According to The Consumerist, if you’re shopping for Christmas (or Hanukah or Kwanzaa or any other giving occasion) gifts right now, this is a good time to buy toys but not necessarily electronics. The logic makes sense.
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Spending money to save money
Last month our budget billing for our electric bill reset, and I got a pleasant surprise. The monthly bill is $7 less than last year. That’s $84 a year, which isn’t huge, but it’s significant–especially considering I never hear anyone say their electric bill went down. Only up. I had an idea in the back of my mind to spend the savings on another energy saving project, to keep the momentum going in the right direction.
Then my wife mentioned she’d like some new blinds. And the timing could scarcely have been better.
How to solder
Soldering is an intimidating skill, but it can be learned. And with some practice, it’s not difficult to learn how to solder.
I’m not a professional. A lot of people are surprised to hear I’ve ever had to solder on anything computer-related, since many people my age haven’t. In spite of the disadvantages, I learned how to do it. If I can solder things that will hold together and conduct electricity, you can too.
Here are some tricks and tips, most of which I’ve learned the hard way. Read more
Smart wiring for the gateman, from the January 2012 Classic Toy Trains
This week I received an advance copy of the January 2012 Classic Toy Trains. There, on page 42, is my first magazine article in more than a decade: Smart wiring for the gateman.
I’d like to make a couple of clarifications on the article, as space constraints kept me from elaborating quite as much as I did in the original manuscript–a problem I never have online, but almost always seem to have in print. The issue isn’t due on newsstands for another couple of weeks, but I’ll go ahead and post this now.
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The $119 tablet
I broke down today. I’m going to join the tablet game. Barnes & Noble was selling refurbished Nook Color e-readers for $119, so I bought one, intending to load Cyanogenmod on it and turn it into an Android 2.3 tablet.
The resulting tablet is no Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, but it’s $119.
Tip: Use a TV stand or cart to hold train transformers
Once your train layout outgrows a single 80- or 90-watt transformer, finding room for a larger transformer (or bank of transformers) gets difficult.
A TV stand suitable for a CRT television (remember those?) provides a nice solution. I’ve been using my old TV stand for a good 7 years.
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Cyber Monday is a myth
First things first. Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for those of you who’ve stuck with me all these years, and those of you who’ve come back in the past year.
And the times are changing. I think there used to be something to Cyber Monday. But we’re rapidly approaching Cyber Thursday, if we aren’t already there.
I’ve been reading up about tablets
I’ve been reading about the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet. And not surprisingly, the reviews are generally saying there’s not a lot of difference between the two.
Things to look for when buying a GPS
I get a lot of questions from friends and acquaintances about GPS devices, I guess since they are just small handheld computers. I think I bought my first GPS in 2007 or so, and after using one for about four years, I can certainly relate to the things I like and dislike about particular models.
I will say that if the price is right, it’s nice to buy one. I’d rather have an imperfect GPS than none at all. I know my neighborhood better than my GPS does, and maybe better than any GPS does. But when I get into areas I don’t know, it’s nice to let the GPS navigate me around and keep me from getting lost. The GPS may not pick the very fastest route to get me there, but when I found myself landing in Washington D.C. at 4 AM back in July (I’d been scheduled to arrive at 3 PM), you’d better believe I was glad to be able to rely on the GPS to get me to the hotel.
And this just happens to be a good time of year to buy one.
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How I shop on Black Friday
Tonight I was getting my hair cut, and the stylist asked if I shop on Black Friday. I said I have in the past, but probably will sit this year out. She asked what it’s like, especially in light of the trampling incidents in recent years. I said it can get kind of crazy, but it’s bearable with a plan. Here’s how I shop on Black Friday.