Then it dawned on me – for the first time, the household electronics that our parents (or ourselves) saved from certain eras in the past are very much back in style.  Rather than spend $50-100 on fabricated versions of vintage electronics, a simple dig through the basement can yield a bounty of trendy, yet vintage household devices. Below are some suggestions for the best reusable vintage electronics that are most likely to be found.

Alarm clocks are one of the best basement discoveries. Since the beginning of their manufacture, alarm clocks have been made in interesting colors, shapes, designs, and sizes. Like the wood panel one I discovered, these different designs could mesh effortlessly into any bedroom decorating style. Most stores that carry faux vintage electronics today focus on the interesting alarm clock designs of the past. What better way to save money and reuse materials than to reuse a clock? Another plus is that older alarm clocks still work if kept in even less than ideal environments. Antique stores, as well as etsy.com carry hundreds of antique alarm clocks, at reasonable prices. A mod clock from the 60s is less than $20. Even a USSR vintage Soviet stopwatch can be found for around $40. If looking for a clock to put in the house, vintage designs go much farther than anything found at big box stores.

Another household electronic that is coming back into style is the vintage radio. For decades, the radio was the center of most American households. As THE source of information and entertainment, radios were designed with the best materials. The grand radios of the 1930s and 1940s often still function, and are often classier than the reproductions. The straight lines and earth tones of the radios of the 1960s and 1970s also can be found in many storage areas, as well as on etsy.com. The beauty of the Internet is that many of these vintage treasures are available from around the world. For example, an exquisite French radio from the WWII era is for sale for around $295.

Finally, the vintage telephone is hotter than ever. With many people eliminating landlines, household phones are often more of a design statement than the central communication device. Rotary dial phones can be found for sale at Urban Outfitters and many other “trendy” stores. Many people saved their phones from the 1980s and 1990s, and they can be easily repurposed as household devices today. Again on etsy.com, a rotary princess beige phone goes for around $40, and a tan and black, modernist phone can be found for around $20; however, the best thing to do is search your home, as you never know what you may find.

Before we get into the juicy details, I’d just like to point out that since Megaupload was shut down, I’ve been getting emails and phone calls from all sorts of recording artists and creative types telling me how much more money the record companies and movie companies are giving them.

Pfft.

Anyway, the two ISPs, T-Mobile and KPN, have dismissed demands that they block access to the Pirate Bay on the grounds that blocking websites is a dramatic measure that should require a court order, and that the value of an open Internet is far more than that of corporate interests.

This is the sort of stuff that allows me to briefly stop hating the human race.

BREIN’s expected response, of course, is to take both ISPs to court to attempt to force their hands. You’re surprised? That’s how these things are done nowadays, don’t you know?

Either you censor the Internet, or we’ll sue you because we can’t be asked to keep up with the times and change our business model for a rapidly-growing new technology that people are adopting at an exponential rate. As a matter of fact, if we had our way, we would have killed the VCR, CD burners, Internet radio, and anything else that would dare try to cut our profits cause harm to creative professionals. – The Media Industry

The truth is, every time a new technology comes about that the media companies soil themselves over, the same old song and dance is trotted out and paraded around like a really bad cold sore. You know what happens? Nothing changes. Industry isn’t affected and people’s lives go on. The media companies want you to believe that piracy sponsors terrorism. Newsflash: It doesn’t.

You know what sponsors terrorism? The American taxpayer.

Ooo. Burn.

I recently learned about a great app for skiers and snowboarders. The app is called Satski. It’s $5, but I say that it is worth every penny of that price. It essentially turns your phone into a pocket-sized interactive map. What is even cooler about this app is that it allows you to record your day. I did not think that it was going to be as detailed as it was, but it showed your every turn. We could even point out the stops along our trails, and the locations of the app holder’s wipe outs. Satski records your every move; you can even check out your top speeds per trail. Yes, per trail.

Satski is a GPS system that uses real time. The interactive maps are updated, and the app gives everyone something that seems interesting. For people who are unfamiliar with the mountain, Satski can be used for  a map. You can even plot points A and B, and the app will find a way for you to get from point A to point B. Watch out, as once you start with that, you will probably find yourself wanting more. You will be  wanting to look at your top speeds on a trail basis, you will be able to see every turn, and you will be able to beat your previous speed weapons.

As suspected Satski was such a hit that golf, running, and cycling all have a similar functioning app.

I never thought that I would want a camera like that, but after this weekend, I’m very tempted to spend the $200 that I don’t have! We didn’t use the camera to record any tricks or anything outside of the moguls, trees, big bumps, and normal rides, but I think that it will be really fun to look back and see some of our rides. Plus, we goof off a little bit while we ski.

The GoPro camera is a full HD 1080p camera designed to be used during sports. You can also take 5 megapixel still photos out of this camera’s super wide 170 degree wide-angle lens. All you have to do is make sure that it’s on!

