WhiteFence's Favorite Halloween Costume

Halloween is now just a couple days away! Do you have your costume picked out yet? I don't. For some reason, I just can't get a good idea going this year. I've got nothing and I'm quickly running out of time.

With that in mind, I turned to my fellow WhiteFencers for some inspiration. I asked a group of co-workers what their favorite Halloween costume of all time was, whether it was something they had worn, something they'd dressed their kids (or pets) in, or just something cool they'd seen around.

Here are some favorites from around the office:

• Monica, Manager of Marketing Content – My favorite Halloween costume as a child was when I went as Raggedy Ann. I was 8 years old and I had a HUGE Raggedy Ann doll, so that year I borrowed her clothes to make my costume. Yes I was that petite and the doll was that big.

• Tara, Senior Manager of Paid Search – My favorite Halloween costume ever was when I put my English Bulldog—Delilah—in a tutu (my husband was not impressed)! She waddled sideways in embarrassment until we took it off! Poor thing... but a bulldog named Delilah just needs a tutu—seemed only fitting!

• Amanda, Manager of Product Marketing – My favorite costume was my son’s first Halloween costume. He was 11 months old and the cutest giraffe ever! I dressed up as a ladybug, complete with antennae and wings, though it didn’t compare with how cute my little giraffe was!
  
  

• Eddy, Senior Copywriter – When I was a kid I dressed up one time as MC Hammer. My mom made me the Hammer pants, and I loved them so much I wore them the next day to school, where I was ridiculed for the rest of the week. I’m not sure why she let me leave the house like that. Now that I think about it, that’s probably not my favorite costume.

• Molly, Web Designer – I tend to lean more towards animals than humans. I think mainly because it can be  more clever in my opinion! I think I may take my cow color-coated dog as an excuse to dress her up as the most hilarious dog costume I have ever seen:
  
  
  I think she can pull it off! Either that or a Chik-Fil-A cow.

• Brooke, Manager of Paid Search – A favorite of mine was a group of children dressed as s'mores. They all wore black turtlenecks and pants, strapped white pillows to their chests and backs and topped it all off with sheets of cardboard over the pillows. For a costume that didn't cost anything, it sure had a lot of impact!

Choosing Secure Passwords Online

If you're anything like me, you get freaked out every time you hear stories of online security failures. Whether it's people getting their e-mail or Facebook accounts hacked, I just can't help but get a little more paranoid, wondering if all of my passwords could be compromised just as easily.

For the most part, I try to keep my passwords fairly complex while still easy to remember. I also don't use the same password for every single site I access. While these are fairly basic online security procedures, I'm sure there is much more that I'm unaware of.

That's why it's a good thing that Mozilla put out a recent video titled How to Choose Strong Passwords. It's got a handy guide to helping you choose passwords that are easy to remember, extremely secure and also different for all the sites you visit. It's definitely worth checking out if you're unsure about how secure your online accounts are.

Feel free to share your own thoughts about Internet security in the comments!

New Hybrid CFLs Reach Full Brightness Instantly

While millions of Americans have taken the plunge and swapped their traditional light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), there are still a few issues with the bulbs keeping everyone from making the switch.

Two of the most common complaints are aesthetics and the time it takes the green bulbs to reach full brightness. We learned earlier this month that CFLs don't have to be ugly, and now GE has announced a new type of CFL that takes care of the brightness issue.

GE's solution is actually quite familiar to fans of eco-friendly consumer goods; it's a hybrid. There's no easy way to get the fluorescent element to brighten up any quicker, so this new design incorporates a second halogen element. Both elements turn on when you slip the switch, and once the fluorescent element comes up to full brightness, the halogen element shuts off. Quite an elegant solution, really.

There's no cost to energy efficiency for the new "instant on" feature, with the 15 and 20 watt bulbs planned for launch able to replace 60 and 75 watt incandescents, respectively. Product life shouldn't suffer either, with GE claiming the bulbs should be good for 8,000 hours. As a bonus, these new bulbs also have much less mercury than a standard CFL.

The new hybrid bulbs should be available next year, but there is no word on pricing yet.

Image via GE.

