Many of you in the community are as addicted to gadgets and gizmos as I am. The habit can be extremely expensive, and we often scratch our heads trying to figure out if we can afford the latest toys. With companies competing harder than ever to have the latest and greatest, it’s no wonder we’re all ending up deeper and deeper in the financial black hole. I noticed someone on Geeks asking this very question, and I decided to try and open it up for more communication here.

How do you pay for your Geeky gadgets? Are you one of the lucky few who make a lot of money and have very few bills to pay? Do you swipe your credit card time and again, racking up even more debt just to have the hottest toy on the block? Or are you someone who recycles or sells your “outdated” gizmos in order to fund the purchase of newer models?

Cell phones, MP3 players and other toys are causing consumers to fork over millions of dollars each year. I can’t help but wonder what happens to all of the old devices we decide we no longer want. Where do yours go?

• Do security suites really work?
• You can search the Internet with the Start menu search in Windows 7.
• AT&T is still lagging behind due to dropped call ratings.
• What thoughts did you come away from the VMWare user conference with?
• EA Sports games are turning into pay-for-play options.
• What USB camera is your favorite?
• Should websites who post song lyrics be required to pay royalties?
• Should everyone learn to be a hacker?
• Have you tried out Peppermint yet?
• Make your own custom home pages.
• Sobees for Facebook is free for a limited time.
• Steel bars on windows can hamper a rescue in the event of a house fire.
• Is Cloud computing as safe as we think it is?
• Are open source offerings better than any alternatives on the market?
• Google and Verizon will be releasing their own tablet device.
• Samsung is organizing what could turn out to be the World’s largest-ever game of Dodgeball.
• Do publishers back Google?
• What commercials have been banned from television airways?
• Why is the CEO of Mozilla stepping down?
• Apple is addressing the iPad Wi-Fi issue with a software update.
• What is your most memorable childhood moment?
• How do you extend the battery in your smartphone?

You won’t have to spend a fortune to get the hottest new software and apps for your machines and devices. We have combed the Internet to find the best deals available for you.

How Do You Pay for Your Geek Gadgets?

Winter is here, and many of you out there are bracing for your first big snowfall of the season this week. It’s cold outside – bitterly so in some places. While I was surfing around the web today, I noticed a few geeky gadgets that can help you stay warm during the freezing weather… all of which are USB-powered!!

• USB Mouse Pad Warmer – This cute little blue shark will keep your mouse pad – and your hand – nice and toasty! No more stopping to warm up your hand when it gets cold. Keep it warm in the shark, and increase your productivity and reaction times!
• USB Slippers – I don’t know about you, but my feet never seem to stay warm in the winter. Even if I crank up the heat in the house, my feet still get cold! By slipping into these slippers, I won’t have to worry about it anymore!
• USB Eye Warmer – Hey… eyes can get cold, as well! I’m not sure how I’d get much work done if I put these on while I was sitting in front of the monitor, but at least my eyeballs would be warm.
• USB Lap Blanket – Ah HAH! Now this, I could really use! Plug this blankie into your USB port, and throw it on your lap (or over your shoulders). You’ll warm up in no time!
• USB Heated Gloves – Actually, these suckers would be pretty sweet, as well! Keep your hands warm the entire time you’re working at the computer!

What other winter gadgets and gizmos have you seen out there? I’d love to hear about them!

Stay Warm at Your Computer via USB

This is Thomas Ward’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

(1) Aiptek Action High Definition Camcorder



Aiptek joins the HD revolution with their line of high-quality, low-priced digital camcorders. This camcorder records to ultra-portable SD cards, eliminating the need to carry bulky tapes and/or DVDs to operate. On a single 8GB card, you could record up to 5 hours of 1080i high definition content. If video isn’t your thing, then you can also take up to over 32,000 photos! This camcorder comes with an AC adapter, rechargeable battery, USB cable, component cable, A/V cables, case, and remote control. 


(2) Magnavox Blu-ray Disc Player



If you want to take your movie-viewing experience to the next level, then I highly recommend this affordable Blu-ray player. As you may know, Blu-ray is becoming increasingly popular these days, and some of the bigger brands have been selling players in upwards of $400 or more. Magnavox has decided to take an alternate route for the holidays, making Blu-ray more accessible to those on the consumer market. Not only can this machine play your favorite Blu-ray discs, but it can also play regular DVDs, CDs, CD-Rs, and even CD-RWs (a lot more than most players these days).

(3) Vizio 32″ HDTV with Digital Tuner



I can speak from personal experience that Sony has always made excellent equipment, so I don’t hesitate for even a moment to recommend their new Vizio line of high definition televisions. This one features a 32-inch widescreen LCD (which is excellent for those of you who prefer the “cinema” experience). It also features “virtual surround”, which emulates the feeling of surround sound through its two included speakers. If you really want to complete that “cinema” experience you’re looking for, this television can also be mounted to your wall. To top it all off, each Vizio purchased through Wal-Mart comes with a free one-year warranty with in-home service.



(4) Creative Zen 8GB MP3 Player



I always loved the SoundBlaster line of video cards. So, when I heard that Creative was also releasing its own line of digital MP3 players, I knew that I would want to recommend one. This version comes with a 2.5″ digital screen, and can hold up to 2,000 songs. You also get a built-in FM radio, voice recorder, alarm clock function. This handy little gadget can also eliminate the need for all of those bulky external storage devices since the Zen, itself, can also be used for external storage! The best part is that it can be expanded upon, using the included SD card slot.


(5) Halo 3 Covenant Laser Tag Set



Upon first viewing, I expected less of this item – since it is, indeed, a children’s toy. After playing with it, however, I was quite surprised at how true to the video game series these plasma pistols held! The lights and sounds make you feel as though you are Master Chief, leading the Spartans in the fight against the Covenant Armada! If you, or your child, are a fan of laser tag (or the Halo games), then this item definitely belongs on your wish list!

What Do Geeks Want for Gifts?