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.
This 12 year-old Norwegian boy saved his sister and himself from a moose attack using skills he picked up in the online role playing game 'World of Warcraft.'
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ray said 1:12AM on 2-20-2008
Sounds like a croc of shit
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Tom said 10:24AM on 3-27-2008
About the gun thing: No. he shouldnt have had a gun. Wild animals can be anywhere. Do you go into your backyard with a rifle to intimidate the squirrels? watch out! theyre wily!
Second, patch 2.3 eliminated the Hunter deadzone.
Third, Congratulations to this boy for his quick thinking and for protecting his sister. Putting himself at risk so his sister could get to safety is no less than courageous. The best thing about this story is that he was actually outside, and not a hermit/WoW addict. There is hope for the youth in the the world yet.
For the Horde!
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Anders said 12:39PM on 9-19-2008
Sorry to ruin your imagination Manny Kudlak(or whatever you call yourself)..
If you EVER find a moose in a zoo, in Norway.. you're good..
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Jim said 11:20AM on 1-02-2009
Morons, all of you! :D This kid is a true hero. So, he play WoW, and learned a few tricks that saved his sisters and his own life. Unless he's a boy scout, I doubt he would know of such things from anywhere but online games like WoW. Moose, and other creatures, are plenty in Norway. You'd just have to go a few hundred feet from civilization, and be really quiet, and you'd spot them. Unless they spot you first, decide you are trespassing on their turf, and decide to chase you away. I am just happy it was a moose, and not a lone wolf.
And to those of you saying he should have a gun, armor, or talk about whether he's a warrior, hunter, paladin or whatnot... Get a life! :P
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seba said 9:15PM on 3-29-2009
braking news... Norwegian boy dies trying to do an "underwater breathing"
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magnetic_rose said 10:47PM on 5-21-2009
meanwhile in the philippines FAILippines, our legislators want to ban MMORPGs because according to them you can't learn anything from it -.-
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beast said 6:04PM on 8-14-2009
wow... get wit PSO
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dinosaur said 10:06AM on 12-10-2007
So these 2 kids go out in the woods without a gun? There could be wild dogs, wolves, possibly bears if they aren't hibernating there yet. [They are here.] Any rabid animal and they foolishly go unarmed.
And moose are supposed to be shy every time I see one they run like hell.
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Nick said 1:29PM on 12-10-2007
Good thing he doesn't play an "undead" character and found himself hungry...
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Beth said 5:17PM on 12-10-2007
You're absolutely right, dinosaur. Those two kids should have gone into the woods WITH a gun!
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ascatal said 5:23PM on 12-10-2007
well here is proof kids do learn things from video games, and i say 3 cheers for the kid and WoW should give him a freemonth for giving them such good PR
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LRS said 5:30PM on 12-10-2007
Now that's too damn funny...unreal.
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showme said 11:32PM on 12-10-2007
Dinosaur.....look for the good in the story
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sithlord397 said 11:39PM on 12-10-2007
Going into the woods with a gun would be a good idea, but look at a lot of twelve year olds today that don't know how to use a gun. Maybe for them a fixed blade knife would have been a good thing to carry or better yet they should have taken an adult with them. At least the knife would offer some protection or they could just find a sturdy piece of wood to carry with them.
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dontbhatinonus said 11:40PM on 12-10-2007
they are kids, what guns are you talking about? Why would 2 kids get off into the woods with guns heavier or bigger then them. The woods were probably somewhere near there house if not behind it. they were kids just playing around like we used to do.
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SDE said 2:57AM on 12-11-2007
Better yet is to teach children what not to do when outdoors without a parent, and what to do if a large animal begins to approach. Chances are that the moose was defending what it had chosen as it's own property.
That's something to learn when living in areas like that.
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Matthew Bagley said 11:17AM on 12-11-2007
The question is did he try and cast a magic spell first! then realise he had no mana so played dead
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prpnght7 said 1:06PM on 12-11-2007
Why on earth would two little kids carry a gun with them?! Come on he's 12 not 18! I bet if he did have a gun - everyone would be all over that wondering why a little boy had a gun in the first place! Think about it!
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Tyndaleon said 4:02PM on 12-11-2007
In other news, young Hans Jørgen Olsen has now been hired by the Norwegian government as Minister of Tourism. He's already crafted his first ad campaign even:
See the loveli lakes!
The wonderful telephone system.
And mani interesting furry animals
Including the majestik moose!
A moose once bit my sister....
No realli! She was karving her initials on the moose with the sharpened end of an interspace toothbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian movies: 'The Hot Hands of an Oslo Dentist', 'Fillings of Passion', 'The Huge Molars of Horst Nordfink'.
Mynd you, moose bites kan be pretti nasti...
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Tyr said 4:30PM on 12-11-2007
the mighty Odin protects! go norway!
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