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If you live near one of 117 Best Buy stores and are desperately in need of unloading your rusty, broken-down gadgets, you're in luck.

Beginning Sunday, Best Buy began allowing customers to bring two items per household per day into some stores in Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota for free. But if you're looking to unload that mammoth front-projection TV--not so fast, there are some restrictions.

Unclutter your life--for free--courtesy of Best Buy.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET Networks)

Best Buy says they will take computers, phones, cameras, PC peripherals, and more, but only TVs and monitors smaller than 32 inches diagonal. TVs larger than that, as well as air conditioners, microwaves, and large household appliances, aren't eligible.

Cost is often an issue for recycling programs. Almost all states have electronic waste recycling laws, and most of them put the cost burden on the manufacturer or retailer that actually does the recycling. That's why though other electronics retailers have programs to take back undesired electronics and PCs, there's often a fee for their trouble.

This post was updated at 9 a.m. PDT with clarifying details on GasBuddy.com's data source and the correct spelling on Milt Krantz' name.

Perhaps you heard Wednesday's news about the price of crude oil once again reaching all-time highs, and, like me, you're wondering how that's going to affect gas prices at the pump as you fill up for your Memorial Day weekend trip.

Rest assured, you've got the likes of Milt Krantz on your side.

Krantz, 71, a retired social worker from San Jose, Calif., is also a designated gas price spotter for GasBuddy.com, one of a handful of increasingly busy sites for finding cheap gas in your vicinity.

"It's a little something I can do about the price of gas," said Krantz, adding that the payoff for his efforts is the feeling that consumers are working together to make a difference. "We're in it together."

And what a difference such information can make: In San Francisco on Tuesday, for example, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline ranged from $3.86 to $4.53, depending upon location, according to Gas.Buddy.com's regional site SanFranGasPrices.com. That's a 67-cent difference, or $10.05, when filling a 15-gallon tank.

That potential savings, combined with the scary sound of $4-a-gallon gas, has been driving up traffic to such sites.

"For about the last 60 days, we've seen a nice steady ramp up," said Brad Proctor, founder of GasPriceWatch.com, which offers price data from about 130,000 gas stations.

The results of a search on MapQuest Gas Prices using CNET's San Francisco ZIP code.

(Credit: MapQuest)

GasBuddy.com, which serves as an umbrella site for 180 regionalized sites covering some 170,000 gas stations in the U.S. and Canada, has seen more of a steady climb in traffic, said co-founder Jason Toews. When we last talked to Toews in 2005--as gas prices were hitting a then-shocking $3 per gallon--GasBuddy was averaging about 700,000 to 800,000 unique visitors a day. Now it gets about 2 million visitors a day, he said.

Of course, gas price sites vary greatly in terms of format, functionality, and info-gathering methodology. GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com, both 8-year-old sites, rely on their networks of registered members/spotters, but also factor in information from retailers and other sources. GasBuddy has some 1.4 million member/spotters and GasPriceWatch has about 166,000. And both have arrangements to share their data with other media outlets

Spotters are community members who are usually offered incentive points or a chance to win a "thank you" prize such as a discount on gas. But for Krantz, who uploads prices at least once a week, the motivation is more the idea of exposing the stations that are gouging consumers and rewarding the ones that are not.

"People still want to think they have a little power with their dollar," added Proctor.

AAA's Gas Price Finder, unlike the other two sites, uses data derived primarily from credit card transactions. And MapQuest Gas Prices and MSN Gas Prices rely on data supplied by the Oil Price Information Service, a pricing database that collects information from 125,000 North American retail outlets.

It should be noted that new technologies have changed the way consumers are accessing information from the gas price sites. Some, like me, are still looking at the sites on their PCs. But other gadgeteers are getting such information through in-car GPS systems, text messaging, and smartphone applications.

As far as tools go, GasBuddy.com has one of the coolest in what it calls its Gas Temperature Map, an interactive display of gas prices around the country, with areas color-coded according to their average price for regular unleaded gasoline. Through the map, and with a little guidance from Toews, I learned Tuesday the lowest gas price in the country was found in Rapid City, S.D., at $3.38 per gallon, and the highest was in Beaver Island, Mich., at $5.19 per gallon.

