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.
Radiation, in strong enough doses, is deadly. A short exposure can certainly kill, but controlled exposures can be useful, targeting cancer cells and helping patients to fight their disease and recover. However, the administration of radiation for cancer treatment has always been a bit of a black art, with doctors having to wait for days, weeks, or months after a treatment to check on whether a tumor has been affected. Now, a new radiation-detecting probe can let doctors know exactly how much that tumor has been affected, and can do so instantly. 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Richard said 6:34PM on 4-10-2008
Why does it take until 2010 for the stinking TRIALS to begin? Then, tack on another five years for FDA bureaucracy and approvals and what do you got? A whole lot more cancer deaths. My brother, who died of lymphoma cancer two years ago, is probably rolling over in his grave. Something like this could have helped him and lots of other people in the same boat. It simply shouldn't be taking this long to find solutions.
Richard
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Patricia L. said 9:56PM on 4-10-2008
What is a real shame, there are hundreds of Natural Cures for Cancer. I refused Chemo and Radiation and have been working at mine having had my "Dr.'s death sentence years ago. Once you kill your immune system with Chemo and Radiation, it's only a matter of time until the Cancer comes back with a rengence and takes you out. It takes work to find all of the information and it takes a strong will to do what you need to do, but you don't have to suffer with all of those terrible side effects the Dr. will put you through. Dr.'s are for diagnosing. A good strong faith in God and the will to make it is a much better path to take.
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ART R said 12:12AM on 4-11-2008
I have esopageal cancer and was given 4 months to live in april of 2007. Iwas also told that if I took chemo that it would extend my time by 10-12 months. What we all have to understand is that they already have a cure for all types of cancers!!!! If they started to use these cures Think of all the jobs in research. all the money spend for the salaries, and all of the equipment that 's brought for so called studies would be lost by the so called researchers and we would have an estimated 500.000 people who would lose theie jobs!! think about this.researchers found a cure for polio and had the vaccine to eradicate it in approx. 4 years- and this was in the 1950- 1960's when the technology was no were close to what we have now. THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
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