1. President Clinton enters cyberspace when he conducts the first virtual town hall. According to an article published in SFGate)

2. Just in time for holiday shopping, Amazon announces that it will expand its offering beyond just books. They’ll be adding software, video games, home improvement products and gifts to their online offering.

3. Football hero Walter Payton (a.k.a. “Sweetness”) dies at age 45 from complications of a rare liver disease. (via EDN)

5. November 19, 1999 The Oddest Day – PGA Tour)

7. Woody and Buzz are restored to fame when Toy Story 2 debuts and becomes an even bigger success than the original. (via Legends of Hockey)

9. Pokemon: The First Movie hits the big screen raking in a whopping $31 million+ during its opening weekend.

10. Encyclopedia Britannica, which once lined the bookshelves of most US households, launches its website … and crashes after two weeks because too many people logged on to its free search. (Photo via Billboard.

1999 was a year of massive growth in the online world. The internet was here to stay, and it’s no surprise that this was the year that Pegasus Lighting took our business online. In November 1999 , the world’s greatest technology companies gathered in Las Vegas for the 20th Annual Computer Dealers Exhibition (COMDEX) to learn about the latest innovations in computing. Our last four November pop culture items were highlighted or debuted at this event.

12. Microsoft’s Bill Gates is the Keynote speaker at COMDEX and introduces Windows 2000, promising that it will be much more reliable than its predecessor, Windows 98.

13. The QBe (pronounced “Cube”) tablet is exhibited with plans to start shipping in Spring of 2000 at a price of $4,495. (via unveiled by Ericsson as a lightweight wireless headset that can work from “up to 10 metres away from phone.”

Are you unsure about whether you should buy a surge protector this winter? If you’ve spent a lot of money on the electronics in your home, risking it all by forgoing the right protection can be a costly mistake. The winter months bring with them an array of storms capable of rendering entire neighborhoods powerless. With all these outages, power surges are a common occurrence during the coldest time of the year.

There are some home repairs you don’t want to tackle. Here are several red flags to look for when you’re buying a home.

common plumbing problems. Water damage is the homeowner’s mortal enemy. Water causes foundation problems, rot and mold. Want to move into that mess? Probably not.

To see if your potential purchase has suffered the consequences of water damage, start outside and

When you see water damage near an electrical outlet or a light fixture, you may have stumbled onto a fire risk. But outlets aren’t the only place to look for potential electrical problems.

Look for flickering and blinking, which signals a poor connection somewhere along the circuit. Check to see if both halves of electrical outlets are functioning. Make sure bathrooms, kitchens, garages and outdoors have professional electrician should determine whether the home’s circuits or fuses provide adequate power and service. The electrician can look for burned wiring, improper connections, dead-end wiring or ungrounded switches and outlets.

Your home inspector is a font of knowledge! Have the inspector check the air quality of the home to see if any mold spores are present — if water leakage or other common plumbing problems have been an issue, mold may be, too.

The inspector can ensure that the heating and cooling systems are properly installed. The inspector can also determine how old the HVAC system is and ensure that its been maintained

Your inspector will also determine the type of pipe that supplies water to the house—old lead and galvanized steel pipes are going to need replacing.

If the house you’re considering fails these tests, it may be best to move onto the next. If you still think it’s the right house for you, despite the presence of common plumbing problems or the need for an electrical overhaul, negotiate a lower price or ask the seller to pay for needed fixes.

Questions? Thoughts? Leave a note in the Comments section orschedule service today.

Is your sensitive electronic equipment protected from the potentially devastating effects a power surge brought on by winter weather? Seventy percent of U.S. power outages are attributable to severe weather, with winter months producing a host of storms that can result in outages and subsequent surges. Power surges are now more troublesome than ever, as homeowners now own a much wider array of this sophisticated and expensive electronic equipment.

A surge protector offers your sensitive electronics protection in the event of power surge or spike. Those looking for additional support may want to consider an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) as well, which offers surge protection plus the added benefit of a battery backup, allowing for the safe shutdown of equipment and prevention of data loss in the event of an outage.

Multiple layers of surge protection coverage are required for complete protection. Even whole house surge protectors cannot handle 100 percent of surges. While all three levels are recommended, the combination of Type 2 and 3 devices will provide an adequate safeguard, however.

Without a properly grounded home and outlets, even the best surge protector will fail to protect your home. Why? Surge protectors shed all that excess voltage through ground. Have your home inspected for grounding issues prior to installation to ensure effective surge protection and prevent the need for replacing expensive electronics due to failure.

Adding surge protection to your home costs very little in comparison to the replacement cost of your electronics. Protection at outlets runs as little as $10, while whole house protections costs a few hundred. Sound like a lot? The cost of replacing a single large home appliance such as a washer, dryer, stove, or hot water heater will likely cost you double the investment in a surge protector. Start adding in iPhones, tablets, e-readers, laptops or other devices in your home that could be destroyed by a surge while charging and the numbers are nauseating. This is why the average insurance claim for power surge and lighting related damage is over $4,000, not to mention the inconvenience of living without those electronics until replacements are procured, making the costs of installing a surge protector a drop in the bucket.

Can you afford to live without surge protection? Trust in Mr. Electric® to keep your electronic essentials from getting zapped. Our professionals have the information you need to help you select the best surge protection for your home or business.