"In 2000, I never would have thought gas prices would be this high. It doesn't surprise me anymore," Toews said. "We've gotten desensitized to the high prices." Nonetheless, he does expect activity on his site to be brisk before the three-day weekend.

Toews offered a closing hint for bargain shoppers. Look for Arco service stations, which don't accept credit cards and therefore can offer cheaper prices.

GasBuddy.com's Gas Temperature Map is an interactive display of gas prices around the country, with areas color-coded according to their average price for regular unleaded gasoline.

(Credit: GasBuddy.com)

MENLO PARK, Calif.--The practice of playing up a company's green policies for show was the new black for the past few years. But now actually making and selling green products is what's hot because of its potential to put a business in the black.

At the 2008 Consumer Electronics Emerging Technologies Summit held here in Silicon Valley, venture capitalists, business consultants, entrepreneurs, and representatives of some of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world discussed the new wave of innovation in a rapidly commoditizing industry. It basically comes down to two words: energy efficiency.

And the reason it's important? Because it can make a product stand out. And if consumers can see a real benefit to using products that are environmentally conscious, they'll buy it. And that's potential profit for vendors and manufacturers.

"Before it was something (consumer electronics companies) just said to make themselves look good. Now it's a business imperative," said George Bailey, general manager of IBM Microelectronics.

That's because flashy, visible new breakthroughs in technology in the CE space aren't providing the same profitable bump for as long as it used to. High-definition televisions are a prime example.

"TV manufacturers are troubled in terms of profit," said Bailey. "They're asking, 'How can I add value, recapture profit?' Before it was larger format LCD screen. If yours was bigger you'd make more money. Now we know that's not true."

When the big TV manufacturers come to his division of IBM he says they are all looking for greener, more energy-efficient chips that will make their TVs consume less power because that's a way they can differentiate their product from others on the shelf. New technologies include High-K Metal Gate chips that IBM is working on that "leak" less power and can power smaller devices for longer.

But green-friendly products can be more expensive, which can deter certain types of consumers. A representative from Samsung in the audience said the company has yet to see that consumers are willing to pay for products just because they are "green."

That's why you have to give them a real benefit, not an imagined one that makes them feel good, said Steve Westly, who runs the clean tech venture capital firm The Westly Group.

"You have to give customers a real value proposition. A 'green' truck that gets 16 miles per gallon? Consumers will see through that," he said. A green product "has to have an added benefit."

Even if energy efficiency doesn't attract consumers in the numbers that these manufacturers and investors hope, businesses will be forced to green their products one way or another, Westly said.

"You'll see (environmental standards) dialed up in a government-mandated way," he said. "Government regulations and mandates are only going to increase. Not just here, but globally."

I'm not a big fan of surveys, so I don't quote them often. But a recent Consumer Reports survey about PC manufacturers listed Apple as No. 1 in tech support, with Lenovo second, Dell third, and HP dead last. I should also say that Dell came in second in desktops.

I thought the headline should be "Survey says leading PC maker HP dead last in tech support." But that's not what happened. The media hailed Apple, trashed Dell, and gave HP a pass.

Horror stories about Dell's support are all over the blogosphere. Why is that? I mean, why does the media give Dell such a hard time?

Because perception is reality. But aside from being a pithy statement, what does that really mean? ... Read More

Blockbuster sure sounds like it wants to buy Circuit City, but is it able to?

The financial advisers to Circuit City told company officials Wednesday that they think Blockbuster, which has offered $1 billion for the consumer electronics retailer, doesn't have the proper financing to make good on its bid, according to a Reuters report.

In a statement, the company said, "Circuit City awaits a viable financing structure that is predictably executable by Blockbuster given its current constraints of size and capital structure before it would be appropriate to allow further due diligence."

Blockbuster's CEO said earlier this week that his company would proceed with its takeover effort only if conditions are right and that it is loath to go through with a hostile bid. Circuit City has essentially stonewalled Blockbuster since the initial bid was made in February, not allowing easy access to its books.

