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I have written articles and talked about Radio Shack in a number of arenas. I have pointed out the slogan, “You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers” really means, “If you ask a question, we can come up with an answer that sounds pretty good.”

Consumerist.com posted this interesting account about trying to find a standard and common cable at Radio Shack.

Sadly, I have had similar experiences with Best Buy and Office Depot. Cables are very inexpensive. Before you head out and buy a cable from one of the usual places, check you local Big Lots, dollar store or even Ross. Recharging cables, USB cables, mice and keyboards are staples now. This means that you will find them at extremely low prices in places that sell closeout items of all kinds.

If you’re not in a hurry and don’t mind ordering from the web, you can find cables and accessories of all sorts online. I once had a prong break in a $50 – 25′ Monster cable. I headed over to eBay and found a replacement for $12. I am sure audio and video geeks will try to convince me that the Monster cables were superior in some way, but I am not using $20,000 speakers or a $72″ plasma TV.

I used the Monster cable for about a year. I am going on seven years with that $12 cable and I bought a second one as backup.

Sales Pitches: Radio Shack Sales Staff Unfazed By 2,400% Markup.

photo credit: » Zitona «

I am in serious need of a projector lamp for my home theater projector. I found a great price ($119 for a bulb that is over $200 on sale from most places). I did a check on PriceGrabber.com and discovered this excellent example of what a poor vendor looks like.

Look past the stars and read the actual reviews. Pay special attention to customers who wrote the review long after they purchased the product. You will find that this vendor does not have a single good review even though they are four stars overall.

PriceGrabber User Rating for Advanced Lamps – PriceGrabber.com.

After searching the web for music to use in the intro of the forthcoming talkingDigital podcasts, I came across this fine band. We have been searching for music that sounds informative, yet dangerous. I think this guys did a great job. Of course, we also like funk and could possibly change our minds on this on.

We aren’t sure which cut we would use, but it would certainly be one of the more upbeat tunes. Take a listen, buy their album and tell us what you think.

The Dead Ranch Hands.

In a world full of hate and controversy. Our nation is divided between so many opinions and points of view. If only there were a cause that every man, woman and child could unite behind to bring this sorry world together.

This man just may have the answer to world peace and harmony. Imagine tangle-proof earbuds. Why is Lennon not around to see this epic moment in mankind’s history?

Most people have discovered that Bresnan is back up, but if your Internet is still down, the problem could be on your end. I have been 100 percent successful in getting all my friends and family back online today but it took a few tricks. I am not 100 percent sure that each of these steps is required but, like I said, it has worked.

This process will not work if the outage is on the cable company’s end.

Before you begin – check with as many people in your neighborhood as possible to make sure that the outage isn’t on the cable company’s end. Don’t call your neighbor across town as an outage can be limited to a single block of service. It is best if you have neighbors next door, across the street or somewhere close to break a window with a rock. Do not throw a rock at your neighbor’s window. That was simply to explain how close your neighbor’s house should be.

These steps are recommended before you call the cable company. I also recommend giving the outage at least 2 hours before you call for help. Cable companies tend to assume that an outage is on your end and may walk your through steps that make the problem worse if the problem is on their end. There is no harm in preforming these steps at any time. Sometimes it will help speed your connection up if it seems to be a little sluggish.

1. Visit OpenDNS.com and follow the directions for changing the DNS numbers in your router or on your computer. If you don’t have a router, you will need to change the DNS numbers on each computer. If you have a router, you only need to add the numbers in the router.

OPEN DNS NUMBERS:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

GEEK NOTE: Yes, there are other public DNS numbers you can you, but I am trying to keep this simple.

2. Apply any changes you made to the DNS settings in your router. This is usually done with a link that says something like “Apply” or “Apply Changes”

3. Now, unplug your modem (usually a black box with lots of lights. The lights are usually labeled Internet, Ethernet, Power). You will also need to pull the battery out if your phone has lights for Telephone as well.

4. Unplug the router and turn off your computer(s).

5. At this point, your modem, router and computer should all be off.

6. Put the battery back in your modem and connect the power and wait for about 5 minutes for it to acquire a good connection.

7. Connect the power to your router and give it a few seconds to establish a solid connection.

8. Turn your computer(s) back on.

This should bring everything back up. If not, call the cable company and insist that a tech come out.