Are you one of the many out there who has some old electronics lying around? Perhaps an old gaming system you never use, an old flip phone covered in gems, or dare I say it, *gasp* an old beige desktop PC? For many households, these items become “outdated” rather quickly, and often stick around somewhere gathering dust, never to be used again. Today, with the help of many companies, you can recycle and donate your old gadgets. Some of these companies will clean up and resell the items, taking 100% of the profits and putting them into various charities, while others will actually refurbish the devices if possible, putting them in the hands of those in need, such as schools with little-to-no technology programs or budgets, to third world communities who really need the technology but can’t afford it.
So where can you go to donate your used tech toys? There are many resources, such as eBay’s Rethink Initiative / eBay Giving Works, which acts as a directory of resources for you to donate or recycle your gear. Others include Reconnect, a collaboration between Dell and Goodwill, that accepts items in any condition, and is as simple as dropping the items off to a local participating goodwill location. Check out the links at the bottom of this article for even more places to choose from.
Recycling or donating your gadgets is a great way to help others in need, and maybe even help clean up some more space around the house. Of course, for those wondering, there are often tax benefits and write-off’s as well if needed. Don’t forget, if donating pc’s, laptop’s, or cell phones, to be sure to delete and remove all personal or sensitive data from your device’s as well.
The next time you think to toss out that old ipod or personal dvd player, make sure to recycle or donate. You’ll save landfill space, and perhaps help someone less fortunate who could really use it.
Links:
http://www.recyclingforcharities.com/index.php
http://reconnectpartnership.com/whoweare.php
Credit:
http://inhabit.com
If you’re a gamer like myself, you’ve probably heard of the electronic entertainment expo, or E3. It’s one of the biggest conventions used to preview up-and-coming and recently released video games, accessories, attire, and much much more. I’ve had the opportunity to check out this convention for the past several years, and would like to share some of my thoughts on the highlights and changes that have occurred during this time.
This year’s E3 highlight for me came during the Xbox introduction of it’s newest geek’s wet dream, Kinect. Xbox unveiled its newest gaming console with the help of Cirque du Soleil. As guest entered the stadium, they were asked to don white jerseys with futuristic shoulder pads. I thought, “uh oh, don’t drink the kool aid”. The show utilized these jerseys which had LED lights placed in the shoulder pads to light the crowd in strategic patterns and colors. It was an interactive, visually stimulating masterpiece. The Cirque show itself was pseudo-jungle themed with animatronic elephants and people roasting giant marshmallows over faux flames. And the center of it all, a large TV screen hovering above the stadium with the quintessential Xbox family. Floating from ceiling to floor, the family demonstrated the new game offerings live with surround sound and visuals. After the show, we headed to the VIP lounge where we were invited to try Kinect. We remotelessly drove cars, danced our *sses off and downward dogged it. As a techie but non-gamer, I have to say that the Kinect offerings are so comprehensive that it appeals to everyone, so much so that I pre-ordered a Kinect which doesn’t arrive on the shelved until November 3, 2010. If you haven’t checked it out make sure you do at 
No more than 10-15 years ago, playing games (especially by girls) was not only discouraged, but also frowned upon. Normally, this is the type of opposition one receives from their parents growing up, but that wasn’t the case with me. While all my girlfriends wanted to go shopping and put on make-up, I was anxious to hit the arcade and challenge all the boys to some game-play. Needless to say this activity sounded less than appealing to all my girlfriends.
making money from them and how do they do it? Anu Shukla, CEO of Offerpal Media is a master of both!
