Gadgets...

RadioShack this week introduced a new trade-in program for high-tech devices. The program allows you to trade in your old computers, cell phones, gaming systems, digital cameras and other devices in exchange for store credit.

Brands accepted through the program include Apple, Sony, Dell, Garmin, Nikon and dozens of others.

It's nice to see another major retailer accepting old devices, and especially nice to see one offering some cash for your old tech.

Still, this program is far from perfect. You need to go online to do your trade, which means you need to ship your product to RadioShack for processing before they ship you a gift card in return. Why not just allow the trades to happen in your local store? That would save a lot of time, hassle and shipping-created greenhouse gases.

There's also no word on what RadioShack will do with your old devices once they get them. Will they be recycled properly, or will toxic components end up in landfills? Will they be refurbished and resold, extending their life cycle for another consumer? What happens to your old data if you send in a computer or cell phone?

RadioShack still has a lot of questions to answer before this program can really be considered useful, but hey, it's a start.