2008 is here, which means thousands of people will be making resolutions for the New Year. 2007 was a great year for technology, and like many, I ran out and purchased a lot of consumer electronics that looking back were items I could have waited on purchasing, or shouldn’t have wasted the money on to begin with. To help you get a handle on your consumer electronic spending for 2008, follow the Continue link for a few tips to consider before you make that purchase.

1. Research a product before you buy 1080i? 720p? Vertical resolution vs. pixels per line? HDMI or component? If you are not sure what a term means, don’t smile and nod your head as the sales person attempts to explain it to you in the store. More often than not, I’ve seen sales people give the buyer false information either to make a sale or because they lack the knowledge. Before you make a purchase, do some research on the product you are thinking of buying. If you are looking to purchase an HDTV for example, spend some time familiarizing yourself with the key terms. Visit a manufacturer’s website and see what the technical specs for the product are, and most importantly what features are and are not included.

But don’t fall into manufacturer hype. A company is never going to point out flaws or problems with their product. Read some reviews. There are plenty of great websites out there that compare various consumer goods and publish reports on what to look for and what to avoid.

2. Look for the best deals, but beware who you’re buying from Before you buy, scan the papers for a few weeks and see if there’s a sale on the gadget you’re hoping to buy. If you don’t see anything, don’t be afraid to go online for even better deals. But beware of online sellers. While a majority of online retailers are legit, there are a shady few that use tricks to part you with your money.

The first trick is selling you a gray-market product. A few years ago I was in the market for a new prosumer digital video camera and was looking for the best deal possible. A few seemed too good to be true, and they were. Gray-market products are those that come from alternative distribution sources, usually overseas, generally have no warranty, and the manuals and onscreen menus are in a language you probably don’t understand. Sure it works, but the frustration of trying to figure out how will leave a bitter taste in your mouth for months to come.

The other trick is saying an item is in stock only if you buy a bunch of extras. When I was looking around for a camera, several sellers pushed really hard to get me to buy cables, filters, and other items I simply didn’t need. After saying no repeatedly, the seller finished the sale and said the camera would be in the mail in a few days. Not 30 minutes later, I received a phone call saying they just found out the camera was not in stock at the warehouse and it would take several months for the camera to ship. It is through the sale of these other items that the seller can get the price low enough. If they can’t sell you those items, the product magically goes out of stock. If you are faced with a retailer like this, cancel your order immediately.

3. Two for one is great, but don’t compromise features LG made headlines this year by announcing the BH100, the first combo player that can play Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. I went out and bought one, thinking if I could get one player to do the job of two, my home theater would be neat, clean and simple. There’s one major problem with the LG BH100 #&8212; it doesn’t play all of the extra features of HD DVDs (I can’t access the Web features, for example). If these kinds of things are important to you, it might be better to forego the simplicity of having one device so you get exactly what you want.

4. Don’t go for features you’ll never use That being said, if you don’t care for specific features, then don’t pay a premium price for something you’ll never use. My friend Charlie likes watching movies on DVD, but seldom, if ever, dives into the discs special features or bonus audio tracks. For him, the BH100 would be a perfect solution.

If you are point-and-shoot photographer, a digital SLR, with manual focus, interchangeable lenses, bracketed exposure, and so on is going to be a waste of money. Sure it looks cool and makes everyone think you know what you are doing, but if you aren’t using the features, you are flushing money down the drain. You’d be better off getting a cheaper point and shoot that still has many powerful features for those looking to capture a night on the town.

5. Robots are nice, but generally useless I bought one of those robotic floor vacuums a few years ago. Sure it made an attempt at cleaning the floor using its robotic brain that’s really not much more advanced than a cockroach, but in the end failed miserably, shattering our dreams of having robots do our menial tasks.

For now, robots are cool as a learning tool. Lego has a line of toys that teach the principles of programming and robotics, but short of robots that do tasks that are deemed too dangerous for humans, most bots that fall into consumer hands are going to used for entertainment purposes only.

6. Don’t be an early adopter

Sure you might have bragging rights and be the big shot by being the first person in the office to have the latest tech toy, but early adopters are usually disappointed when the product they rushed out to buy doesn’t live up to the hype, or breaks down because it’s a 1.0 version.

The advantages of waiting are twofold. First, the technology will stabilize as new feature sets and bug fixes cause the gadget to become more powerful. Second, as more consumers accept the product into their lives, the price is going to drop meaning you save money in the end. A six-month wait won’t make the technology obsolete, but you will be more satisfied with your purchase in the long run.

7. Not all gadgets are cool

What’s the saying, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure”? There are a lot of gadgets that look cool, but have no practical use in everyday life. A solar powered backpack? Yes it looks cool, and if you are someone that spends hours walking around the city, or make a habit of setting your bag near a south-facing window, it might generate enough power to charge your devices. But let’s be realistic. Most of us are in cars, cabs, subways or other places where light doesn’t fully reach, which makes this idea not really practical in the end.

