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.
Lasers are complex, powerful, and potentially dangerous. As such, they are totally cool. Because of their cool factor they are popular, and lasers powerful enough to burn paper or blind people are now readily available for sale. This is causing problems and arrests for those who choose to point their new, finely focused toys in the wrong direction.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
zebra said 2:19PM on 2-07-2008
Anyone familiar with police or self-defense use of handguns is familiar with the use of laser sighting handgrips, i.e. http://www.crimsontrace.com/.
The police in the copter don't know that it is a kid with a laser pointer or a thug with laser sights trying to pop off a lucky shot. They should track down and arrest for such activity since pointing a weapon is a use of force (Class A misdemeanor) and pointing it at police is usually a felony. An arrest is not a conviction.
The twenty years quoted is probably the maximum for the felony. I see no where does it state that the kid was tried or convicted or sentenced.
If you don't like living in a police state (California) then move to Texas.
Zebra
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Missy said 7:22PM on 2-11-2008
why is this thing even legal to buy...it should be banned. Some idiot my point to peole that doesn't know what it is and do some harm. Whoever is making it legal is doing a nut job. Yes I say 15 to 20 years is reasonable if someone was hurt by the thing.
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phil said 6:03PM on 3-15-2009
I got one of those laser pointers and they are really fun for in the forest or in real dark areas and especially pointing at starts its great but besides that they do not blind you instantly, I have had this laser pointed in my eye a couple of times yes because of people snatching it from me lol but anyways it must be really shining in your eye for a long time until you go blind, a few glimps of the laser on your eye want cause much dmg, nothing noticable, and my laser is reasonably strong probably the same as the kids one. Feel sorry for that kid if he has to go to jail for that, there are worse things going on out there like REAL CRIME.
mike said 6:54PM on 2-15-2008
Terry:
I totally agree with you.
Our freedom is slipping away. Don't worry about what the government loving monkeys think. They probably need the gov. to help them think.
You can LOVE your country and HATE your government. That is a very American characteristic, at least until they end the right of freedom of speech.
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Chelcy said 7:57AM on 8-08-2008
Hi everyone, just recently my younger brother who just turned 18 bought a laser pointer, for fun. I also bought one previously for my dogs at petco....its suppose to promote healthy dogs because they chase the light, therefore giving them exercise. Anyways, he got caught right before the 4th of July, shining it around a local town homecoming and shined just over an officer, it wasnt in their eyes or face but hit a body part just enough to make noticable. He was unaware that there were officers in that direction let alone it was illegal. Well yesterday my mom called me to tell me they arrested him and are charging him with assult on an officer. We have always lived in remote, small towns and nothing of illegal laser pointers has ever been said. I didn't know there was such a thing, so when they serched him, and took away his laser pointer I thought a warning would be reasonable, especially since this issue is not well known to many. He is being held on a $3000.00 bail, and is being tried for assulting an officer....tell me how this all makes since. I know that police officers would think it could be a gun, but a warning could be helpful when dealing with a situation like that. Stores or places that would sell these need to have a Warning label or something explaining the consequenses of actions with that laser pointer.
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Kara said 12:10PM on 12-28-2007
Why are they for sale when merely pointing them at a person's eyes can blind them? I assume that's permanent blindness.
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Queenie said 12:42PM on 12-31-2007
This is a sick world.. 20 years for this meanwhile you can kill someone and get away with it.....
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terry said 9:29AM on 12-29-2007
the police are a bunch of babies..what actual law did these people break? it won't be long before a person can't even look in the same direction as a police officer. and, if it's illegal to point them why are they legally sold. i cannot believe that in these day and times everything you do, say, or think has some kind of law that makes it illegal. free my butt. we are only as free as the government wants us to be. we are now a police state. as it has been said said " who shall guard the guards"!!!!
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GZONE said 1:47PM on 12-28-2007
Terry,
A laser could blind the pilot and cause a crash of an aircraft or police helicopter. Laser ponters have a legal use so they are sold. Guns are also legally sold, but if shoot at a passenger airliner you should be arrested. The kid's parents need to have the responsibility to instruct the kid of the laser's proper use.
Travel the world like I have. We have the most free society in the world, and a
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lola said 2:44PM on 12-28-2007
Well i believe that the is the parents' responsablities to informed their children's about how to use and be respondsable. But i also understand the police point of view. But to give 20 years of prison for this incident in which no one was hurt. It's really dum and ridicules. When you have other people driving under the influnece and killing people and the police letting them go realizing later that the driver was under the influence, and all they get is a year in prison. Where is the justice in that.
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Gary Ford said 2:14PM on 12-31-2007
I lived in Brooklyn, NY - a place where people sometimes get shot randomly. I had some idiot in an apartment building point a laser at me - my first thought was that it was a laser sighted gun - and the I was the intended target. The police got the guy - an idiot teenager who thought it was funny that I thought I might be killed. Not so funny if your are the target.
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Dick said 3:19PM on 1-07-2008
Terry...
YOU are a MORON...........nuff said..
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bubba said 4:19PM on 1-07-2008
Okay assuming everything negative about laser pointers is true I just can't fathom up to twenty years in jail for a 15 yr old or anyone who did not have criminal intentions. What is this country coming to.
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blue said 4:52PM on 1-07-2008
Wow...Lola....too bad your parents didn't teach you how to spell.....It's called "Hooked on Phonics"...check it out sometime, you could probably find one on E-bay !
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blue said 4:59PM on 1-07-2008
Dick,
I "SECOND" that comment on Terry.
Blue
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Joseph J. Blazewicz said 5:53PM on 1-07-2008
Each state should make up a law for laser pointing. I think it should be allowed in self-defense only. If someone is using this for kicks, they should be fined and serve a 2 to 5 yr
prison sentence. If that 15yr gets 20yrs without parole, america getting just as bad as Singapore. Singapore is a police state country.
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lin said 6:53PM on 1-07-2008
Hey queenie..i was just thinking that!
20yrs but if you get some white shoes and kill your husband and pretend like he forced you to have sex and dress up, you get out in less than a year? What's wrong with that picture?
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lin said 6:53PM on 1-07-2008
Third the comment on Terry.
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jason said 7:21PM on 1-07-2008
The police should've just given the kid a warning. 20 years is a ridiculous sentence.
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pbstickman said 7:34PM on 1-07-2008
This has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard. The police actually took time to track this kid down. Do your job and catch a real criminal. What do you get paid for? Tax payer money hard at work tracking down and arresting a kid with a NON-LETHAL, NON-DANGEROUS, laser pointer. They should be fired or atleast repremanded for this crap.
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