Also Wednesday, a Circuit City investor who owns 6.5 percent of the company's stock sent a letter to Circuit City urging the company to open its books to its suitor and begin negotiations. The retailer responded quickly to Wattles Capital Management, issuing a statement reiterating its position that Blockbuster hasn't answered its questions regarding how it plans to finance a deal.

Now this is a passionate user base.

Protesters turned out to riot and burn photos at a press conference in Seoul Wednesday held by former Samsung top lawyer, Kim Yong-Chul, and the Associated Press got a great photo of the civil disobediance in action.

We're not allowed to run AP photos (we don't pay for the service, but if anyone has their own photos, please send them my way at Erica dot Ogg at cnet.com), but Engadget has the image, so be sure to check it out.

The company's former lawyer held the press conference to call for punishment of Samsung's former chairman, Lee Kun-Hee, who stepped down Tuesday after being indicted on tax evasion charges.

The rioters are apparently angry with Kim, whose admission to prosecutors about the existence of a $215 million company slush fund used to bribe public officials touched off a high-profile investigation into South Korea's largest company, which has long been a symbol of national pride.

Lee was cleared on charges related to the slush fund, but was also indicted on breach of trust for helping to arrange the sale of company stock to his son and unfairly low prices.

Nine other Samsung executives were indicted on charges similar to Lee's.

Compelling gadgets are the key to consumers' hearts--and wallets--during a recession, according to a consumer spending study.

Of those surveyed, 37 percent of U.S. consumers say they plan to cut back when it comes to entertainment purchases this year, according to an upcoming report from The NPD Group, "Entertainment Trends in America." Just under half of the 11,000 interviewed for the study said they'll likely spend the same amount this year as in 2007.

But what's more interesting is that 18 percent say they plan to spend more, despite widespread concerns over an unstable economy. More specifically, respondents in that group say they see themselves buying gadgets more than content.

"These are the people who tend to be in a higher economic situation so the cost of technology may not be such a barrier for them, whether it's a Blu-ray player or a gaming console or a new iPod," said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. "Those are the things they seem to be anticipating purchasing...That's not to say they're not going to buy movies or music, but their expectation is if they're spending more, they're spending on devices and consumer electronics."

In the recession in 2001, spending on entertainment devices and content remained relatively steady, but this time around, as the price of gas and food continues to climb, the landscape of the consumer electronics industry is very different.

In 2001, there was a new PlayStation game console, and DVD and CD sales were still on the upswing.

"What you're looking at now that's different, especially in music is CD sales have been down pretty significantly. DVD is starting to look like a mature product category," said Crupnick. "The willingness of people in bad times to collect things is less than it was five, six, seven years ago."

Like some of the luckiest people in high tech, John Buckman made a mint on his first company and now dabbles in passion projects.

But one of his latest companies may prove he's more than just lucky, at least if you buy the Silicon Valley adage: Strike it rich once, you're lucky. Twice, you're smart.

BookMooch founder John Buckman

(Credit: BookMooch)

BookMooch, Buckman's 20-month-old service that lets people trade their used books for the cost of postage, is making a small impression on a giant online retailer, Amazon.com. Even though BookMooch is free to members, the site generates an estimated half-million dollars in annual book sales for Amazon because of a browser plug-in called the Moochbar, which matches members' book wish lists to Amazon's retail inventory. For every 25 books swapped on BookMooch, at least one person buys a new book on Amazon through the Moochbar. BookMooch collects 8.34 percent on each of those Amazon sales.

"We're making money by accident," said Buckman, who spoke recently at a technology luncheon near his home in Berkeley, Calif.

Apart from still-negligible sales, what should be more of a wake-up call to the book industry is how the site is tapping into the so-called long tail of book retail with a social, free service. The long tail, as the theory goes, accounts for as much as 60 percent of the goods sold in an industry, or all those unpopular works that find a home with only a few. It's said that the lion's share of Amazon's book sales come from works that have a low sales ranking.

