What The Person Who Has Everything Needs--HelpWhat The Person Who Has Everything Needs--Help

Congratulations. All those LCD TVs and iPods and digital cameras you bought helped make consumer electronics the big winner in an otherwise sorta slow Christmas sellfest. And now that everybody at your house has the gadgets they've always wanted, what do you want most? Probably help getting them installed/adjusted/fixed.The PWCT (People Who Count Things) report that consumer electronics accounted for an astonishing 42% of holiday spending, which in turn probably accounts for 42% of the financial hole you're in. (PWCT totals put LCD TVs at the top of the Christmas hit parade, followed by digital still cameras, notebook computers, MP3 players, and plasma TVs, respectively.)

And now you need help. You can't find the manual. You need a driver. You need to take it to a service center. There's a cool list on a nicely done Web site called Techlore that could be your salvation. The site's editor, Matt Whitlock, has put together a lengthy rundown of support information and contacts for consumer electronics companies from Advent to Zenith. It includes phone numbers and URLs for things like manuals and FAQs and service-center directories.

The rest of the site is a mine of information on topics like "Common Car Amplifier Problems and Solutions," "Troubleshooting a TV For a Dead Condition," and "One Year With Segway — Reflections and Recollections." Good stuff. Couldn't hurt. Might help.