Now, why is the blue LED so important? Quite simply because there are no white LEDs. The white light that our eyes detect is created by using a blue LED and some yellow phosphor. The yellow phosphor coating may be placed directly on the blue LED or on the glass envelope that houses the blue LED. Either way when the blue light from the blue LED passes through the yellow phosphor the resulting light appears to be white.

In late 2014 at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, the three Japanese scientists who developed the blue LED while working at Nichia Chemicals will share the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on the blue LED. In official terms the Nobel Committee awarded this year’s physics prize to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.”

Furthermore, the Nobel Committee pointed out in its announcement that the results of all the scientists’ hard work will be on display everywhere as the three recipients make their way through Stockholm: “the light from their invention will be glowing in virtually all the windows of the city.” And they can be assured that, as this century progresses, the ascendancy of the LED will only become more dramatic.

Fixing things around the house is what you do when you own a home. You probably enjoy taking matters into your own hands and fixing the little things. It is gives you a sense of pride when you look at a project you took on and finished it. You can say you fixed that or you built that. There are some projects that are too big for you to possibly handle yourself so you call a contractor in the business who can paint the exterior of your home, install new cabinets or take care of some of the landscaping issues. This too is a part of home ownership—knowing when to call for help. Electrical repair on new installation of fixtures and appliances is also best left to a qualified electrician like those at The Electric Connection.

It isn’t about pride. It is all about safety. Handling electricity is dangerous and you should never attempt it unless you have adequate training, like an electrician certified in the state of California. There are some dangers associated with electrical repair work in the home.

*Completing work yourself without the proper licensing could void your homeowner’s insurance policy. If there were an incident, you may not be covered.

*The risk of electrocution is very high when you are not familiar with wiring basics. You risk severe injury or even death.

*It will end up costing you more money to fix a mistake that was made in a DIY situation.

*You risk violating city codes and having to pay a fine, tearing out everything that was done and hiring a licensed electrician to complete the work.

*Fire is another real possibility when you undertake your own electrical repairs. The fire may not start right away, but it is a silent threat that can and will strike without warning.

Your home and your safety are worth spending the extra money to hire a professional. Don’t put your life at risk or risk the lives of your family members because you think you are going to save a few dollars. You won’t. Call The Electric Connection today and let us help you safely take care of any electrical work in your house.

You might be thinking of buying one of those new-fangled electric cars, and may be wondering how they’re charged. That depends on which car you buy. The three main electric cars (electric vehicles or “EVs”) currently available for middle income families are the Toyota Prius, Chevy Volt, and Nissan Leaf.

Toyota Prius. Let’s say you buy a Toyota Prius. The Prius is a “hybrid.” A hybrid isn’t fully electric. It runs on electricity generated by a battery until the battery is depleted. Then, it turns to burning gasoline. In the case of the Prius, a 2010 model drives about 12 miles on a fully charged battery. But the Prius is continuously recharging the battery with a mechanism triggered by stepping on the brakes.

On the downside, the Prius currently doesn’t come with a “plug in” option. That means you can’t plug it into an electric outlet to charge its battery. However, Toyota is partnering with the EV company, Tesla, to develop a plug-in model that will be available in 2012.

Chevy Volt. The Chevy Volt, which started deliveries in the U.S. in December 2010, is also a hybrid. Unlike the Prius, the battery is not charged when you brake, but by plugging into the electric grid. It has a range of around 35 miles before it must start burning gasoline.

Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Leaf is currently the only all-electric EV available for middle income families. It can’t burn gasoline, but runs only on its battery. It has a range of about 100 miles before you need to start looking for an electric outlet.

HOW DO YOU CHARGE A PLUG-IN ELECTRIC CAR?

Level 1 Charging. Both the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf come with a charging cord, called a “Level 1 Charger,” as standard equipment. It looks like an extension cord. You can charge your car by plugging the Level 1 Charger into an electrical outlet in your garage or carport.

The advantage of Level 1 charging is that it’s simple and inexpensive to set up. Hire an electrician to install an outlet in your garage or carport. It will need to be on a dedicated circuit, meaning that no other appliances, like a washer, for example, are on the same circuit. The outlet will need to be the safety version usual in garages and outdoors (a GFI). Also, your electrician will need to check whether your electrical panel should be upgraded in size to handle the increased power demand.

Once the outlet is installed, the EV driver pulls out the Level 1 charging cord that comes with the car, starts charging, and lets the car sit… for a long time. A Chevy Volt battery takes 10 hours from empty to full; a Nissan Leaf takes 20 hours.

Even though Level 1 charging is slow, drivers who have short commutes may be satisfied with it because, if they work it right, they won’t start at empty. They’ll have charge left in their batteries and will simply top off at night.

