TV & Internet...

Do you still have an old VCR hooked up to your TV? Well, it just might end up being a useless paperweight in a few months. When the DTV transition takes places, television broadcast signals will switch to a digital format that is incompatible with many old VCRs.

This won't affect every VCR, and there are some expensive work-arounds you can try to keep your old VCR working, but if you finally decide to give up the video ghost, make sure you recycle your old electronics properly. Those VCRs contain circuit boards and other materials that can end up as toxic waste in the ground and water if they are not recycled carefully.

First of all, check with your local town to see what their rules are about electronics disposal. They might be able to handle it for you, for free or for a small fee.

You can also check Earth911.org to find a recycling center near you. 

As for your old videotapes, why not donate them to your local libary? Not everyone will want to get rid of their VCRs, and those tapes might have a few good viewings left in them. Better to re-use something than to throw it away, after all.