This camera can be used by anyone – motorcyclists, snowmobilers, and more. It comes with plenty of accessories that allow you to customize your use. For example, there are cases that allow the camera to be waterproof up to 180 feet, but there is also a backing that allows for better sound recording except the back has a hole in it so it is semi-waterproof .

There is so much that you can do with this camera; you just have to buy the applicable accessories and do the actual sport! The battery lasts about 2 hours if you are recording continuously, and the battery actually powers a battery warmer pack that will help keep your camera up and running.

The camera has a shock proof design and is SD compatible. The only complaint that my friend has so far (which is not an uncommon complaint on the forums) is that if you place the SD card directly into your computer, the card often thinks that it is corrupt. My friend solves this problem by using a cord between the computer and the camera, and then formatting the card after getting the information off of it.

I’m extremely tempted to get one, even if I do look silly not recording jumps.

While visiting a friend recently, I noticed that every time she ate or drank anything, she would get on her smart phone. After enough prodding, she revealed to me that she was using the MyFitnessPal app as part of her new weight loss routine. She explained that not only did it count the calories for her, the app is loaded with a searchable database of over 1 million foods, ranging from an apple to a brand-name candy bar, even to the calories found in specific dishes from hundreds of fast food chains. With this app, she no longer had to search restaurant websites to find calorie counts, or even look at the nutritional information on the individual ingredients that went into making her famous beef stew, as MyFitnessPal did all of that for her.

A quick visit to www.myfitnesspal.com will overwhelm you with information, testimonials, and facts about the proven weight loss of the MyFitnessPal app, which is available for all smart phones. They claim that the “best way to lose weight and keep it off forever is to simply keep track of the foods you eat.” Compared to fad diets of only carbohydrates, or lack thereof, the MyFitnessPal app makes it possible to still enjoy the foods you love, even if they are not extremely healthy. Medical studies have even proven that keeping a food journal, such as found in the app, doubles weight loss. My friend is a testament to this claim, as she has lost nearly 12 pounds in two weeks, when using the app combined with a tri-weekly trip to the gym.

One of the best parts about MyFitnessPal is that it is completely and totally free. Simply download it onto your smart phone, and begin using it immediately. It is simple to use as well. The app will start you out each day with the calorie goal of your choice. Enter in your breakfast, and the app will tell you how many calories left for the day. Follow the guidance of the app, and combine it with a few exercise sessions per week, and you will be well on your way to a happy and healthy new year.

What can we expect to see in 2012? I personally do not think that we are going to see any thrilling changes that will surprise us or wow us; however, I would be happy to be proven wrong! To be honest, I have a feeling that more focus is going to be put on tablets and smartphones than laptops.

I think that we can expect the obvious. Laptops are going to get thinner, lighter, faster, and have longer battery lives. The newest laptops are being called “Ultrabooks.” This word was made up by Intel, but it represents a category of ultraportable laptops. Laptops that qualify as being Ultrabook models must be less than 0.83 inches thick, resume from the hibernate mode to keyboard input in less than 7 seconds, have at least 5 hours of battery life, and more.

In short, not much is changing. While these new Ultrabooks will provide an ultraportable laptop, are they going to be powerful, or can you get just as much out of them as you can an iPad? One thing is for sure, it looks like the world of Netbooks is starting to fade away. I am glad that I never fell for that craze. I always like the ability to have a mini laptop; however, when something just as thin and light as a Netbook that has a lot more to offer than a Netbook comes along, I think I would rather go for a 13+ inch screen with a full sized keyboard.

I would like to see laptops advance, but for now, I have a feeling that smartphones and tablets are going to be top priority.

Spotify: I’ve been using Spotify quite a bit while traveling and working in Europe, so I am happy to see it finally launched in the US. Initially Spotify was free and unlimited, with occasional commercial interruption. Recently, the service added a new monthly fee to access the same unlimited music, but it is worth it. The main advantage to Spotify is that you can listen to what you want when you want. If you have the app you can even listen offline. There is also a radio function, new music suggestions, and I can see what my friends are listening to. But sometimes I still have a hard time finding new music I like. Usually I just stick to what I know I like. Another disadvantage is its link to Facebook. I don’t like everything linking to Facebook, and I don’t want everyone to always see what I am listening to, but overall Spotify is my go to music listening program.

Pandora: This service still only works in the US, but that is pretty much the only real downside I can find with Pandora. The main perk is that it is still free, and that it can help you find new artists that are similar in style to your favorites. I guess it can be seen as a negative that you cannot choose what song you want to listen to when, but sometimes I enjoy the mixtape surprise nature of Pandora more than my playlists.

