2008 is here, which means thousands of people will be making resolutions for the New Year. 2007 was a great year for technology, and like many, I ran out and purchased a lot of consumer electronics that looking back were items I could have waited on purchasing, or shouldn't have wasted the money on to begin with. To help you get a handle on your consumer electronic spending for 2008, follow the Continue link for a few tips to consider before you make that purchase.

1. Research a product before you buy
1080i? 720p? Vertical resolution vs. pixels per line? HDMI or component? If you are not sure what a term means, don't smile and nod your head as the sales person attempts to explain it to you in the store. More often than not, I've seen sales people give the buyer false information either to make a sale or because they lack the knowledge. Before you make a purchase, do some research on the product you are thinking of buying. If you are looking to purchase an HDTV for example, spend some time familiarizing yourself with the key terms. Visit a manufacturer's website and see what the technical specs for the product are, and most importantly what features are and are not included.

But don't fall into manufacturer hype. A company is never going to point out flaws or problems with their product. Read some reviews. There are plenty of great websites out there that compare various consumer goods and publish reports on what to look for and what to avoid.

2. Look for the best deals, but beware who you're buying from
Before you buy, scan the papers for a few weeks and see if there's a sale on the gadget you're hoping to buy. If you don't see anything, don't be afraid to go online for even better deals. But beware of online sellers. While a majority of online retailers are legit, there are a shady few that use tricks to part you with your money.

The first trick is selling you a gray-market product. A few years ago I was in the market for a new prosumer digital video camera and was looking for the best deal possible. A few seemed too good to be true, and they were. Gray-market products are those that come from alternative distribution sources, usually overseas, generally have no warranty, and the manuals and onscreen menus are in a language you probably don't understand. Sure it works, but the frustration of trying to figure out how will leave a bitter taste in your mouth for months to come.

The other trick is saying an item is in stock only if you buy a bunch of extras. When I was looking around for a camera, several sellers pushed really hard to get me to buy cables, filters, and other items I simply didn't need. After saying no repeatedly, the seller finished the sale and said the camera would be in the mail in a few days. Not 30 minutes later, I received a phone call saying they just found out the camera was not in stock at the warehouse and it would take several months for the camera to ship. It is through the sale of these other items that the seller can get the price low enough. If they can't sell you those items, the product magically goes out of stock. If you are faced with a retailer like this, cancel your order immediately.

3. Two for one is great, but don't compromise features
LG made headlines this year by announcing the BH100, the first combo player that can play Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. I went out and bought one, thinking if I could get one player to do the job of two, my home theater would be neat, clean and simple. There's one major problem with the LG BH100 #&8212; it doesn't play all of the extra features of HD DVDs (I can't access the Web features, for example). If these kinds of things are important to you, it might be better to forego the simplicity of having one device so you get exactly what you want.

4. Don't go for features you'll never use That being said, if you don't care for specific features, then don't pay a premium price for something you'll never use. My friend Charlie likes watching movies on DVD, but seldom, if ever, dives into the discs special features or bonus audio tracks. For him, the BH100 would be a perfect solution.

If you are point-and-shoot photographer, a digital SLR, with manual focus, interchangeable lenses, bracketed exposure, and so on is going to be a waste of money. Sure it looks cool and makes everyone think you know what you are doing, but if you aren't using the features, you are flushing money down the drain. You'd be better off getting a cheaper point and shoot that still has many powerful features for those looking to capture a night on the town.

5. Robots are nice, but generally useless
I bought one of those robotic floor vacuums a few years ago. Sure it made an attempt at cleaning the floor using its robotic brain that's really not much more advanced than a cockroach, but in the end failed miserably, shattering our dreams of having robots do our menial tasks.

For now, robots are cool as a learning tool. Lego has a line of toys that teach the principles of programming and robotics, but short of robots that do tasks that are deemed too dangerous for humans, most bots that fall into consumer hands are going to used for entertainment purposes only.

6. Don't be an early adopter
Sure you might have bragging rights and be the big shot by being the first person in the office to have the latest tech toy, but early adopters are usually disappointed when the product they rushed out to buy doesn't live up to the hype, or breaks down because it's a 1.0 version.

The advantages of waiting are twofold. First, the technology will stabilize as new feature sets and bug fixes cause the gadget to become more powerful. Second, as more consumers accept the product into their lives, the price is going to drop meaning you save money in the end. A six-month wait won't make the technology obsolete, but you will be more satisfied with your purchase in the long run.

7. Not all gadgets are cool
What's the saying, "One person's trash is another person's treasure"? There are a lot of gadgets that look cool, but have no practical use in everyday life. A solar powered backpack? Yes it looks cool, and if you are someone that spends hours walking around the city, or make a habit of setting your bag near a south-facing window, it might generate enough power to charge your devices. But let's be realistic. Most of us are in cars, cabs, subways or other places where light doesn't fully reach, which makes this idea not really practical in the end.

Yes, the USB Humping Dog is a laugh riot and makes for a great gag gift, but after 10 minutes of humping your computer, the novelty wears off. There are literally thousands of gadgets out there that look cool, but in the end they get tossed in the junk drawer waiting to be regifted during the next holiday season.

8. Reduce energy consumption
Do you really need a coffee cup warming plate that is powered by the USB port on your computer? In my day we drank our beverage while it was hot, or suffered through the putrid taste of cold coffee. The biggest problem with every electronic device is it's using power #&8212; even when turned off. You may not realize it, but just because your LCD monitor or printer is turned off, you're cool tech toy could still be sucking power like some vampire that gets juiced on electrons.

One way to keep your power bill low is to look for devices that are EnergyStar compliant. EnergyStar is a government program that sets standards for energy-efficient products. Those items that get the special seal of approval can save you money by using 50 percent less energy than a noncompliant device.

Another is to unplug the device when it isn't in use. If you only use your game station a few times a week, put the thing on a power strip and turn it off when not in use. The idea of unplugging or turning off a device even includes your recharging station. Sure it may take an extra second or two to plug and unplug the wall wart, but saving $100 a year on your energy bill means you have that much more money to invest on the next cool tech toy.