Almost everyone is trying to be more environmentally responsible today. One way that geeks can do their part is by recycling their old used electronic gear rather than tossing it into the trash can when you have had your way with it. The catch is that many recycling programs don’t offer any scratch in exchange for your old gear.

Recycling electronics for many programs isn’t something done merely to help the environment. The gadgets are recycled and with enough bulk, recyclers can get as much gold and other precious metals from the electronics as you get from a small gold mine. RadioShack has announced a new electronic recycling program that takes back certain electronic items like cell phones, MP3 players, laptops and more and gives people some loot on a gift card for their trouble.

So far 2008 is slipping by much faster than I expected and before you know it the digital transition in early 2009 will be here. If you aren’t using a satellite or cable provider and are using an old TV lacking a digital tuner you will need a converter box. While all high-power stations are required to transition to digital broadcasts in 2009, low-power stations in some communities don’t have to change.

That means that in some areas TV watchers could continue to receive both digital and analog signals after the official date for the digital transition. If your community is one with low-power stations what you need is a converter box like the RadioShack DTX9550. This box is a fully digital converter and features analog pass-through so one converter allows the viewing of analog and digital broadcasts.