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 3)
Andre said 3:02PM on 2-05-2009
I don't think it can be considered an invasion of privacy - YET. Think about it, advertisers already know (for the most part) who they're advertising to, this just takes it one step further in a public setting. Anyone can take a picture of a crowd - advertisers do it all the time in fact. I don't see how this is any different from what is already done.
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IdiotHater said 4:50PM on 2-05-2009
Ugh, its not an invasion of privacy?...So I guess when they (the goverment) have cameras everywhere and are watching us 24/7 everywhere we go I guess that isnt an invasion of privacy...Oh wait they already do ahve cameras everywhere D:
ms.r said 3:15PM on 2-05-2009
your under a camrera all over the mall. there just using it to send out to there peer audiance. like ads on tv the baby boomers old classic music in the background or a blast from the past to stimulate the target marget
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jbl said 3:40PM on 2-05-2009
Don't let alex jones hear about this, new world order and the ignorant sheep being targeted by big brother once again
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Angie said 3:20PM on 2-05-2009
I really hate this idea. It's definitely an invasion of privacy; they tell you that there's nothing that can recognize an individual, but do you always believe everything you're told? They're counting on that. If I want to buy something, I will. But I don't like to be manipulated like that. Advertising is a lot of psychology in the first place, and this seems like laziness on their part. Besides that, do you know that the more you shrug off things like this, these little moves and changes in technology, the more you leave the door open for future abuse of it? Are you really gonna be okay with it when there are cameras everywhere and you're being monitored every moment of the day? Just don't give them an opening, because it will definitely be taken advantage of.
Why don't we have more of a say in things like this, by the way? Last time I checked, this WAS America.
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Dave said 5:12PM on 2-05-2009
Yes these malls are in America. With very precious American rights that do give you a say in this.
You have the right not to develop such products in your company, nor to allow any of these in your mall. Simply don't lease the space to them, and you won't have them.
Apparently, the folks who own *this* mall decided otherwise, and that's *their* right.
mare said 3:26PM on 2-05-2009
HUMM, SEEMS LIKE THERE IS ALOT OF SPYING GOING ON,JUST DONT GO TO THE MALL.THXS
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gator said 3:36PM on 2-05-2009
It is definitely invasion of privacy, but I guarantee you wont see the moronic aclu or any democrats putting up a fuss about it.
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Grant Thomas said 3:35PM on 2-05-2009
With all of the other problems currently existing, does it really seem wise to spend on facial recognition technology. I am constantly appauld by the amount of ignorant and blind spending our buisnesses and government do. If you want to know why projections never turn into projects in this country it's because of corrupt leaders with their own agendas. furthermore, we as citizens spend how much on entertainment? The money and ability is there just not the drive or desire. why help someone else when you can buy something super cool for yourself instead. I beleive thats a big problem don't you
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Lauren said 4:37PM on 2-05-2009
Big Brother is watching you?
Well, apparently.
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nour said 4:51PM on 2-05-2009
I think the world has sold their soul to the devil, and of course next is attacking your private life, what a sick world we live in, but not for a long time, the devil will be chained for 1000years and we will have peace without him and all those who run with him
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vgkflc said 4:52PM on 2-05-2009
Big brother is watching.
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HUH? said 4:56PM on 2-05-2009
I can't see how this is a privacy issue at all. There's no assumption of privacy (or right to it) walking around a privately-owned public mall. The owners have every right to look at whatever they want out in the PUBLIC areas of THEIR mall.
Likewise, if you walked around those public areas with a $20 camera in your hand making a movie or everything you saw (or memorizing everybody with your photographic memory) nobody could object: cuz, they're OUT IN PUBLIC!
It's not like an ad machine with a camera in it is going to "lead" to a real loss of privacy any more than the other people in the mall (who might have really, really good memories) who just see you. Look at it this way - the ad company could have a person walking around making the same observations.
Now if they install one of these in your home, or one that looks through the cracks of your bedroom curtains, or the mall bathroom stalls (where you DO have an assumption of privacy for the purpose of using it) that's different. Likewise, it would be different if somebody with a Kodak Easyshare Camera (or their plain old human memory) did that, too.
There are lots of grey areas. This isn't one of them.
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Rocko said 5:02PM on 2-05-2009
Geek paranoia, classic! Run geeks, run!
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ryan said 5:06PM on 2-05-2009
Oh thank you New World Order for your total slave grid system being introduced slowly to the public. You are scanning are faces, you are scanning our car tags, we are being tracked and listened to by our cell phones. Oh but I don't see anything wrong with this.. Keep being sheep and follow your god Obama into hyper tyranny.
You had your chance America to free this country with Ron Paul. Enjoy Martial Law, enjoy Fema camps, enjoy this wonderful police state. INFOWARS.COM PRISONPLANET.COM LOOSECHANGE911.COM AMERICANFREEPRESS.NET TRUTHNEWS.US JONESREPORT.COM
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beth said 5:12PM on 2-05-2009
Beth,
If we let advertiser get away with this then next time it want be just for info or advertisers. People are getting to passive about what we let the government or others do. Tomorrow we could be living the "Minority Report" then it will be to late for you passive people to complain. There is lot of good technology out there but do we really want people spying on us. As far as advertisers getting info on age, gender, income and other info it is your choice to give it to them, then in the end you have no one to blame but yourself. But if we start letting others do it without our knowledge then it is invasion of privacy.
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Chazzer said 5:17PM on 2-05-2009
The scariest thing about all this is how we as a nation - and the whole civilized world for that matter - are being slowly but surely brainwashed into buying, buying snd spending, spending and wanting more, even when we have no possible use for whatever it is (blankets with sleeves, anyone?).
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Dave said 5:20PM on 2-05-2009
Hey, it could be a grey area if it followed you home. Suppose you tried to get away from it and it chases you like the paparazzi (or would that be like a paparazzo?)
You just wait until you're trying to get away from these things and they track you down where you live and camp outside your property line, waiting to chase you into a tunnel where you crash your car.
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Michelle said 5:26PM on 2-05-2009
With all the mall shooting going around, it may be a good idea to have everybody that comes into the mall identified especially if they are up to no good.
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john said 9:43PM on 2-05-2009
this is all part of our new gov spy tactics.
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