For the last 3 months I have been searching for a new monitor. I spend so much time on the computer, that I want to treat myself to keep work enjoyable and not stress my eyes out. Well, I had my hopes set on the Dell 24″ widescreen since it had everything I wanted… Well, almost!

There have been reports, rumors, and hype around Microsoft’s next OS, Windows Vista, but there is one that really bugged me. The fact that Microsoft might require HDCP in order to view High-Definition content. HDCP or High Definition Content Protection is intended to secure the connection from decoder (PC, cable box, etc) to the display. Most monitors don’t support this, and this includes the Dell 24″. It seems like a bit of a stretch to require it, but they have to give the content makers the option to protect HD content.

The resolutions are very different. 24″ has 1920×1200 (WUXGA) and the 30″ has 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA). That means 640×400 of extra pixels along with the 6″ of extra viewable screen.

The new 30″ has the same SM/SD/MS/MMC/CF card reader, 4 USB ports, and a DVI-I input. It lacks, the component input (ie. no xbox 360 attaching allowed), no s-video or composite input, and no normal D-Sub (normal blue PC video cable) connection.

This connection limitation means you need to have a nice ($350+) video card to control this big boy, due to the screen resolution. While your at it, you really need to get a new motherboard with PCI-Express to run the card, and that means a new CPU and memory (RAM).

So I’m going to start looking at building a new PC in Feb, and make my investment in the new monitor shortly after. I can’t wait for 30 inches of viewable desktop!

The other day someone asked me a basic question: “If you had to leave your apartment right now, what 1 item would you take with you?” Well I thought about it for about 30 seconds and came up with everything that would be irreplaceable. I have a shoebox of photos, data on my PC, data on my laptop, personal finance documents, and my CDs/DVDs/Software. Now that I think about it more, this seems like a silly item. I could solve this problem quite easily with a little spare time and a few bucks. Let me explain a little bit more.

The whole goal of this exercise isn’t to figure out what item is the most valuable. The real answer should come from your backup/protection system. So what do you need copies of and how do you keep them safe, and up to date? Let’s break it down into virtual data and physical items.

Purchased data bits like CDs, DVDs, and software are typically physical and the collections are constantly growing. Personally I haven’t purchased a CD in 2 years or more and a DVD in the last year, but I do have a box full of them. Let’s start here.
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The average daily commute to work is 53 miles round-trip. At that rate, I would produce over 9,391 lbs of CO₂ a year! That’s well over 2 times the weight of the car itself… in light fluffy gas, not solid material! Or in volume, that’s about 627,000 gallons. That’s a lot of milk jugs.

The reason I bring this up is because a California company named TerraPass is trying to do somehting to help the everyday commuter offset their car’s dirty work. You can go to their site, calculate a good estimate of how much CO₂ your car produces, and buy a “pass” which guarantees the reduction of CO₂ somewhere else in the world.

The idea of understanding and somehow offsetting the true cost of driving has always fascinated me, and this seems like an affordable way to move toward that. This also reminds me of tradable emissions permits, a program that the United States and other countries use, but TerraPass points out that it is not exactly the same. Think of it more as a way to take responsibility for your actions.