What's more, within the next nine months, Buckman expects to have the inventory of books--distributed among its members--that would rival that of the largest book wholesaler in the United States. BookMooch now has an inventory of about 480,000 books among its 70,000 trading members, but at its growth rate it should rival Ingram Book Company's 1 million books by early 2009, Buckman said. BookMooch's decentralized warehouse of books serves the long tail the same way that centralized warehouses like those of Ingram's serves the top of the tail.

"This is meant to be a noncommercial business, with no ads and no fees. We're just trying to do something fun and huge--like be the biggest bookstore on the planet," said Buckman, who sits on the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and European equivalent, the Open Rights Group. "It seems to me we should be able to trade more books than Amazon sells."

BookMooch isn't alone in appealing to people's desire to trade books or consume in a more earth-friendly way. Novel Action, Bookswap.com, and Swaptree.com are just a few of the sites that let members trade books. And while none of them is rivaling the traffic that Amazon and Google Books garner per month, they are collectively proving there's demand in the long tail. Eco-online book retailer Better World Books, which resells used books and donates some of the proceeds to global literacy projects, recently raised $4.5 million in its first round of financing to grow its business.

Buckman is a true Internet veteran. In 1994, he founded the e-mail software company Lyris with his wife, Jan. During a recent talk, he said Lyris was originally designed for groups of like-minded people to easily exchange e-mail. But, he said, it eventually became known as a spam company when it started selling to larger marketing clients that would use the software to send mass e-mails to customers. For him, the company was "desperately difficult and boring to run."

Four years later, he sold Lyris to J.L. Halsey Corp., but continued to head it for seven more years. During the luncheon, Buckman said his goal was to earn at least $3 million from the deal so that he could live comfortably on the $90,000 in annual interest. But he ended up with $32 million after 11 years with Lyris, more than enough to fund Magnatune and BookMooch.

Influenced by Buckminster Fuller
Long inspired by the inventor Buckminster Fuller, Buckman wanted to change the world by creating a company for which people would want to work for free, if they could. That's when he turned his sights to the music industry.

In 2004, Buckman started Magnatune, an Internet-era record label that would take on the major labels. Designed in the Linux model, in which developers can help improve the back-end of the music site, Magnatune is a music label that signs largely unknown artists and lets Web surfers decide how much they want to pay for their music, starting at about $5 for a record. Magnatune splits the sales with the artist 50-50.

Despite the promise for artists, Buckman said that Magnatune hasn't taken off. After five years in operation, it now breaks even with four employees. One reason for the uphill battle, he said, is that much of the $12 billion in annual sales from the U.S. music industry comes from music licensing. And because those licensing deals largely get done between two friends at a bar in Los Angeles, Magnatune artists are left out of the big music label conversations.

"Big companies don't want to do business with small fish," he said.

However, he learned a larger lesson with Magnatune. He created the service with the same construct as old-media: push something out to people and they will consume it, he said. He failed at creating a participatory environment in which people buy into the service, or have a personal stake in it.

BookMooch accomplishes that by asking people to put up 10 books of their own to receive one point, which will allow them to get their first book for free. In that deal, the new member must be willing to send off three of their own books to other BookMooch members. Unlike Lala.com and Peerflix.com--sites which have fallen down on paying postage for members--BookMooch requires that members pay to send the book. People who have more points than they can use on BookMooch, known as power moochers, can donate their points to charity groups on the site.

So far, BookMooch members have swapped as many as 700,000 books. The average member swaps 3.5 books per month, up from one book per month a year ago. The most-traded books on the site, whose membership consists largely of older moms, include Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (traded 780 times) and The Kite Runner (traded 585 times).

It's a sizable accomplishment considering that the Berkeley-based company has only two employees, and the project is funded solely by Buckman.

"If you want to change the world, find a better way to do something and have everyone follow it," Buckman said. "I'm not looking to generate revenue because I already made my $32 million."

When asked if he would entertain a buyout offer of his company for another $32 million, he said he would definitely have a conversation.

