Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

"This Christmas, there were reportedly nearly 7 million new Android and iOS activations (between December 24 and December 25), which was largely a result of smartphone gift-giving."

Great article on some resources so you know where to go to recycle, or get some cash for those electronics that you have replaced with newer, faster, better versions. I also find that putting them on craigslist seems to work pretty if they are still functional so someone else can get some use out of your newly replaced items. If they aren't functional, check with your local garbage/recycling company for ideas on where to take your non functioning items.

"Your old computer may feel clunky and outdated when you're ready to replace it, but there are still plenty of uses for it. Instead of trashing it, turn your old machine into something useful like a file server or firewall. But if you really think your equipment is completely shot, you can always recycle or turn it into a cool mod or art project."

Just because you got some new hotness this holiday season does not suddenly render your old computer useless. There are many things it can still do. Business Insider offers several options, however some of them, I think may be less useful than first imagined. Recycling is always a good idea, however, some other options may not be as great in practical terms. Grid computing is great and helping to crunch Work Units for humanity is a noble goal but depending on the computer you have, you may be paying a mint to do so. The same also applies to using old bertha as a file server or firewall. Many older computers, especially those of the Pentium 4 generation, are power hungry heating elements. A dedicated appliance like a router or custom built NAS can perform the same task at a fraction of the power and with electricity prices the way they are today, every kilowatt counts!

"Trade your excess technology for the latest from Dell with Dell Exchange - and do your part for the environment. Turn everything from unwanted PCs to mobile phones, digital cameras and MP3 players into Dell Gift Cards. You'll clear some much-needed desk space for your new Dell products while keeping your old items out of the landfill. It's a win-win-win situation."

Got some old technology gear lying around? You could turn it into Dell gift certificates with Dell Exchange. It's definitely better to recycle your hardware than to toss it the garbage, but don't overlook local charities and even friends and family members: you might be able to give someone your old technology and have it benefit them far more than the tiny sum of money you'd get by trading it in.