Zoto Dishes Up 2GB of Photo Storage - Free!

No such thing as a free lunch? Tell that to Zoto, a photo hosting/sharing/blogging service that gives you a mammoth helping of storage space (2GB, to be exact) and unlimited bandwidth, absolutely free. For the past few days I've been reviewing the service, which is still in beta, and while it's definitely a bit rough around the edges, you can't argue with 2GB of free storage!



By the way, I used Zoto to publish this blog entry, complete with the photo that I uploaded to my account. Not too shabby!

Score a "Free" TiVo! For Real!

One thing that has always bugged me about TiVo is the ridiculously disproportionate subscription fee. After scrounging together a couple hundred bucks for the box, you then have to cough up another $299 for lifetime service? (I know, you can pay $12.95/month instead, but that's even worse. TV is expensive enough already.) Personally, I've always wished they would just build the damn subscription fee into the box and be done with it.

Ah, but what if they just gave you the hardware? You've got two weeks (until July 15, that is) to score just such a deal: a 40-hour TiVo Series2 box, absolutely free when you sign up for service.



In this case, "service" means the usual $299 lifetime rate or a 12-month prepaid subscription for $155.40. Heck, they'll even throw in the shipping. Not at all a bad deal for what most people regard as the best DVR ever. (Personally, I'm still happy with my five-year-old (!) Replay, but I won't argue with TiVo's clear victory.)

Don't think you can get by with just 40 hours of recording time? There are myriad ways to upgrade a TiVo with inexpensive, high-capacity hard drives. Here's one example. So if you've been waiting to take the TiVo plunge, this could be the ideal time. It's hard to do better than free.

B.C. Q&A: What Else Can DVD Burners Burn?

A lot of people seem to get confused when shopping for DVD burners (or looking at new PCs that come with them). It's easy to fall under the misconception that these drives burn DVDs and only DVDs. That's why they call them DVD burners, right? Surprise! They can also burn plain ol' CDs, just like your old CD-RW drive. So, yes, you can still churn out those fabulous music mixes, or just copy big batches of files to cheap CDs for easy transport, backup, etc.

Best Price on Coldplay's "X & Y"

I'm not what you would call a Coldplay fanatic, but I do like a lot of their tunes, and I'm planning to buy their spankin'-new album, "X & Y." Of course, I don't plan to spend one penny more than necessary, so I did a little online shoppin' for the absolute cheapest price:



• BuyMusic - $10.69 (download)
• iTunes - $11.99 (download)
• MSN - $10.89 (download)
• Musicmatch - Unknown (uninstalled 4-ever)
• Napster - $11.95 (download)
• Wal-Mart - $9.44 (download)
• Wal-Mart - $9.72 (CD)
• Yahoo! Music - Not Available

And the winner is...Wal-Mart! Hard to believe the CD version costs just 28 cents more than the download. Think I'll go that route so I can rip the tunes at whatever bit rate I want and not have to contend with Draconian DRM nonsense...

Don't Buy an LCD Without DVI

Flat-panel monitor deals are coming fast and furious these days. I've seen more than a few name-brand 19-inch LCDs selling for below $300—some as low as $250. However, most of these bargain-basement screens lack one important feature: a DVI interface. (Yes, I know DVI stands for Digital Video Interface, meaning I just said "Digital Video Interface interface." I also say "ATM machine." Sue me.)



Why should you insist on DVI over a traditional analog-VGA connection? Simple: the digital interface eliminates the "ghosting," softness, and other image-crappening effects common to analog LCDs. You'll usually pay a premium—upwards of $50, I've found—for a monitor with a DVI interface, but it's well worth it.

Oh, make sure your video card has a DVI connector, too. Most of them do nowadays, but you'll want to check...

1GB SD Card: $49

It wasn't very long ago that a 1GB SD card would set you back at least $200. Now you can get a Lexar 1GB card for a mere $49 (after a $25 mail-in rebate) from eCost. Shipping is a mere $1.99. Considering that the same outlet has other 1GB SD cards selling for upwards of $90, this deal is hard to pass up. Now, who do I talk to about grossly overpaying for memory cards last year?

GPS on the Cheap

Sure, you could spend big bucks on one of those self-contained GPS systems, like the $900 TomTom Go. Or you could do what I do: pair a Bluetooth-enabled PDA with an inexpensive Bluetooth GPS receiver. Here's a great setup that you can score for as low as $275:

• HP iPAQ RX3115 A full-featured Windows Mobile PDA with a roomy screen and built-in Bluetooth (and Wi-Fi!). You can pick up a new one on eBay for around $175; used, they're selling for as low as $125.

• Bluetooth GPS receiver There are several outfits on eBay selling these for $80-90.

• Mapping software The deal to beat is Delorme's Street Atlas USA 2005 Handheld, which retails for $39.95. It offers real-time door-to-door navigation, voice prompts, and all that other good stuff.



• Car mount Safety first! When you're using any GPS, it should be mounted as close to eye level as possible. That means you'll need a car mount for your PDA. Check out the Arkon Universal PDA Windshield Mount, which will set you back $30.

Did I mention you're also getting a pretty rockin' PDA out of the deal? Let's see that big ol' TomTom fit in your pocket!