Here’s how it can work. The 100-mile range of the Nissan Leaf is a lot more than the 33 miles the average American drives daily. If you drive the average 33 miles, you will use only one-third of the battery in a day. If you religiously plug in when arriving home, you will be able to top off at night and leave with a full charge in the morning.

For hybrids, like the Chevy Volt, the issue of leaving home fully charged is less pressing. At about 35 miles, when the battery hits empty, it turns to burning gas. This isn’t good for gas usage, but on the other hand, the driver may suffer less from “range anxiety.”

Level 2 Charging. While you may be able to make Level 1 charging work for you, you also have the option of faster charging by installing a special Level 2 Charger in your garage or carport. A Level 2 charger takes a Chevy Volt battery from completely empty to completely full in four hours; eight hours for the Nissan Leaf. So, even if you totally drain your battery, with a Level 2 Charger, you’ll be able to fill it by morning.

A Level 2 charger requires 240 volts, which is more powerful than house current. A Level 2 Charger is housed in a container about 18 inches around and hangs on the garage wall, sticking out about a foot. When you recharge with a Level 2 charger, it looks very much like filling your tank with gas. You stretch a “hose” over to the recharging socket built into the EV.

A Level 2 Charger is usually purchased when you buy your electric car. If you wish, Nissan or Chevy can arrange the purchase and installation. Nissan has partnered with AeroVironment to supply and install chargers. Chevy Volt has partnered with SPX. When a Leaf, for example, is purchased, the Nissan dealer arranges for an AeroVironment electrician in Los Angeles to look over the new owner’s garage, provide a bid, and do the installation.

The car buyer is free to look for a lower bid from an independent Los Angeles electrician; however, warranties and follow-up repairs on the charger may not be as advantageous.

Consumer Reports estimates that purchase and installation of a Level 2 Charger costs about $2,000. However, the price can vary quite a bit, depending on the distance of the charger from your electrical panel and on whether you need an upgrade of your panel size to accommodate the additional power demands of the charger.

THE FUTURE OF CHARGING YOUR ELECTRIC CAR

Level 3 chargers that can fully charge a Nissan Leaf in 15-30 minutes are currently available in Japan. However, they cost about $45,000 installed. When they come to the U.S., they will most likely be installed for electric trucks, company fleets, or for private cars at shopping malls and at gas stations, where EVs will zip in and out to top off their batteries.

An even faster system is currently being installed in Israel. A Palo Alto company called “Better Place” is building a network of “carwashes.” Only, when you drive your EV in, instead of getting a wash job, your spent battery is pulled out and within a couple of minutes, is replaced with a fully charged battery.

The pressure to be fully charged when leaving home will ease as chargers are increasingly installed in public places in the U.S. In my hometown, Los Angeles, Level 2 Chargers are already available in train stations, the main airport (LAX), the L.A. Convention Center, and other public places. One can easily find the network of existing public chargers on-line. In addition, malls will begin installing Level 2 or Level 3 Chargers as an inducement for shoppers and workplaces as an employment benefit.

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Early in the month, American Airlines Flight 1420 crashed near Little Rock, AK. This crash, along with a few others that took place soon before and after, inspired research into the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation on pilot safety.

3) A Whole, Whole Lot of Drug Money

In June 1999, George Bush announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States of America. So much was about to change in our culture during the next 8 years.

5) Lord Stanley’s Cup

via www.moviesonline.ca6

In June 1999, Stephen King got hit by a car and was flung 14 feet while walking on the shoulder of a road in Maine. What’s the name of that Stephen King book about the car? Oh yeah, Christine. Any connection? You never know. But I’m sure King was thankful Kathy Bates didn’t find him after the accident.

7) The Weird Looking Predecessor of the MacBook Is Born

That mildly annoying yet overall charming goofball Austin Powers (Mike Myers’s colorful character) graced the cover of Rolling Stone in June 1999, exuberantly celebrating the sequel to the original Austin Powers blockbuster smash hit. Smashing, baby!

9) Adam Sandler Tones It Down a Little

The universe’s hippest couple, who, of course played in a rock band together, hit the popular scene with their debut album in June 1999. Then, they became insanely famous. And then, thirteen thousand two-piece rock bands, featuring only guitar and drums, were born. I think now, 15 years later, we are finally beginning to see the decline in that questionable trend. Bass matters, people.

11) That Kid from Walking Dead Was Born

Venus and Serena Williams, two twin females from a socioeconomically disadvantaged place, won the Grand Slam female doubles event for the first time. They were the second sister team to win a Grand Slam event since 1890. This is the kind of thing that just makes you smile. These are some of the best ever to play the sport.

13) MORE TENNIS!