You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2523 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Eco Tech Tips To Save You Green (NAPSA)—Finding eco alternatives to home or office technology may not be as challenging as many people think. These days, many companies make it easy to get what you need without wasting valuable money, energy and resources. Here are a few tips on how to go green with your home and office technology. Provide Green Backup— Keeping files backed up on a USB flash drive has become a standard practice. Traditionally, many drives feature plastic, metal or leather accents. Now, however, bamboo, a renewable resource and the fastest-growing plant on Earth, can help protect your removable drive. In engineering tests, the tensile strength of bamboo is higher than several alloys of steel, making the Bamboo Flash Drive a simple, sturdy solution for green digital file storage. Save Your Power—An Eco Surge Protector conserves energy and saves you money at the same time. A master outlet lets one device be plugged into the surge protector and have unidirectional control over the rest. That means when the device plugged in to the master outlet shuts down or idles, the additional devices are also shut off to reduce energy waste. Dual-Purpose Resources— Instead of using electronic calculators for your finance needs, use the power of the sun or your overhead lights. Solar calculators are a simple way to make the most of the resources you use every day. Using overhead light to power your calculator uses less energy than an electronic calculator and entails less waste than a batterypowered version. Helping the ecology and your own economy may be easier than you think. Know an “Ink-ling” About Recycling—Printer cartridges have special recycling requirements. Stores such as Staples make it simple to recycle these products through ink and toner recycling programs. In fact, the store even offers money back in Staples Rewards. Print In Green—Find a printer with an ENERGY STAR rating that uses energy-efficient technologies. Printers, for example, provide environmentally responsible printing solutions, including power-saving settings and automatic double-sided printing. Plus, with every purchase from this line, Staples will make a donation to Carbonfund.org to offset the average energy consumed over three years of product use. By using greener technology, you can reduce the amount of energy needed to keep your home and business running—saving you green while keeping you green. Learn More For more information on simple ways to go green, visit a Staples store or www.staples.com/ecoeasy. Tips On Getting The Best From Your Wurst (NAPSA)—If you live for the thrill of the grill and think BYOB means bring your own brat—as in sausage—here are a few tips on how to take your backyard feasting to the next level. • Love thy grill—Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil or use cooking spray before heating to prevent food from sticking and to simplify cleanup. • Don’t set the juice loose— Use tongs, rather than a fork, to gently turn franks and sausages. Try new flavors when grilling, such as Italian sausages or beer brats. Do not push down or overturn the meat or you will squeeze out its natural juices and flavor. • Go for new flavors—Add some international flair by grilling Italian sausages, such as Hillshire Farm Hot & Spicy Italian Style Smoked Sausage, along with traditional brats. Or grab for the “high life” with Miller High Life Beer Brats. The bun-sized sausages are designed to deliver authentic beer flavor and are convenient enough to enjoy anytime. To learn more, visit www.gomeat.com. Don’t Let Diabetes Blindside You (NAPSA)—Here’s eye-opening news: The World Health Organization reports that 366 million cases of diabetes are projected by 2030. This has raised significant concerns among eye care professionals due to the effects that diabetes has on eye health. According to recent research, less than 40 percent of people identify vision problems as complications of diabetes. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among U.S. adults ages 20 to 74. There is a higher incidence of diabetes among minority groups, with both African Americans and Hispanic Americans nearly twice as likely to have diabetes. “Diabetes not only affects how well people see but also how comfortable they are with their vision,” says Dr. Susan Stenson, ophthalmologist. “Diabetic eyes are already compromised eyes and ocular risk factors, such as exposure to ultraviolet radiation [UVR], may increase the likelihood of developing serious, visionthreatening direct complications of diabetes, like diabetic retinopathy, and indirect complications, like cataract.” Dr. Stenson adds that some of the medications used to treat diabetes can also adversely affect quality of vision and increase the potential for UVR-related damage to the eyes. During the early stage of diabetes, patients often experience blurred vision. Therefore, an eye care professional may be the first to detect the disease. “Regular eye exams are important for diabetics as well as those with significant risk factors, includ- If you have diabetes—or are at risk for it—visit your eye care professional for a complete eye exam. ing obesity and family history of diabetes. Early detection of diabetes and prompt and appropriate therapy are the best ways to avoid complications of the disease in the eye and elsewhere in the body,” says Dr. Stenson. “It is also crucial to emphasize the need for proper eye protection against such risk factors as impact-related trauma and UVR exposure, which is where eyeglass lens enhancements like impact-resistant and UVR-blocking lenses become an integral component of prescribing eyewear.” Dr. Stenson suggests that one effective and convenient solution for those diabetics who require prescription lenses is photochromic lenses, such as Transitions lenses, that block 100 percent of harmful UVR, enhance contrast, and promote visual comfort by automatically adjusting to changing light conditions and reducing distracting glare. To learn more about the impact of diabetes on eye health, visit www.Transitions.com/diabetes.