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.
It seems the disturbingly common incidents we've seen in the US relating to improper laser pointer usage and the resulting arrests of those doing the pointing aren't exactly limited to the states. In Western Australia, such offenses have become so common that laser pointers have been classified as a "controlled weapon," meaning improper use could result in a $4,000 AU (about $3,700 U.S.) fine or 12 months in prison.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bryan Halco said 4:00PM on 4-16-2008
FIRST!!!
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Rupert said 10:07AM on 4-21-2008
Switched? Is this the stupid person version of Engadget?
Your on board? of another piece of pointless legislation?
You really think that someone can point a laser at both the pilot and the co-pilot within seconds of each other and cause a crash?
That's a plane traveling at 180 - 300 mph, and probably with the nose pointing up slightly so you would have to be at least 10 miles in front of the plane. Not to mention the glass in the way which would reflect the majority of the light at that angle?
Seen any hand held lasers latterly brighter than the sun? No? Well how about just using a mirror? Would that not be 10,000 times brighter? Lets ban mirrors then, oh and glass for that matter. All those reflective windscreens on cars must be removed!
Rupert, BPhys
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Another way said 3:12AM on 4-24-2008
As lasers by their very function produce a very narrow spectrum of light it would be very easy to put filters on the windows of aircraft and helecopters to stop laser wavelengths at common frequencies
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Hux said 8:18AM on 10-11-2008
blocking those wavelengths of light getting to the pilots would cause a visibility issue for them flying the airplane. many of the synthetic materials used to block out laser lights are colored like red cellophane they are also only effect for temporary protection .
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lazors said 5:03PM on 10-28-2008
This is obviously targeting "Star Pointers", not the Radio Shack laser pointers. Let me clarify, a standard laser pointer has a range of about 1 mile (FCC regulated of course) and are much less intense then the sun. Star Pointers on the other hand, do not fall under this, but are still a laser. Star Pointers (ones that are about 300.00 or more) are 10 times greater then the sun, and can cast a beam of light for upwards of 20 miles, hence the reason they are used to point out stars, and in most cases are green in color. Yes a Star Pointer can cause almost instant blindness from two facts, one the intensity of the light, and two it does have the ability to burn if left in place for more then 3 seconds. A regular laser pointer can cause blindness, but can not burn.
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beamq said 9:27PM on 3-11-2009
High power laser pointers can be very dangerous.
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