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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mokele Mbembe said 12:43PM on 1-15-2009
What do you do when it, like all batteries, starts to leak? Diapers? I love Japan!
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ZipWizard said 1:21PM on 1-15-2009
That 10 years is the shelflife, right? I mean, if a battery keeps going for 10 years, that would be a major technological breakthru. It's almost like a baby reactor. A long shelflife is important in itself, however. My biggest question is, does it recharge if you add more urine or beer...and if you use the urine, can you use the beer next time?
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Just a little interesting knowledge here I learned when in the Philippines: Did you know if a regular battery (not rechargeable) is very weak, not dead, you can boil it in hot water for 2-3 minutes...and you'll get about another 1/2 to 1 hour of full power? It loosens up and excites the electrolites. This is lifesaving knowledge in an emergency. Perhaps auto companies could cook their batteries by thermally insulating them to squeeze more mileage out of an electric?
Anyway...high 5's to Japan; that's quite an achievement!
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James said 2:32PM on 1-15-2009
Unfortunately, the amount of energy used to boil one 100mL (about half a cup) of water, ~33,000 Joules, is significantly more than the entire capacity of a brand new alkaline AA battery (about 5,000 Joules) much less the little tiny bit of extra runtime you get from the boil. I suppose in an emergency if you needed to use a radio or something, it could prove useful.
Zip said 3:55PM on 1-15-2009
I KNOW boiling an AA battery or AAA for 3 minutes sounds dumb and
wasteful...but in some 3rd world countries...a battery store isn''t
always around the corner, or if you are deep in the woods. The joules
wasted are not even in the equation if it's an emergency. The idea is
to USE the battery because you don't have a replacement.
BTW - if you have a magnifying glass (with rotation and a glove) and
a bright sun, or a small torch, you might get similar but not as
efficient results. Peeling the label 1st is advised to avoid embers.
Natch, a red hot battery will not only will ruin the device, but the
electrolites inside may dry and clot, rendering your experiment into
overkill. Boiling is your 1st choice. Why 2-3 minutes? Just long
enough to HEAT the battery, not render it soggy or spring a leak.
What if you don't HAVE a good battery at all...and you're out in the
bush??? Look for citrus fruit or acidics...either in your supplies or on a tree if in a warm climate. A simple lemon can output 1.5 volts with the
right bi metal electrodes. The very best is the grapefruit, with high
acid content. Milliamps are as good as any AA battery. Also try starch, like in potatos or carrots, and salt water.
greg said 3:58PM on 1-15-2009
I used to stick my gameboy batteries in the sun to get a bit more charge on roadtrips. I live in california so it gets pretty how with just that.
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LiqwidZero said 5:55PM on 1-15-2009
I think I saw this on Manswers (on Spike TV) not too long ago.
I'd buy a couple.
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