Sell your old gadgets on Amazon.com

Amazon.com has introduced a new program that will buy back your used electronic gadgets.   Anything from MP3 players, cell phones, cameras to GPS units and more.  You tell them what you got, the condition it is in and they will give you a quote on what they will pay for it.  You print out a free shipping label and send it in.  Once the item is confirmed to be in the condition you said, a check is sent to you.  Seems quite simple, well it is.  Also, Amazon is not the first.  Try Gazelle.com.  I have and the process is that simple and it works.

Hey students! Buy a PC, get a free Xbox 360

Microsoft announced that beginning 5-23-11, any qualifying student (currently you must have a .edu email account) will receive a free Xbox 360 gaming system with the purchase of any computer over $699 from a participating retailer.  The current list of online retailers include HP.com, Dell.com and Microsoft's online store.  If you want to go retail, head to Best Buy.  The deal is available until 9-3-11.

Facial Recognition for your Laptop

I generally do not recommend software that you pay for.  There are so many free alternatives to almost every program, that very few paid programs are worth it.  However, with Key Lemon Gold, my mind has changed, at least this time.  Key Lemon Gold is a facial recognition program primarily for laptops.  Quite simply, you log on with your webcam.  It checks your face against your face and logs you on.  If someone else is sitting there, they are locked out.  It also checks your face at different preset times and when your system comes out of sleep.  It currently goes for $29.95, although I got it on a one day sale for $5.99 a couple of weeks ago.

Finally, we are over Windows Vista

A new survey conducted by American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), by the University of Michigan showed that consumer satisfaction with Microsoft software at 79%.  The consensus is that this is a result of the overwhelming success of Windows 7 (over 350 million copies sold so far).  This is up from the Windows Vista days.  Kudos to Microsoft.

Angry Birds on your PC, for free

For the fans of this great game, it's finally available on your computer.  Check it out here.  Works better in the Google Chrome web browser, as it was designed for it.  Have fun!

How many megapixels are enough in a digital camera?

Well, an executive with Olympus, one of the leading high-end camera producers, says that 12 megapixels is enough.  Many experts agree, check out the article at Ars Technica.  You can produce great 8x10 pictures with a 7-8 megapixel cameras.  Consumers use megapixel size as the benchmark for how good a camera is.  The truth is that most of us cannot tell the difference in picture quality beyond 8 megapixels.  Can you tell?