Do You Need an Energy-Waste Sleuth? Robert Whale knew his 1920s Sears Roebuck bungalow wasn't exactly airtight, but he didn't know just how drafty it was until an energy auditor flipped on the switch to a large fan he had placed in the doorway.

The Beautiful Surprises of a Garden in Winter. One of my greatest pleasures is enjoying a garden in winter. The forms of plants are exposed, and many display handsome habits. You find surprises, like a bloom or beautiful bark.

Energy-Saving Debate: Constant Temperature, Programmed Changes, or Chilly When Vacant? Q: DEAR TIM: My heating bills are going up faster than a jet at an air show. Settle a debate among my fellow employees: Some say it is better to leave the thermostat at the same temperature all the time, as it costs so much to warm a cold house. Others say to use a programmable thermostat.

Replenish and Recycle: Principles to Grow By Throughout the New Year. New Year's resolutions are opportunities to do something you have always wanted to do, often for self-improvement. In the spirit of the season, here are some that will help you improve the environment, too.

Stretching and Shrinking Rooms With a Color Innovator. What happens when you hire an architect; he designs your project; and, halfway through construction, you realize you don't like it?.

GREEN SCENE QUIZ ANSWERS. RATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE: If you had all correct, you could host your own garden show. One to three wrong makes you the neighborhood horticultural guru. Four to six incorrect answers, and you just need more gardening experience. More than six wrong: Call an expert.

Make Your Noisy Home Hush. Noise complaints have been around as long as we've had neighbors.

Winter Bedding to Let You Keep the Thermostat Low. We may still have plenty of chilly weather ahead, but you can turn down the heat and save on that utility bill if you outfit your bed to keep you toasty for the rest of the winter.

Do-It-Yourself. Q: I have a wood deck that I have stained twice in six years with semitransparent stain. The second time was a disaster. The stain is peeling and chipping. Both times, I cleaned and power-washed the deck before staining. I can't remember the brand of stain I used. What could cause this?.

The DTV Transition: Connecting a VCR, DVD Recorder, and Analog Television Using One DTV Converter Box. The countdown to the end of analog television broadcasts marches on. However, along with analog televisions, your VCR or DVD recorder may also be affected.

Sound Advice: Technology Q&A. Q. I know from past columns you prefer bookshelf speakers over tiny speakers because tiny speakers sound thin, but my room demands I use small speakers, something a bit bigger than the Bose cubes perhaps but..

Mitsubishi to Offer 16-Speaker HDTVs. Mitsubishi this month will launch two flat-panel HDTVs that will include 16 integrated sound speakers.

Surround Sound Journey: From Soundtrack to Speakers. A 8,000-watt home theater, multi-room A/V, and personalized control for each family member make this house an entertainment dream.

DIY Home Theater When the Home Theater Room is Too Small. Font Well kiddo, it's like this.. What do you mean it won't fit? Why'd you buy that 120" screen home theater with those extra-tall monster size chrome speakers if they won't fit into your media room? Sigh....

Fully Blu-ray loaded. The Asus M70 is the most fully loaded laptop we've seen in a long while. Aside from its massive terabyte of hard-drive space, the multimedia system incorporates a Blu-ray drive and a full-HD display, plus an..

Meridian F80 2.1 Home-Entertainment System. Brand tie-ins seem to be de rigueur at the moment and Ferrari has to be one of the prime culprits.

Integra DTR-5.9 7.1 Channel Custom Installation Compatible Home Theater Receiver - Product Profile. The Integra DTR-5.9 Home Theater Receiver offers custom installation compatibility and high-end audio and video performance down to a very affordable price.

WS Atkins engineers a steady course through the slowdown. That shares in WS Atkins have traded sideways over the past 12 months enabling them to outperform the FTSE all-share index by 12 per cent is adequate testimony to its status as one of Britain's more defensive..

HDR Gets Ballpark Recommendation. The City of Omaha Architecture/Engineer Selection Committee has recommended that a team led by Omaha based HDR, Inc.

SNC-Lavalin Wins $284 Million Contract for Natural Gas Plants in France. SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., Canada's biggest engineering and construction company, won a contract valued at 180 million euros to build two natural gas compressor stations in France.