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.
Zlob, one of the most common pieces of malicious software (according to Microsoft), has undergone a frightening transformation. After infecting a victim's PC, Zlob checks to see if the computer is connected to a wireless router (the device that helps create the Wi-Fi hotspot in your house). If connected, then Zlob attempts to gain access by using a list of common and default username and password combinations.
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brett said 5:37PM on 6-12-2008
You state that most people do not change the default administrator passwords, and then conclude by simply stating that people should change the default administrator passwords. The people who have not changed the default administrator passwords likely do not know how to do so. That includes me.
Can somebody explain how to do this?
I do have WEP enabled? Is that the same thing? Would having WEP enabled prevent this type of attack?
Sorry if these are dumb questions, but I don't know the answers. Thanks.
Reply
Mr. E said 7:37PM on 6-12-2008
I can speak from the perspective of Linksys home routers, since that's what I've used. Generally, to get to the router's setup screens, you navigate to the first IP in your home network. In my case, that's 192.168.1.1. You'll be presented with a login challenge dialog. For Linksys routers, you don't have to specify the name, just the password. Once you've logged in, you'll be presented with numerous setup screens.
I recommend at the very least that everyone change their router access password, disable remote administration of the router (so hackers can't attack it from outside your home), and enable the highest level of wireless security your network allows. If at all possible, use WPA or WPA2 security, since WEP was cracked long ago.
Please read the documentation for your router as well, and if you've lost it, go to the vendor's site and you should be able to download a PDF version of the manual.
Mr. E said 7:39PM on 6-12-2008
To be more clear, I should have said that the router's setup screens is where you can change the router administrator password.
wes said 1:46AM on 6-13-2008
locked mine up tight, thanks for the heads up switched
Reply
Aa'ed Alqarta said 3:24PM on 6-13-2008
I've compiled a countermeasures list to stop and prevent DNSChanger
check here http://extremesecurity.blogspot.com/2008/06/use-default-password-get-hijacked.html
Reply