Yes, the USB Humping Dog is a laugh riot and makes for a great gag gift, but after 10 minutes of humping your computer, the novelty wears off. There are literally thousands of gadgets out there that look cool, but in the end they get tossed in the junk drawer waiting to be regifted during the next holiday season.

8. Reduce energy consumption

Do you really need a coffee cup warming plate that is powered by the USB port on your computer? In my day we drank our beverage while it was hot, or suffered through the putrid taste of cold coffee. The biggest problem with every electronic device is it’s using power #&8212; even when turned off. You may not realize it, but just because your LCD monitor or printer is turned off, you’re cool tech toy could still be sucking power like some vampire that gets juiced on electrons.

One way to keep your power bill low is to look for devices that are EnergyStar compliant. EnergyStar is a government program that sets standards for energy-efficient products. Those items that get the special seal of approval can save you money by using 50 percent less energy than a noncompliant device.

Another is to unplug the device when it isn’t in use. If you only use your game station a few times a week, put the thing on a power strip and turn it off when not in use. The idea of unplugging or turning off a device even includes your recharging station. Sure it may take an extra second or two to plug and unplug the wall wart, but saving $100 a year on your energy bill means you have that much more money to invest on the next cool tech toy.

Searching for a easy to handle and versatile USB card reader? Well, you should consider this new 2-in-1 rotary USB card reader from Earth Tek in Hong Kong, which not only allows you to read MS or SD Cards (Micro SD as well), but can also be used in order to charge your mobile phone.

Press Release

This 2-in-1 rotary multi card reader with mobile charger is a USB 2.0 high speed device specially designed for fast growing multi-media mobile industry. Allow you to download music, photo, movie and data files in between computer and mobile in a more efficient way. It is designed as a bridge between USB and SD/MS/Micro SD (T-flash) card and these types of memory card have been widely used by mobile phone market.

Our unique patented turning connector offers flexibility to users and memory cards could be inserted vertically. This card reader is compatible for both left hand side and right hand side according to the USB ports location of different computer models. An innovative design of 360° LED indicator around the turning connector allows you to read the signal at any directions. With the complimentary mobile phone adaptors and charging cable, you may charge your mobile phone as well.

The tiny little D5 from Iriver, a compact size dictionary, available in 2 or 4 GB with some basic multimedia features, will be now sold in Korea in white… Well who just said like the MacBook ?

As mobile phones become more compact, its small screen size becomes a big barrier for mobile TV and other video contents such as YouTube or business presentations. With Microvisions’s handheld “plug-and-play” prototype projector, this will no longer be a problem.

Powered by a proprietary ultra-miniature PicoP display engine, this battery-powered device has a battery life of 2.5 hours which is enough to watch a full-length movie.

Catch a demo of SHOW in the upcoming CES and 3GSM Conference in Barcelona this coming February 2008.

Nokia has just released the latest firmware update for the Nokia N95 8GB. The new version, v15.0.015, features various upgrades, bug fixes and speed boosts. Upon installation, you will have Flash Lite 3 video support as well as the Web Run Time engine.

You know your mobile can do text, email, mms, Call among the plethora of things that a modern mobile can accomplish, there are some things beyond its capability.

The technology works by bonding a protective layer to the device using a plasma - a gas that has been electronically charged. The chemical properties of the layer allow it to repel water and oil. It was developed for treating soldiers’ uniforms, so they would repel toxic vapours and liquids in a chemical or biological attack. While Ion-Mask coating is still used on military gear, it will soon appear in sports equipment for the first time. The shoe giant Hi-Tec has announced that it is launching a range of footwear that will be treated with the Ion-Mask technology.

Rather than absorbing water and dirt, moisture will instead bead off the surface of the specially-designed shoes. For electronic devices, protection from water is also important. Water damage is one of the top reasons for insurance claims on mobiles, with more than 1.2 million being dropped in lavatories, drinks or put through washing machines last year. A spokesman for Carphone Warehouse, the UK’s largest mobile phone retailer, said: “Most owners are looking for fashion and functionality when they buy a phone, but if it was waterproof too, it could provide a unique selling point.”

Bringing its last year’s concept to reality Dell has announced its 4mm thick crystal monitor. The 22 incher costs a hefty $1200.

An Apple patent for an iMac-like docking station lends further credibility to the ongoing rumor that the company is set to announce an ultraportable notebook in the near future, possibly even at the upcoming MacWorld expo.

NavStar Technologies Voice Navigator is a GPS navigator with a speaker and buttons but without a screen. It accepts voice commands, give voice commands or plan a trip online for access in your car. Too bad it’s a concept, when and if it releases, it’d be great to see it with a touchscreen.

Thomson has released the F2 PMP that comes with a 1GB storage, 1.8 inch wide LTPS screen, support bright adjustment, and normal, power saving modes. Along with E-book(txt) and JPEG viewer, multiple languages, built-in microphone, built-in classic games and support MP3/WMA and AMV formats. $62