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 1)
dhfabian said 3:14PM on 5-07-2009
Illegal or not, defamation is central to our national dialogue. It is what shapes public opinion and what drives our policies. We are highly dependent on defamation as a short-cut, enabling us to make decisions without studying, weighing or debating facts and statistics. It is the power of defamation that has taught us that Arabs are terrorists, poor people are lazy trash, and cigaret smokers are bringing on Armageddon. We are dependent on defamation to understand the world, and government and media use it generously to teach us what to think.
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leroyfoster4626 said 4:34PM on 5-07-2009
dhfabian,
You have hit the nail right on the head with your posted message. Our society is manipulated continuously with defaming information on a variety of subjects. Even though we enjoy the First Amendment right to free speech, the media distorts this right and engages in campains to distort public opinion and perception; the public pressures poliyicians and legislators; and what was legal one day, is legislated into the crimes code the next day. I agree that there must be parameters set in regard to "untruths" or "partial truths" that are presented to the public and passed as irrefutable truth. I hope there are more of us out there that do not always "drink the kool-aid" that is forced down our throats on a daily basis. If a person wnats to text a naked picture of themselves to a consenting message receiver, then whats the harm??
Richard said 3:30PM on 5-07-2009
Want to Stop Sexting, CyberBullying & Digital Disease?
The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication has an effective method for dealing with the vast number of digital issues we are aware of (like the trend du jour known as "sexting"), and those that we will be aware of soon.
Despite this fact however, our nation and media seem to be content with treating these digital, 21st century issues, with an "old school" 20th century approach. Unfortunately, based on past headlines regarding "spyware" and "cyber bullying" and now with the national fixture of sexting in the news, it appears we are failing an entire digital generation.
Fortunately however, there is an effective way to save this new generation for those of us willing to listen. It is through The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication's concept of "Responsibility 2.1C".
Think about it...
1: Can you honestly say that you have never been irresponsible either as a kid touching a hot stove, or smoking (underage), or drinking underage, or trying drugs?
2: Did you always listen to your parents, teachers or caretakers when they told you not to do these things and offered you a ton of information about why you shouldn't?
3: Have you ever been irresponsible or break the law as an adult (e.g. speeding, running a red light)?
4: Have you ever posted your status on Facebook as "On Vacation", "Traveling" or "Out"?
Well if you answered ?NO? to any of the questions above (even # 4), your life may have been over at a very young age (or it could be altered soon) as is the case for many people of today?s digital generation, because it only takes a few seconds of irresponsibility online to ruin your life.
For Example: Lighting up a cigarette, or trying a beer at the age of 17 most of the time, will not instantly alter your life, or affect your loved one's lives, or the life or someone halfway around the globe. However, as we have read lately, in the time it takes a 17 year old to press the send button on a cell phone with a naked picture attached (less time to finish a drag of a cigarette or sip of beer) he/she could be placed in jail and registered as a sex offender.
Simply saying, ?don?t do that? to a kid or flooding them with "tip sheets" and facts did not work when you were one, so why would it work now? The real difference and alarming issue is that the digital technologies available to our youth deliver instant consequences that can alter their life. Fortunately, it appears that the Institute's concept of Responsibility 2.1C may just be the way to reach this new generation.
Richard Guerry, the visionary behind the concept of "Responsibility 2.1C" and co-founder of The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication recently stated that "We as a nation need to provide direct proactive communication of Digital Responsibility (Responsibility 2.1C) to a new generation. We cannot be reactionary treating today's digital issues, and we cannot resolve them with 20th century threats, reprimand and curriculum." He went on to say, "The real problem is our youth has grown up learning what we call responsibility 1.0 or offline responsibility. They do not understand the scope of the repercussions when they invoke poor (digital) judgment because they have not been proactively taught digital responsibility or what we call, responsibility 2.1C. We cannot apply 20th century solutions to 21st century issues."
Find out more about how you can support The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication and help them save your community by visiting www.iroc2.org or www.sextingisstupid.com
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George Hawkes said 4:13PM on 5-07-2009
There is nothing wring with sexting. There should be no laws against it.
I have to laugh police, das, judges say how awful it is and try to inforce out dated laws against a teen age piece sending her nude picture to a lucky guy.
YET these same police, das, judges in private would be one of the first in line to have these cute piece sit naked on their faces. if they could get away with it.
Teenage women are on this earth to please us men. Keep up the good work girlls!!
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ladyxboxthegreat said 5:10PM on 5-07-2009
Yeah I understand how that can be illegal, especially when there's a 40 year old man sending a 17 year old girl naked pictures but we all know that this isn't going to be monitored anyway. The only way for something to happen is if it's reported.
And by the way, the picture of V. Hudgens was sent before she even met Efron..
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austderstine said 6:37PM on 5-07-2009
So What!!!!! who cares!!! this should not be a law or a crime!!! people talk sex and we all know that.... That's how god made us to do HAVE SEX! sexting is nothing.. police and the people that who record texting, e-mails, and phone calls should not be in charge of this. Its the people's choice if they all want to talk about sex or not...
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momprayn said 8:03PM on 5-07-2009
How about.....landing you in a hot....place.
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bitchplease said 10:58AM on 5-08-2009
that picture of vanessa was taken years before her and zac started dating. It was actually being sent to another boyfriend of hers [drake bell] and it was taken on a digital camera [ not a cell phone] then transmitted though the internet
get your fact straight
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vonageuser said 7:43PM on 5-15-2009
Well... im not up with the teens getting arrested and all for sexting because if it gets sent to you on purpose your not supposed to look? I dont really get it. then again i do but still if they dont want it to be sent out then just dont take the pics. That simple. Not worth getting arrested over a few pictures when you could just have a "gf" and do stuff in real life rather then in photos.
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