So you’ve bought a brand new digital camera for yourself, a relative, or a friend, and are now done shopping… but you’re wrong!  Digital cameras, just like a computer, laptop, or cell phone aren’t often ‘plug and play’.  There are several peripherals you, or the person the camera is intended for, will need to make the most use of it.  The most important thing to purchase is a memory card.  Digital cameras often come with small memory cards that aren’t capable of holding many pictures, and ultimately the user will have to purchase a larger one.  You will also want to consider a digital camera case.  This will keep the camera free from scratches and abrasions, and can also cushion the blow should it be dropped.  You might also think about a camera stand that can be used for timed pictures or for photography. 

Camera peripherals should be available in most places that sell cameras, and unlike cameras themselves, don’t differ much in quality or appearance (excluding the memory card which is camera specific).

Have you ever unplugged your computer to move it, and then not been able to sort out all the wires to plug it in again?  Well, here’s a guide to the standard wires and connectors in computers that should help you sort out the madness.

• Power Cord – these plug into both monitors and computer towers, one end will have a standard 3 prong plug and is intended for a power socket, the other end will look like a flattened 3 prong plug insert for the matching socket on the computer.
• Cat5e Patch Cable – this is the cable which hooks up to the internet through a router or modem, and looks like a larger, thicker version of a phone cable.  The standard color is blue, but it comes in different colors often.
• USB Cable – this cable is used for hundreds of different devices including external hard drives, digital cameras, IPods and IPhones, keyboards, and mice.  It has a flat socket about half an inch wide and a sixteenth of an inch thick.
• Monitor Cable – this cable travels from the monitor (screen) to the computer tower, and will have a trapezoid shaped socket with several pins in the middle.  It also often has hand screws on the side, and tends to be the largest cable.