Now with the economy downturn recently, people are looking for any way they can to save money. This of course has led to the rise of many myths about saving power and therefore money. For example, a myth has spread that screensavers will save energy. Unfortunately, however, screensavers tax your video card, using energy and costing you money. To solve this, use a blank screensaver, and set the monitor to switch off after 15 minutes of not being used. For the rest of the list, check out the show audio below.

                What would the show be without a good laugh? Well… it would just be another computer show… So of course Benjamin brought us a good laugh with a list of horrible tech products and the reasoning behind them. For instance, we had “iMuffs,” “Digiscents,” the “Zizzle iZ,” the “Nabaztag,” and even the “Nintendo Wii.” For the rest of the list and the reasons behind them, check out the audio below.

                Of course, Benjamin is always on top of “green” news, so he brought us a report from Greenpeace on just how “green” companies are. Nokia rated at the top because of their acceptance of old units for recycling. Interestingly, Nintendo ranked near the bottom, receiving .8 out of 10. To help the planet, look for companies that accept old units for recycling, or even competitors’ products.

Benjamin also talked about skepticism about “eco-friendly” electronics. There are no standardized terms in relation to the subject, and there is no real list of “Green” companies to go buy from, though the Greenpeace ratings listed above are a good start.

                This was list week apparently, and so Benjamin brought us a list of net shorthand words and their origins, including “brb,” “ttyl,” and “rofl.” For the rest of the list and their origins, please check out the audio.

                Benjamin shared with us this week that he had his appendix removed about a year and a half ago, but that before he went to the hospital he used Wikipedia, WedMD, and other sites to research appendicitis to find out the details. A lot of people do this when they don’t feel well, but they frequently assume the worst. They find out that their symptoms point to some horrible disease, but also to the common cold. This is what is called Cyberchondria, where you research a disease and automatically assume the worst. Be careful when researching diseases. Bad things show up related to symptoms as often as mild ones, even though they are more rare. Remember, a doctor is always the best place to find information, not the internet.

                Facebook, the social networking site, is growing ever more popular, and it seems that its uses have now grown beyond connecting with friends. An Australian couple was recently served with court papers via Facebook after they reportedly “vanished” to evade the courts. This is an interesting development, and could it be pointing towards our digital personas becoming just as important as our real life ones? Only time will tell.

                Following more electronic lawsuits, it turns out that music companies will no longer be suing for abuse of electronic file sharing. Instead, service providers will merely cut service to people repeatedly caught sharing music files illegally. Court costs were raging high and collected damages were higher. Despite their hard work, thousands, if not millions, of music pirates were still going, so the lawsuits were doing nothing. It was time for a change, and the change is now here. This definitely signifies a change in music sales, though exactly what shape that change will take is anybody’s guess.

                Another list that Benjamin gave us this week was the list of top 10 strangest keyboards including one with no buttons, and one wrapped in gold foil…. Check out the audio for more info.

                Lastly, Benjamin talked about the growing trend of online comics available for viewing. People tend to be getting their news online nowadays, so comic strips are moving there as well. Check out www.comics.com, www.comicgenesis.com, www.gocomics.com, and more for these great comics.

Don’t forget to listen to the show audio below!!