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.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chris said 7:57PM on 12-06-2008
What, No frigging lasers on the frigging sharks
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John Lehman said 9:53PM on 12-06-2008
If it's effective, it's great. The proponent or this idea can be as "obsessive" as he wants to if this technology can really be developed to disable terrorists and rogue elements before they can do damage, board ships, take hostages, etc.
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Elmergantry said 9:52PM on 12-06-2008
Yah, and why not call Scotty to beam all the sailors on board, and see if we can gleen any intelligence in the cavity between Dubyas ears too.
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c said 10:07PM on 12-06-2008
This is terrifying technology. Laser technology at a nuclear power plant? That's like smoking while pumping gas. Once this sort of thing gets going, it's like anything produced now a days, it becomes smaller, more abundant, and is just a few years away from being attached to an aircraft which doesn't have to worry about flying into a building anymore, it just has to get it's target in the cross fire or better yet, programmed on a lap top with latitude and longitude coordinates so no human aiming is necessary. Regardless, this is the path of the future, I'm sure, so let the nightmares begin.
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BigPoiDog said 8:49AM on 12-07-2008
The US Air Force has been working on laser retrofitted planes for years and production models will soon be out there.
http://tinyurl.com/5wcw6x
They will likely be much more powerful than the linked article suggests -- gigawatts of energy. This has the potential for saving more lives than eliminating. Unlike conventional (especially atomic) weaponry, lasers could take out important targets in heavily populated areas without causing massive collateral damage.
Van Hamlin said 8:52AM on 12-07-2008
A weapon is a weapon. Weapons need someone to direct them and know when to shoot or not shoot. A simple convoy system of entering and exiting from the Red Sea will stop pirating. If armed vessels escort these convoys the pirates will be out of business. The real culprits are the ransom negotiators and the money launderers in Dubai. Hunt these people down, arrest them and hang them on pay-for-view! Let the pro wrestling guys run this production. We could have cheerleaders in hot tubs and --- oh you caught me --- I 'm just kidding about the pay for view stunt!
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Jerri Murphy said 4:19PM on 12-07-2008
I think that is what we should do to protect the borders. Fry the illegals! Much cheaper than building a fence that can be cut or tunneled under, etc.
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ben said 9:25AM on 12-07-2008
gee the people never remember any thing .
Remember the guy who's was blinded by a laser,and have you ever seen a crow get cooked by flying bye a microwave tower,man they hate those things you can always tell when one is down the crows attack it ,sorry crows when they turn it on and your there .YES lasers will stop people heat is the one thing no one can stand .
Microwaves will cook you, one as low as 400 watts will kill Re; the baby in the microwave,cats dogs ,stupid people
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Dale Jorgensen said 9:34AM on 12-07-2008
Directed energy weaponry, combined with the latest in real-time sensory and survellience technology, capable of immediate detection-and-response, and platformed from strategically placed sattelites in space would be our country's greatest global achievement. The capability to destroy an enemy missle, nuclear or otherwise, within seconds after its launching and in the face of the unfortunate would-be-attackers is not science fiction but an ultimate defensive, and offensive, strategy worth the undertaking because only The United States, at present, is the only country on earth capable of doing so.
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Cajun said 2:11PM on 12-07-2008
I don't know how "obsessive" this is , but if the technology comes about it would be an effective way to target our enemies, and a lot less or no collateral damage.
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jimbo said 5:26PM on 12-07-2008
Lasers? How much is that going to cost? What happened to gatling guns and vigilance??
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Brian said 3:22PM on 12-07-2008
This technology is a dream. Just like portable computers, the limitation of a reasonable energy source is the only thing holding us back from a world of change.
God damnit, scientists, stop working on all of your projects for a decade, and let's work exclusively on batteries!
Cancer, AIDS, and batteries! That's it!
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Carney said 12:12PM on 12-09-2008
Fusion power is the real solution. That would provide massive energy for cheap.
As for AIDS, I've never understood how this venereal disease became a hip and fashionable cause. When's World Syphilis Day? Where are the Gonorrhea Rights groups?
Brian said 8:59PM on 12-09-2008
Sex is like water. Humans can't live without it.
Forty million people are infected with HIV, and it's just as deadly as cancer. AIDS doesn't swell genitals or cause undesirable growth, it kills you. Slowly and painfully.
