have HD, SACD, 1080p, LCoS, MP3—I could go on and on. Now you can decipher all of those acronyms and you won’t even need a decoder ring.

RadioShack has partnered with Powered, Inc. to offer consumer electronics education courses. The best part: You don’t have to go anywhere because they’re online and you don’t have to pay anything because they are free.

Each course is self-paced, and hopefully they won’t be like the self-paced math class that I took in college, because, well—let’s just my pace was very slow.

They are moderated by industry folk, people working in the tech field, and authors, so pay attention! Topics include setting up an HDTV, choosing a digital camera, computer shopping, taking technology on the go, and much more.

Courses have staggered start and end dates through October and November. Check the site for dates and more course information.

• Start and end dates vary throughout October and November
• Free online courses
• First-come, first-serve basis
• Courses run 2 to 4 weeks

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.