10 Free Ways to Learn More About Home Repair

It is no secret to my friends and my loved ones that I'm the opposite of handy, whatever the name for that happens to be. There are some people that just seem to know how to do everything in the handyman's repertoire, and I'm just not one of them. Give me a hammer, and I'll find a way to put a hole in something. Tell me to hang something on the wall, and I'll stare back at you for a few absentminded moments with a blank look on my face. That's just the way it's always been for me.

However, I'm always up for the opportunity to learn more. I'm sure there are probably classes that do this kind of thing, but I never know where to start. For the handy-challenged like myself out there, MSN has put together a list of 10 Free Sources for Home Repair Know-How. This list is actually full of both practical suggestions such as volunteering with home building organizations or helping a handy neighbor. It also sports a few online resources such as Expert Village's YouTube account. No matter what tips you're looking for, you're sure to find something that meets your needs on the list.

For those of you that happen to be handier than the rest, what resources did you use to learn more about home repair and home improvement? Was it just one of those things where you had to jump in and get your hands dirty? Did you do any of the things on the list? Share in the comments!

To read more of the article, visit MSN. For help with home improvement, visit WhiteFence.

Control Any Device's Power Consumption With the Belkin Socket

Over the last year, I've told you about Belkin's cool Conserve series of green products with articles on the Valet charging station and the Insight energy monitor. They're back again with another cool new product that can slay even more energy vampires.

The Conserve Socket is a simple gadget that plug in between your wall socket and a device you want to control. You set a timer and once that timer is up, it will cut off all electricity to whatever you have plugged in. It has three different settings: 30 minutes, three hours and six hours.

The applications are pretty diverse. For traditional energy vampires like a cell phone charger, it functions the same way as the Valet charging station by cutting off the small trickle of power that flows through a charger when it's not charging. But you also can use the Socket with things like lights and fans, leaving them on for a little while without having to leave them on indefinitely.  You can even use it with curling irons and hair straighteners to prevent fires.

The Conserve Socket is available now for $9.99 from the Belkin store.

Image via Belkin.

Has Broadband Become a Utility?

Back when the Internet first became a reality for home use, it seemed like a bit of a luxury. Sure, there were practical applications such as researching a paper for school or e-mailing a relative, but there were plenty of other more practical ways of accomplishing the same goals.

Slowly but surely though, Internet service became a necessity for most people and made the jump from luxury to utility. As it did, we required faster and faster speeds and so began the age of broadband. Again, at first broadband seemed like a bit of a luxury, but now it almost seems like a necessity. So, has broadband become a utility as well?

I think it has for my family, at least. Sure, lots of broadband applications like gaming and movies are not exactly necessary for day to day life, but pause for a second and imagine your life without broadband. You wouldn't be able to watch those videos of your nephew that just got uploaded to YouTube without buffering for hours. You wouldn't be able to easily download files from work when at home. Uploading pictures to Facebook would take so long you'd have to plan it in advance. I can't imagine any of that any more than I can imagine life at home without water or gas service!

What do you think? Has broadband become a utility? Let us know in the comments.

Ready to start comparing high-speed Internet options in your area? Head over to our broadband center and enter your address now!

Get the Most Out of the World Series with a New HDTV Package

The World Series kicks off next week, but is your TV plan ready? Without the right service, you won't be getting the most out of the action.

If you have third-string TV service, don't worry, you still have time to upgrade to an all-star before the first pitch. With WhiteFence, you can easily compare offers form all of the top providers in one place. Not only will you be able to find a plan loaded with the features you need, but you'll get a great deal, too!

Here are some cool things you can do with the cable and satellite plans here on WhiteFence:

• Get the Most Out of Your HDTV– Without HDTV service, your awesome new TV will be displaying the same old standard-definition sludge. Upgrade now and experience the future!
  
  Pro Tip: Make sure your service delivers 1080p for maximum awesomeness.

• Control the Action – Miss a home run? Want to see that strikeout again in glorious slow motion? With DVR service, you are in control of the highlights.
  
  Pro Tip: If you re-watch enough plays during an inning, you can skip the commercials before the next inning. It may drive your family crazy though, so keep that in mind.