Even if he doesn't strike it rich with BookMooch, he may do something more valuable...like prove there's another way to tap into the book business.

Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy had a colorful assessment of the planned merger between Hewlett-Packard and Compaq: it's like two garbage trucks, he said, backing into each other in slow motion. (Beep, beep, beep...thunk.)

That brings me to Monday's rather stunning news that Blockbuster, the giant video chain that's seen better days, is trying to buy Circuit City, the giant consumer electronics retail chain that's also seen better days. The offer, which was made in February and is just now becoming public, is worth $6 to $8 per share--between $1 billion and $1.3 billion total. It's about a 54 percent premium above Circuit City's value before the news broke.

This hybrid garbage truck unveiled Monday has a brighter future than Blockbuster/Circuit City.

(Credit: Volvo Trucks)

Now you can argue McNealy was way off base on the HP-Compaq merger, but he'd be spot on if he applied the double-garbage-truck metaphor to Blockbuster and Circuit City. As Peter Kafka at Silicon Alley Insider wrote earlier, it seems like they'd "rather be in a low-margin business than none at all."

In fairness, there is some logic to what they're trying to do. By combining a company that sells the entertainment with a company that sells the equipment that entertainment plays on, you have the mass-market equivalent of Apple's retail stores. If Blockbuster really is developing a set-top box that could allow movie downloads from another Blockbuster acquisition, Movielink, the Blockbuster/Circuit City hookup moves from the realm of the insane to the "nice idea if it were operating in a vacuum" category. At least that's the theory.

But here's the reality: Apple has around 200 retail stores and can meticulously control what is sold in them and how they are run. Apple retail employees go to a veritable boot camp before they're allowed to sell in Apple stores. By comparison, the combined Blockbuster and Circuit City would have 9,300 retail stores, with 5,500 in the United States (though I have to think more than a few of them would be shut down). Quality control? They're going to have to bring in a logistics expert from the military for that one.

Wall Street already hates this. Blockbuster was in the middle of a modest turnaround, after several years of suffering at the hands of Netflix's lightweight mail distribution business and various forms of digital distribution such as on-demand television from Comcast. The company's net income for the first quarter, which ended March 31, is expected to be $30 million, compared to a net loss of $49 million a year ago. Not great, but it's a start.

Pundits already worry a Circuit City takeover could distract Blockbuster executives (they're right) and divert money that could be used elsewhere (they're right about that, too). In afternoon trading Monday, Blockbuster shares were down 14 percent to $2.69 per share.

Circuit City shares, of course, jumped more than 30 percent to $5.12 in afternoon trading. Talk about a company suffering from a changing market...and Best Buy. For the full fiscal year, which ended February 29, Circuit City lost $321 million on $11.7 billion on revenue. The fourth fiscal quarter, thanks to $65 million in reduced costs, did show signs of improvement, with a modest $4.5 million profit on $3.65 billion (sales were down 7.7 percent from same quarter a year ago). But this is not exactly a company with a long line of suitors.

So bring this troubled pair together and what do you get? Well, I'm not sure, to be honest. I suspect Circuit City's ownership also has no idea, since the Blockbuster offer has been on the table since February 17.

Here's what I do know: You'd get a really big company with about $18 billion in combined sales. It would be saddled with a lot of real estate, and it could achieve some cost savings by shutting down some of those stores. But this isn't some roll-up strategy (like Larry Ellison is doing at Oracle) where costs can be quickly squeezed out and a bigger outfit can just roll in the cash. With this, you have two companies struggling to keep up with both more nimble (Netflix, Amazon.com) and much larger competitors (Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Comcast). It's a lousy place to be.

This proposed deal may have one thing going for it: Billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn is reportedly backing the move and is willing to finance it. He owns about 16 percent of Blockbuster's Class A shares, so I have to think he sees real value in acquiring struggling Circuit City. But as my CNET News.com colleague Dawn Kawamoto wrote a few months back, Icahn's interest doesn't always translate to a Midas touch.

Like most other people who learned about this deal Monday morning, I'm baffled. And I smell desperation.