Grooveshark: I used to use Grooveshark when online on my computer, until I learned that it didn’t pay artists despite the heavy advertising on the site. There is still no iPhone app for Grooveshark, which limits its usefulness for iPhone users, but if you are the owner of an android, then you are in luck. You can download the Grooveshark app and enjoy both building your own song lists and listening to the radio as well. The biggest positive is that Grooveshark is free. But since all of Grooveshark’s profits reportedly go to them and not to musicians, I have a hard time recommending this service. I’d rather pay $10 per month and know the artist is getting a few dimes, than listen to something free.

It can be confusing to make sense of the different music applications out there, but hopefully in the future we will end up with more versatile choices which are both musician and listener friendly.

This “smart home” seems to be in vogue for the electronics world this year.  Although some technology already exists, such as apps to control lighting and some smart phones doubling as universal remotes, companies are realizing they can take this technology much, much farther.  At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show, LG showed off a connected fridge that can assist with meal and diet planning.  Later this year, kits that will integrate home appliances and devices to a “cloud” style network will be released by Lowes.  Even Google has been hinting at their own “smart home” technology.  Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, discussed their plans at Consumer Electronics Show to create an electronic household.  “We even have Android in refrigerators now,” Schmidt said. “By open-source we mean, ‘take it and have fun.’ And people have.”

The race for the “smart home” seems to be on.  It is already apparent that Apple is ahead of the competition and has  bit of an edge with Siri’s advanced voice command software.  Sorry, Android, but you currently have nothing that compares with that.  Looks like the world of cell phones is reaching a crossroads with houses, and Apple is just a couple steps ahead of the pack.

23-year-old British student, Richard O’Dwyer is facing up to ten years in prison for running the website TVShack, which hosted links to live streams of TV shows. This comes on the heels of a British judge declaring that O’Dwyer will be extradited to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and criminal infringement of copyright, which both carry a maximum penalty of five years.

Hmm… does that seem a bit excessive to anyone else? I mean, he either conspired to infringe copyright, or he did it. I mean, it’s pretty cut and dry as to what went on here – the kid ran a website that linked to streams of TV shows that other people were running. I visited the site a few times back in the day; the owner of the site didn’t do the streaming. As far as common sense and U.K. law goes, he didn’t even do anything wrong.

Want to know how easy it is to link to copyrighted content? Here ya go. So let’s shut down Google and throw Eric Schmidt in jail while we’re at it. Oh wait, that’s what SOPA and PIPA are already trying to do. Wanna know why piracy is such a huge deal to the politicians when we’ve got things like economic turmoil, endless military conflict, and a devaluing dollar? It’s the payoff and the revolving door. These politicians don’t care if they pass unfavorable laws that get them voted out of office, because they know that they’ll have a cushy executive position in whichever company they play ball with.

The U.K., unfortunately, has been neutered into becoming just as stupid as the United States when it comes to copyright. Here’s the thing – I’m not saying copyright infringement isn’t wrong, but it is not this big problem that the dinosaurs of old media are making it out to be. In addition, the punishments proposed by our governments certainly do not fit the crime.

“Hey, you Wall Street crooks get to walk away scott-free. This kid over here, though? He linked to a couple of episodes of Will & Grace. We’ve gotta nab him.”

Sickening.

I run 35-40 miles per week.

I run primarily to train for racing.

The good: The watch does exactly what they advertise it to do. It can tell me my pace, the elapsed time, the distance traveled, the time of day, and the color of my socks. Okay, that last one isn’t true, but this watch seriously keeps quite a bit of data. It keeps a history of my 50 most recent runs (duration, distance, average pace, calories burns), which is more than I’ll ever need. But if I did need it, I could find it online on my Nike account, which is also where I can view the GPS route of my run and the average pace per mile, pretty cool! Nike also does a great job trying to keep the user motivated. After my run it gives me a message like, “Way to go!” or “Record smashed!” if I’ve beaten one of my own times or distances. If that wasn’t enough motivation, I could set up goals on my account to earn online trophies, or join competitions against other Nike+ users.

The bad: I’ve finally gotten used to the Nike Web site, but that took more time than it should have to get oriented with the watch (I tried using the manual, and then I had to search online for several minutes). Figuring out how to use the watch for workouts is non-intuitive. Also, if you stop the timer but continue to run, the program doesn’t seem to know how to account for the mileage discrepancy (because it knows where you went even if the workout was paused) when it maps the GPS route, though the rest of the data is fine.

As far as waterproofing, the back of the watch says it can withstand 5 atms. I looked it up, and apparently that’s roughly equivalent to about 50m, so I don’t think that will be limiting me on my runs; however, my sister discovered that the watch is not very cold-proof. She took it out into below-freezing weather, and it temporarily stopped functioning.

The watch comes with a shoe pod (an in-shoe sensor) that’s supposed to make the data more accurate. They say that it slips nicely into a Nike+ enabled shoes, but I run in Asics, so I’ve had to look into other methods of securing the sensor to my shoes. Nike could have at least put some sort of hole through the pod, but it’s pretty clear that they just want us to invest in more of their products.

I’m satisfied, but not overly thrilled.