Good deals on cables

One of the biggest retail rip-offs are cables. I'm talking HDMI cables, USB cables, Firewire cables, etc. I would think that most people know not to buy these cables at retail outlets such as Staples, Best Buy, Circuit City, and the like. But this simply isn't the case, since they still are able to sell them at 1400% or 1500% markup. That wasn't a typo. Cables can routinely sell for $20-$40, but fortunately they can be found for much much less at places like eBay and Firefold. If you need a cable, do some research on the web and you can score 75% off.

An inconvenient falsehood

Ostensibly, the hybrid car would be a thrifty thing. Gas is expensive, hybrids save gas, therefore hybrids save money. Right? Maybe. While it's indisputably true that hybrids burn less fuel than a comparable conventional car, what wasn't as clear were the environmental and financial benefits of owning a hybrid car.


One of my major initial questions have been answered over the past 6-7 years: How long do the batteries last?

Apparently a long time. Some people had feared that the huge hybrid batteries would have to be replaced every 3 or 4 or 5 years making hybrids of dubious environmental value; substituting one consumable (gas) for another (Nickel hydride batteries) isn't necessarily of environmental benefit. But Toyota reports that nary a Prius' battery has had to be replaced for "wear and tear". Hybrid powertrains and batteries are now of proven durability and are clearly beneficial to the environment.


Hybrids were also of dubious financial benefit for the owner, gas savings notwithstanding. Back-of-the-napkin calculations reveal:

Assuming a hybrid civic (or prius) gets 55 mpg, $3 gas, and driving 15,000 miles per year: $820 is spent on gas for the hybrid driver. Assuming a conventional civic (or corolla) gets 35 mpg, $3 gas, and 15,000 miles per year: $1285 is spent on gas. Therefore, over a period of 5 years (with $3 gas), the GAS dollar savings only amounts to about $2400.
And keep in mind that's with $3 gas. If gas is $2.75 or $2.50, the dollar savings would be even less.
Meanwhile, last time I checked, hybrid models still cost $3000+ more than an equivalent conventional model... so hybrids probably cost MORE money. If there are savings over 5 years, they would be minimal.


An interesting phenomenon was the outsize influence and attention paid to hybrids by hollywood celebrities and the press. As everyday vehicles, hybrids were a blip on the auto sales chart. Because of their dollar cost, hybrids competed not so much against other cars, but against environmental charities... (Should I give $1000 to greenpeace this year or should I spend an extra $3000 on a Prius?...)

Today, despite the expiration of US tax credits on the popular Prius, it probably pays in the long-run to buy a hybrid both for financial and environmental benefits. But the point is exaggerated in this Toyota Prius commercial. I think Toyota overplayed their hand here. They now have a very convenient truth in their Prius: It's great for the environment and you pocketbook. But by being overzealous, they have contributed another piece of false advertising.