• Get the Whole Picture – Real fans crave more than just the games themselves, they need all of the geeky analysis and commentary the sports channels thrive on. Pick a package with lots of sports channels to feed your inner baseball nerd.
  
  Pro Tip: After 2am, there's really not much new sports news to be found, so feel free to hit the sack.

• Watch the Games on Your Own Schedule – Work the night shift? Does your significant other have plans to drag you out the theater during the series? No problem! When you pick a plan with DVR service you can record the games and watch them whenever is best for you.
  
  Pro Tip: After a few weeks, it's not really fair to expect your friends not to talk about the outcome of a game around you, so watch recorded games sooner rather than later.

• Be Ready for Next Season – Sad about the season coming to a close? Pick a plan with access to MLB EXTRA INNINGS® and commit yourself to watching every single game next season. That way when the World Series rolls around next year, it will feel like you're gaining sweet freedom from a prison of your own design rather than saying goodbye to a diversion.
  
  Pro Tip: Don't watch every single game next year. Seriously, that would be insane.

Ready to start comparing offers in your area? Just head over to our cable and satellite center and enter your address.

Turn it Off - Saving Energy When You Leave Work

Over the last couple of years, I've tried to become more energy conscious, both at home and at the office. One of the things that I've made a habit of doing is to turn off my computer and my monitor when I leave work, and hibernate my computer constantly at home.

If you've ever wondered how much energy a little process like this saves, amateur filmmaker Nigel Upchurch has created a video to demonstrate. Turn if Off takes a look at the habits of workers in different countries, and the kind of energy consumption these habits entail. It's actually astounding to consider the effects that all of these computers and their monitors have on the environment.

To see more about how these statistics were put together, or just to see more of his work, visit the video page for Turn it Off. What about you guys? Do you turn your monitor and computer off at home/work when it's not in use?

City Highlight: Moving to Cleveland

Every month, we try to highlight a city to show savings-savvy consumers how they can save money. Whether people are moving to a new place or just looking for deals for where they live, we hope these prove to be useful for shoppers that are trying to cut down on their monthly expenses.

This month, we take a look at the great city of Cleveland, Ohio. There are lots of great specials to be had with a Cleveland zip code at the moment, especially if you are trying to lock in a natural gas rate just before the temperatures start plummeting.

Here are some of Cleveland's best deals!

Natural Gas

• If you want to get a low natural gas rate before it gets too cold, check out Vectren Source natural gas service. You can find a low variable rate plan that starts at only 5.828 cents per therm.

Bundles

• AT&T is letting you save money with phone and high-speed Internet bundles that start at $29.20 per month. This deal can help save you up to $180 on your bills!

High-Speed Internet

• Order lightning fast Internet from the folks at Cavalier! You can get up to 8.0 Mbps download speeds for the low price of $39.95 per month!

TV

• DIRECTV is offering their Choice XTRA plan for as low as $34.99, which will also net you 3 free months of Showtime and Starz.
• DISH Network is running a special for the America Top 120 package, which has over 120 channels for only $24.99.

Phone

• Sage Telecom has great deals on home phone, starting at just $19.99. This well priced package will give you unlimited local calling as well as 200 free long distance minutes.

Some of these prices and specials may vary by area, and may change at a future date. To find out what you can save, visit WhiteFence and enter your address to get started!

CFLs Don't Have to Be Ugly

While the traditional incandescent light bulb isn't exactly beautiful, the design does have a certain purposeful charm. One common thing people that switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs tend to miss about their old bulbs is that simple look. CFLs typically have a tightly coiled look that can be a little unsightly.

To address this concern, the folks at Hulger have designed a new CFL with aesthetics in mind. The Plumen untangles the elements of the bulb to create a more organic appearance that looks different from every angle.

All of that style doesn't come at a cost to the benefits of a energy saving bulb though, with Hulger claiming the Plumen uses only 20% of the energy a equivalent incandescent bulb with an eight year operating life. It will come at a bit of a cost to your wallet however, with a price point somewhere around $30.

While it may not be quite to everyone's taste, it's still nice to see someone giving consumers an option. Perhaps this is just the first in a new generation of designer CFLs.

The Plumen bulb is on sale now in Europe and will be available in America soon.

Image via Hulger.