What are U.S. consumers to do? Save over the next few months in an attempt to get your finances in order... then invest in opportunities that will boost future growth.

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Morning Deals: Breakfast, movies & credit reports

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California pushes to ban energy-sucking HDTVs

Planning to buy a larger-than-life flat-screen TV? If you live on the Left Coast, you may have to change your plans. California energy regulators a trying to ban the sale of electricity-sucking televisions and adopt efficiency requirements for flat-screen TVs.

If the California Energy Commission continues with the proposal, retailers would have to sell TVs with strict energy requirements spearheaded by the federal Energy Star program beginning in 2011. This program is destined to save a lot of energy that would have been thrown away.

But, how much energy are we talking?

According to a Los Angeles Times article, the regulations are designed to shave $8.1 billion off Californians' electricity bills over a 10-year-period. That's about $30 per set per year, commission officials contend. Karen Douglas, commission Chairwoman says, "Increased efficiency is the most cost-effective way of meeting our renewable-energy goals."

Californians must be used to the energy regulations by now. The residents have regulations on dishwashers, washing machines, and other household appliances. However, many argue that the new regulations will stall technological innovations that have improved TV set quality. The regulations will also limit consumer choice.

"Independent studies show millions in tax revenue and thousands of jobs are at stake," says Doug Johnson, senior director of technology policy at the Consumer Electronics Association. Many jobs could be lost. Television prices will increase, and home theaters wholesalers and installers will be out of work. Consumers would therefore have to buy un-regulated TVs though out-of-state online vendors... this would deprive CA of its much needed corporate income and sales tax revenue.

Why television sets? The article reports that many of the 40-inch-and-larger sets, which use liquid crystal or plasma technology consume vast amounts of electricity. The average plasma screen uses more than three times as much energy as a bulky, old-fashioned cathode-ray-tube TV. This calls for a change in CA, especially since California's energy needs are so vast. At this point, CA imports 30% of its electricity from out of state.

Many flat-screen TV makers already meet the new regulations, and say they'll have no problem hitting the new energy efficiency threshold. Buyers of the TVs wouldn't see a price increase. When talking about huge flat-screen television sets, an Associated Press article highlights Noah Horowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. She says, "These are the SUVs of the industry, they use more energy than the smaller ones. They are used in bars, hotels, and can easily be on for 12 hours a day."

To learn more about the TV energy-regulation proposal, click here.

Morning Deals: Loreal, Internet Security & Netbooks

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Cellphone application offers on-the-go coupons

Searching for that coupon stuffed in your handbag? Tired of the clip-and-save hustle and bustle? Look no further than your cellphone.

Thanks to MoLo Rewards and their new application, customized mobile coupons are becoming a reality. Using Near Field Communication (NFC) in Europe and Asia and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the U.S., the app is able to scan your phone and pinpoint all of the coupons and loyalty rewards applicable to the current purchase.

The phone application doesn't stop there. The point-of-sale device activates a coupon tracker customized with coupons tailored to the consumer's needs, based on past purchases and physical location. Molo Rewards presented the technology at the DEMOfall 2009 Conference in San Diego, Calif.

Chris Shipley, Executive Producer of the conference says, "MoLo Rewards has solved an age-old problem with coupons. We've seen numerous coupon solutions, mobile, online and other, but to date no one has come up with anything as useful or powerful as that presented by MoLo Rewards."

It's a solution that benefits both parties. For the consumer, snagging great deals on virtually everything has never been so easy. No more carrying around loyalty cards or clipping paper coupons. The participating business can bypass mass-mailing circulars saving printing and mailing costs. Also, because it's paperless, cellphone coupons are eco-friendly.

The caveat? The NFC technology that MoLo Rewards uses is common in Europe and Asia but not in the U.S. In the states, the application uses RFID. In order for MoLo to work, you must attach the company's RFID tag into their phone. Once the code is in, you are on your way to shopping paper-coupon free!

Want more information about MoLo Rewards or check out their beta site? Click here.

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Personal rapid transit concept picks up speed

Invasion of the pod cars? The concept of personal rapid transit (PRT) is picking up speed in San Jose, Calif. where they're crafting small electric vehicles, also known as "pod cars," designed as an eco-friendly commuting solution for those trying to avoid the elbow-rubbing annoyances of mass transit while circumventing gas-guzzling cars.

Communities throughout the United States, including Chicago's less-than-stellar test run in the '90s, have been kicking around the automated, driverless solution since its conception in the '50s.

City officials in San Jose have allotted $4 million to spearhead a personal rapid transit system connecting the airport and a Bay Area Rapid Transit station. The proposed set-up will include five stations. Other details involving the "pod cars" will be hashed out with the vendor.

“We have cities all around us who are watching to see what happens with this project,” says Laura Stuchinsky, the sustainability officer for San Jose’s Department of Transportation. “The process we are planning to use will help us develop the standards for this kind of technology.”

Click here for the complete article.

Consumer confidence rate falls in September

Just when we thought the economy was in an upswing, a key measure of consumer confidence fell in September after gaining the previous month.

Consumer worries are directed at job security, which seem to be creating enough negative energy to offset any confidence in stocks or home prices. On a good note, home prices were on the rise again in September, benefiting from growth kicking off in July.

The Conference Board, a New York-based business research group, conducted the survey. Their confidence index dropped from 54.5 in August to 53.1 in September.

Economists projections? A much higher rating of 57.

Mark Vitner, senior economist at Wells Fargo says, "Last year, consumers were shell shocked as they worried about what might happen to the economy. Today, shoppers ... don't have the means to step up spending."

According to the Conference Board's survey, consumers continue not to shop for appliances, cars or homes. Consumers are also highly concerned about the job market. It's causing a lot of money-related anxiety. This weak market has caused consumers to be extremely frugal. Shawn Chambers of Chicago has been job searching since August 2008. "Jobs are hard to find, the ones you have are hard to keep. And money's tight," she said. "They're laying people off, and I don't know if I'm next," Chambers says.

For the record, a reading of 100 equals strong growth, and a reading of 90 or above means solid footing for the economy, according to a recent Yahoo article.

Morning Deals: Toys R Us, flights & hotels

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Morning Deals: Coffee, groceries & dining

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Morning Deals: Clorox Wipes, dining & events

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