Calling AIDS trendy is no different than calling autism trendy.
Your attitude astonishes me. I honestly expect you do deny the holocaust happened, too.
Arlo J. Thudpucker said 3:28PM on 12-07-2008
Lessee ... lasers are coherent beams of light.
And what reflects light, people?
Maybe we should outlaw the possession of mirrors, in order to keep the lunatics proposing lasers happy.
How in the world did John Paul Jones deal with pirates without lasers?
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Tony said 8:52PM on 12-08-2008
What? There can be a team of bald guys in silver space suits with monocles on each luxury cruiser! And when one of them goes rogue and hijacks his own ship, we can all just call on Sean Connery to save us!!
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Eric Williams said 5:43PM on 12-07-2008
Ths United States need to expand in our technology without the aid of East Indians, Pakistanis, Arabs, Iranians, Chinese, Russians, and Koreans, to name a few. This way we can use the technology to make all our enemies, and adversaries weapons completely obsolete. If a missile goes in the air against us, or our friends, we can destroy it before it even launches. This is the way to go. Send our enemies back to the dark ages where they belong. Blow these pirates to kingdom-come.
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Mo-Deep said 5:49PM on 12-07-2008
If History is any guide, whatever comes around, goes around. If we develop super wheapons today, Bill and Hillary Clinton type megalomainiacs will give it to our enemys just so they can "be your friend". You bet! Before long, the Radical Front, whoever it is at the time, will have the very same technology that only we were able to develop, aimed right back in our face. Only they will not be worried what the world thinks about a few hundred million or our people suddenly becoming extinct. After all, isn't that what they hope to "Achieve"? Isnt't that what our "Leaders" really do the best? Selling the USA down the river for their own bennefit? I defy them to do anything besides lay down and let the world walk all over them, they don't posess the moral fortitude and integrety to do the obvious right thing. The best wheapons in the world will never make up for stupidity of which American leaders have aplenty. Why is it that no one understands the big fat target America has painted on it? Do we not know that after all the lies have been passed around, the whole world cannot do what we have done and they don't like to be reminded of it every day? They want our head on a platter. The world cannot be vindicated of its' evil and still have everyone going about their buisness as usual without their conscience bothering them until we are no longer here to point out their evil ways.. Nothing special about us really? We are the suckers who are afraid to fight back beause we could actually win the battle? Are we so afraid that we have to surrender to our enemys at their first whimper and be sensative to their "Feelings?". Oh, I am so sorry for defending our country, our commerace, our people and our way of life. We won't do it again. We know you cannot help yourself. Look at how you were raised up, in such hardship and squallor. Who can blame you? Here, let us help you take another shot at killing our innocent people and destroying our way of life. We understand.......go ahead, its' ok. Here is a nice Laser for you. Its much tidier than those old fashioned bombs. It really works great and saves money on ammunition too! You will feel better when we are all dead.
Can we really say that we cannot handle a bunch of Pirates on the high seas right now? We do not need lasers, we need leaders who know the meaning of the word "Lead". Right now we have a pack of public suck-ups afraid of their own shadow. That is our problem and it looks like our problem is growning bigger every day.
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Don said 5:56PM on 12-07-2008
I believe that 50 caliber machine guns on the port and starboard, bow and aft and the 4 to 12 people on board who know how to use them are more than adequate and a hell of alot cheaper to use. And a pirate watching his buddies torn to shreds is more effective than watching the outboard engine stall out in convincing him not to approach a ship again....
Sometimes high technology isn't the answer... reminds me of a story about the difference in the Soviet and American space programs of the 1960s. American scientists spent $10 million dollars creating a pen that could write in weightless conditions. The Soviets used pencils. Duhhhhh
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Angiebaby said 6:27PM on 12-07-2008
Yeah, low powered lasers can stall a small engine or disable a RPG launcher, but a couple of blasts from a high powered rifle, (or some such real weapon) will sink the pirate boats and... end of problem. They won't be attacking any ship again. And it would be highly cost effective, I might add. I'm tired of these lawless hooligans stealing ships, abusing the passengers and crews, living the high life while awaiting massive ransoms and generally making the seas dangerous for everyone. Damn. Enough is enough. I may sound cold hearted, but you know the old saying, "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword."
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