aking ng L Lif feSimpler Avoiding Ruttled Fe: Feathers: Simple And Smart Safety And Tech Tips For Snowbirds (NAPSA)—If you’re thinking about spending winter in a warmer climate this year, you’re not alone. According to the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, almost 1 million North American “snowbirds” plan to migrate south. But before these snowbirds can settle into their Southern roosts, it’s important for them to secure their Northern perches. Besttips include: Security and Remote Monitoring—Before the bags are packed, you may wantto investigate new products that put technology to work while you're gone. For peace of mind, new services now remotely monitor and control your home’s security and thermostat from a smartphone or computer. You can remotely arm or disarm the alarm system and control lighting, household appliances and the thermostat—which can save money on utility bills. With connected cameras, you can monitor the home from anywhere in the world—even receive instant text messages when doors are opened orclosed. Telecommunications Services—David Gregg, new product journalist and senior editor, behindthebuy.com, shares the following advice on telephone, cable TV andInternetservices: “Instead of making two separate calls, check out www.cablemover.com for disconnecting your TV, phone and Internet at your current home and reconnecting at your winter ad- dress. And it doesn’t matter if your cable service provideris different in each location. The best part is, once you are ready to You can save time and trouble when you'll be away from home for a while. return, you can use the sameser- vice again to reverse the process.” Freshen Up!—Adormant home will inevitably become stuffy. Keep it return-ready with a new type of air purifier that cleans the air and prevents the spread of allergens such as mold or mildew. Air purifiers with true HEPAfilters capture 99.9 percent of particles and impurities. Put the unit on a timer and yourair purifier automatically senses air quality levels and neutralizes viruses/bacteria, keeping your indoorair clean. Don’t Forget the Basics— Gizmosare great, but remember to turn off your refrigerator—or turn it down to the lowest setting—and unplug your electronics. For those items that can’t be unplugged, be sure to use a surge protector. Con- sider new devices that power down appliances and tech devices that consume phantom power—power you continue to use even after you hit the off button—saving you money on yourelectric bill. For more tips and ideas on how to smooth your annual snowbird migration, check out www.cable mover.com.
