Top Tips for Video Game Consoles

Get Cash for Your Old Electronics

According to PC Magazine, most UK residents have about £375 of unwanted but usable gadgets lying around their homes. Hopefully you don't just toss them when you're done with them since e-waste is a major source of toxins and carcinogens-and as guardian.co.uk points out, much of the e-waste from Western Europe and the US ends up in the ports of West Africa.

How can you be sure your old electronics aren't causing any harm? It's simple-sell them to someone else.

UK residents:

Loot.com and Gumtree.com both offer a forum to buy and sell used items.

BuyMyTronics.com buys new, used, and broken electronics from any location in the world. Payment is sent through PayPal within 48 hours of receipt.

US residents:

VenJuvo.com helps you calculate your item's worth and then buys it from you with two payment options: PayPal or check.

Second Rotation.com purchases mobile phones, gaming consoles, MP3 players, and other gadgets to resell them. You could earn over $150 for one item.

Get the Right Surge Protector for Your Electronics

Surge protectors offer a great defense against spikes and surges in the power lines, but according to Helium writer M.R. Hill, many of them are just "glorified extension cords."

"The manufacturers' warranty is one way to determine the quality of protection your surge suppressor is providing; the higher the guarantee, the greater the protection. However, I would not recommend that you put a surge protector that has a guarantee of $25,000.00 on an electronic that cost you $50.00. If in doubt, as to which surge suppressor is right for your electronic equipment, ask the sales staff.

You should also surge protect any phone-line jacks on your electronic equipment, such as on a fax machine or computer. Some surge suppressor come with the modem suppressor for the phone line build-in, or you can buy the modem surge separately. This is a matter of personal preference. The surges from the phone lins (sic) can be just as damaging as those from the electrical wires.

Many electronics like computers requires a dedicated receptacle. This is because not all surges came for outside the house. Your electronics can receive surges from other appliances when the other equipment is turned on. Keep each surge suppressor on individual receptacles, this way you can reduce the number of surges your equipment receives."

Keep Your Electronics Cool this Summer

Heat annoys. Heat destroys. Protect your electronics this summer with a few good tips from Of Zen and Computing (more on the site): * Don't stack electronics. Your electronics conduct enough heat individually. If you have your gaming console on top of your DVD player, and your DVR on top of that, you should definitely split them up. * Keep vents clear. Almost every electronic device has one or more vents to control it's temperature. Make it a point to look around your house for any loose items that may be obstructing the airflow around your electronic devices. * Position electronics away from heat. Use common sense when storing your electronics. Keep them out of direct sunlight, and if it's possible, place them in the path of a fan or air conditioner. Hot air rises, so store things on the basement or ground level of your home.

Turn Your Mobile Phone into a Universal Remote Control

No more fighting over the remote control. Everyone can have their own with irRemote, a program that allows you to operate infrared-enabled multimedia devices-like audio and video equipment-using a Nokia mobile phone. Check the phone listing on the site to see if yours is compatible. If it is, you can either try it for free, or buy it for £19.95 ($30.71).

Clean Your Discs with Toothpaste

Your toothpaste isn't just a cavity-fighting whitener. It's also a miracle DVD/CD/video game scratch remover, according to Wipeout44. That's right-toothpaste. On your discs. Get a glob the same size as you'd use to brush your teeth. Then run it under lukewarm water and smooth it along the disc's surface and voila! No more scatches, no more skips! The abrasion does the magic but be careful not to overdo it. DVDs are like sensitive gums.

How to Clean Your DVD Player

Before you go cleaning your DVDs with toothpaste, check to see if your DVD player is causing your movies to skip and play slowly. Here's how to clean it yourself.

4 Ways to Convert Your VHS Tapes to DVD

Maybe you don't care that you can't watch your Old Yeller VHS tape on your new DVD player, but what about home videos? Can't replace those with a simple purchase-but you can convert them to DVD quite easily! Signvideo.com shows you a few methods, including:

"Connect your VHS VCR or camcorder to a standalone DVD recorder that works much like a VCR. This VHS to DVD recorder basically gives you a DVD copy of your tape in real time. You don't have a lot of flexibility as far as menus, buttons and chapter settings, but it's the fastest and easiest way to convert VHS to DVD."

If you're not the do-it-yourself type, you can always have a professional do this for you.

Make Your DVD Player Region-Free in Seconds

For anyone who's ever tried to play a foreign film and been confronted with the dreaded region lock, there's now an easy way to free your DVD player without invalidating your warranty. From the innocuously titled DVDexploder: "This service has been created to free players from domestic region locks, added by manufacturers to control movie distribution. This is achieved by tapping one of our simple DVD codes into your machine using its handset controller. Once the DVD unlock has been successfully entered, your player will become region free. Multi-region unlock codes will free the power of your machine and allow you play movies from anywhere in the world - in seconds."

How to Connect an Old TV to a DVD Player

Maybe you've upgraded your TV so many times you could start your own electronics outlet. Or maybe you've stuck with your trusty set from college because it works just well enough. No judgment here! Use that old TV as long as you want. You can even connect a new DVD player to it-despite the wiring discrepancies. According to Wikihow, all you need is an RF modulator (available at Radio Shack or Best Buy). This device will convert the output of your DVD player into a signal that can travel over the TV's coaxial cable.

How to Properly Clean Your LCD Screen

LCD screens are everywhere-computer monitors, TVs, PSPs. And they like to get dirty. You can buy a screen cleaner to keep it looking shiny and new, or you can try some of these simple suggestions from geeksaresexy.com. The author suggests using: 1 part distilled water and 1 part 70% isopropyl alcohol. Do not use rubbing alcohol or tap water as they both will smudge the screen. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the solution on as opposed to spraying. Readers suggest using: Whiteboard cleaner Eye glass cleaner