In the latest This Week in Tech, Leo Laporte talked about how he got ripped off on ebay. He bought a camera, paid with paypal, and never got the camera, but since paypal can only insure up to $200, and since he paid $2100, he was just out the $1900 with little recourse. Here's how to keep the same from happening to you:  read more »

The iTunes App Store doesn't officially launch until tomorrow, but if you'd like to start stocking up now, feel free. Speaking of free, since you can't actually use them yet, I suggest first picking up a couple freebies, so follow the not-so-secret free app link to get them all downloaded. Make sure you update iTunes first, or it won't let you.

To see the rest of the apps, just click on "App Store" at the top. 

As I was reviewing Summer Sports for Wii and Deca Sports for Wii, I found myself disappointed that the game supplied characters instead of allowing me to choose to play with my Mii like in Wii Sports. As I thought about it, I thought of many other games that don't use Miis. In fact, more games than not don't use Miis, from Mario to Nitro Bike.  read more »

Computers still cost money, and you want them to last, so here are some tips to keep your computer clean, not only to preserve the mechanisms, but to improve your health.

Monitor

Monitors, whether flat or CRT, are best cleaned with a damp cloth. Whatever you do, don't spray Windex on the monitor screen. Also, make sure to watch the vents on the top and/or back of the monitor for dust buildup, and use a damp cloth or Q-tip to clean out the vents.  read more »

In episode 40, I talked about how to get your camera back if lost, but what about a cell phone or PDA (or even your laptop)? Here's a quick tip to improve your chances of getting it back:  read more »

I'm typing this post from under our basement steps, since we're under a tornado warning for the next 45 minutes. Because we have weather.com's Notify service alerting our mobile phones about the warning, we knew the moment they issued the warning and could take immediate action. (Our local siren doesn't run for tornadoes.) Now think about that for a minute: sitting on a concrete floor (we grabbed blankets on the way down to sit on) with 3 kids for nearly an hour. While that prospect might seem a bit nerve wracking for some, the time is moving quickly for us.  read more »

Ars Technica has reported that a Pac-Man movie is now in the works. The plot they give is bogus (and warning: some of the comments are not kid-friendly), and I'm not too optimistic about the subject being good movie material (still having nightmares from Super Mario Bros). So here's my question: what video game would make a good movie? Post your ideas below.

One of my favorite features of the Safari web browser has always been the ability to type a word into my address bar and be taken to the appropriate .com. So typing "techtalkforfamilies" would take me to techtalkforfamilies.com without having to type the .com each time. If there was no .com, it would take me to .net or .org instead. When sitting down at a PC that only had Internet Explorer installed, I hated always being taken to a Live.com search page when typing a word into the address bar.  read more »

First off, let me make this very clear: I'm not happy that Paul McCartney and Heather Mills are getting a divorce. I wish they'd been able to work things out and have a long and happy marriage. But since that's not the case, a judge's decision Monday to allow a preliminary divorce decree is good news for music fans, specifically iTunes music fans.  read more »

I'm about done with TV. When I was a kid, we had 3 networks plus PBS for Sesame Street. Now, our satellite service offers hundreds of channels, but it's not enough. Or, to look at it another way, it's too much. When you have 100 channels but only a half-dozen shows worth watching, I feel like I'm getting ripped off, especially when I'm paying a monthly fee to watch those shows, most of which I could get over the air.  read more »