Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Terry Matlen said 9:48AM on 9-02-2007
It's one thing to enhance an adult celeb's body (which is still pathetic to me), but to do this to a young lady not even 18 is really sickening. Shame on Warner Bros!
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natosha said 9:50AM on 9-02-2007
I dont see a differnce, just a scoop in her belly..thats all it takes..not making the boob bigger, but scooping her stomach
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JimFallRiver said 11:50AM on 9-02-2007
It Just looks like a different photo, her hair is different her stomach is sucked in a little more its really no big deal. So I don't understant what the problem is shes just standing in a different position.
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eva said 1:48PM on 9-04-2007
it looks the same
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bigamej3 said 12:52PM on 9-02-2007
yea, i agree with natosha. they just dug a chunk out of the stomach. either way, boobs happen. id like to see that meeting where some guy said "i think what this 17 yr old girl needs bigger boobs!" then chris hansen walks in....
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SB said 12:39AM on 9-03-2007
Perhaps we also need to remember different cultures' perspectives. In the UK, the legal age of consent (and all that goes with it) was raised to 16 yrs old in 1885. So in that culture, the shape of a 17 yr old's body is nothing to balk about. The fact that your own culture's legal age is 18 doesn't make it more or less sickening. It's simply a different expectation. (But, quite right that Watson complained about the change!)
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ChunkyMonky said 1:13PM on 9-02-2007
I agree with Jimfallriver its justa different photo. Maybe they did airbrush it but is doesnt look like it to me I think shes just standing in a different position.
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jbritzibabe13 said 11:45PM on 9-02-2007
you know, it would really make me mad if i was an actress and they supposedly made my chest bigger and then people were talking about it AND POSTING IT ON THE INTERNET....why does it even matter, anyway???? she doesn't look much different!!
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Jossy said 11:50PM on 9-02-2007
SAME PHOTO, JUST CUT BACK A BIT ON THE UPPER STOMACH WHICH THEN MAKES THE BREAST LOOK BIGGER. AS FOR HER AGE, BIG DEAL. WHEN I WAS 17, I HAD HUGE BREASTS...TOOK AFTER MY MOM. ALSO, FEMALE'S THAT HAVE TINY ONES CAN USE PUSH UP BRAS THAT MAKE THEM LOOK BIGGER. A BREAST IS JUST A HUNK OF BODY FAT, WHY MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL OUT OF THEM? NEVER COULD UNDERSTAND IT. YEAH, YOUNG GUY'S ALWAYS COULDN'T GET THEIR EYES OFF OF MY CHEST AND STILL TODAY THEY ARE DOING IT ALONG WITH MEN INTO THEIR 90'S. SO SILLY.
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Rogduckett said 8:31AM on 9-04-2007
Aw, c'mon, Jossy ... you NEVER EVER stared at or commented on a male's tight rear?
Rog
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SKW said 10:02AM on 9-04-2007
This is normal. Compare the USA and UK covers of the 2004 movie King Arthur. Kiera Knightly, who is very flat normally and is such on the UK cover, has become at least a C cup on the US cover. She said something about both men and women not wanting to see women with smaller than a C cup on magazines and such. I can see that. Doesn't make it right, though.
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travelersquest said 9:21PM on 9-04-2007
I found it rather interesting that most people only noticed Ms. Watson's chest was changed, not that her hair was different as well as some slight changes to the shading around her face.
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christine said 9:41PM on 9-04-2007
haha bigamej3 is right where the hell is chris hansen?
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aissedei said 10:21PM on 9-04-2007
I'm gonna say that they most likely reduced the size of her breast for the one picture. The whole idea is that they were playing characters that were younger than their true age. In the book they should have only been about 14 or 15 and they wanted them to look younger... no older.
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Evilizabeth said 3:48PM on 10-14-2007
I agree that the 'group' photo looks like the airbrushed one. They've smoothed everything out, and made her look more 'girl' than 'woman'. The group photo you can see the work on her hair, her face, even her expression was softened slightly. If you want to see a real example of someone making breasts larger for a movie ad, go look up the photoshoot shots of Keira Knightly from King Arthur, then compare them to the movie poster.
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Tes said 11:23PM on 9-04-2007
Well heck, I think we should all just be implanted with tracking devices so Big Brother knows where we are at all times, 24/7.
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UNKNOWN said 3:18AM on 9-05-2007
2 DIFFERENT PHOTOS PERIOD. IN THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT HER UPPER TORSO IS JUST ROTATED SLIGHTLY MORE CLOCKWISE MAKING HER BREAST AND TUMMY APPEAR "BRUSHED" WHEN IN FACT IT ISN'T. LOOK AT SHOULDER TO NECK LINE IN EACH PHOTO TO SEE WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. SORRY NO CONSPIRICY HERE.
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Beckler, Robin said 11:54AM on 9-13-2007
Whether it's been airbrushed or not, the point is that people (especially females!) have serious problems with accepting their bodies/looks! And it makes me sick that there are people earning money changing the halfway natural look of already-beautiful people, just so the rest of the population feels that they need cosmetic surgery (or whatever) so that they can fit in!
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ShortSchoolBus said 6:15AM on 9-05-2007
She needed some cleavage anyway to distract from those caterpillar eyebrows. She'll have implants soon enough. Then she will rank with the rest of the celebrity Frankenboobies.
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wanda said 12:46AM on 9-06-2007
Soooooooooooo, who cares??
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