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.
Each year, LG holds its National Texting Championships in New York City, and SMS fiends gather from around the country to battle for thumb-dexterity supremacy. This year's champ, 15-year-old Kate Moore of Des Moines, Iowa, took the title, but her path to victory was not without some serious obstacles. Literally.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
keen said 4:31PM on 6-17-2009
"Savanna" != Savannah
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LT_Prasuhn said 7:23AM on 6-18-2009
Hey! The 'reporter'(?) is a journalist (?)....not a Geography expert. Good catch!! ;-)
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LT_Prasuhn said 7:29AM on 6-18-2009
So George...I guess you're 'still' NOT and expert on the Internet. Just what does the 'Google Cash System' have to do with this story about a young girl winning a 'Texting' Contest?
WOW!! Just over $400 in profit in about 2-weeks. Amazing! Many people make that at a 9-to-5 job in ONE week. The 'Google Cash System' is naught but a SCAM!!!
Bye!!
CONGRATULATIONS!, Kate....And to your 'runner-up', Dynda.
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luvscrybe said 1:38PM on 6-18-2009
You are so right. At work, we looked into it ... if it's the same scam you're talking about - you can make money reading ads, or something like that. Anyway, a $1.99 was required to Get into it. Okay, we devied up 20 cents each and used one of our debit cards. Inside, they want something like $200 for the 'privilege. SCAM!!! Don't get caught in it!!!
Nevuela said 7:55AM on 6-18-2009
Wow. Now THIS is stupid. Who the hell surrendered fifty grand for this competition? So now we're REWARDING our kids for wasting their time and energy on this crap? Great. Now they're just going to spend even more time texting and even less living an actual life and learning real skills. $50,000 for being the best texter, while true people of talent waste away and die. Seriously.
Auguste Rodin, the sculptor of the famous "Thinker" statue, died homeless. He had asked the owner of a museum that he had donated much of his work to if he could live there to get out of the cold, and he was refused. Not long afterward he froze to death on the streets.
Nearly 100 years later a pampered kid wins $50,000 doing nothing. That's messed up.
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Paul said 8:46AM on 6-18-2009
I agree. What an amazingly useless "skill". And to acknowledge it by holding competitions and awarding money? To the alleged "competitors", try getting some input from the natural world around you instead of out of a screen or headphones. Look around you instead of down all the time. What an absolute waste.........and they pay money for such things.........pathetic.
mmaugenest said 10:11AM on 6-18-2009
RODIN DIED A WEALTHY MAN IN HIS VILLA>I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE YOU GOT YOUR INFO FROM.
Platinum_Skeet said 11:53AM on 6-18-2009
Texting skills come in handy when you're on a deployment and your boss is demanding an e-mail detailing the progress. Yeah it's useless right now but they're building skills for the business world of tomorrow. Shit I'm in the IT field and about to start my own business and my Blackberry keeps me to where I'm never to far to get something done at my job or communicate issues in an instant.
travis said 1:16PM on 6-18-2009
i agree who paid the 50,000? couldn't they just give 1,000 to 50 deserving familys in this economy instead of rerawarding a stupid skill? Is it a skill? so what she can send texts faster,i guess we know her conversations are one sided! who comes up with these stupid contests? Is it some bored rich people? I can find better use for 50,000 Lets hope she puts it to good use towards a real skill then maybe it will be aq good thing.
Paul said 8:45AM on 6-18-2009
They pay money to and otherwise award people for TEXTING? Try giving money to someone for something meaningful. What an absolute and total waste........
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elove1018 said 8:53AM on 6-18-2009
I do not think this is a good contest, because it encourage teenagers to think that they can drive while texting.
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UFO654 CAROLE said 9:10AM on 6-18-2009
PROBLEM IS ONE OF SOCIABILITY AND THE ABILITY TO STOP TEXTING. I NOTED THAT DURING A SOCIAL EVENT AND SEATED AT A TABLE FOR TEN, TWO YOUNG PEOPLE (YES I AM OLD) KEPT LOOKING DOWN IN THEIR LAPS AND NATURALLY THEY WERE TEXTING). PROBLEM? YES AS IT WAS EVERY TWO MINUTES AND IT WAS DISTRACTING AND THEY COULD BE TAKING PART IN A CONVERSATION BUT THE ATTENTION WAS ALWAYS ON THEIR DOJIGGERS FOR TEXTING. HMMMM NO MANNERS HERE. PERHAPS WE WILL EVOLVE WITH NO MORE MOUTHS AND THERFORE NO MORE MOUTHS TO FEED?
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tgonzopad said 10:45AM on 6-18-2009
Or to many mouth's to feed, because they can't focus on "work". Therefore NO JOB...
mongooseproxc said 9:20AM on 6-18-2009
This texting record thing is retarded. I hope your thumbs fall off.
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willsharmonic said 9:58AM on 6-18-2009
Whatever. She got lucky and won 50k for texting.. its chump change compared to the money Lg recieved due to this event.
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Chris said 10:25AM on 6-18-2009
Gee and I thought "Cup Stacking" was useless....
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DJC EMPIRE said 10:45AM on 6-18-2009
In business, texting is not useless. Multi-million dollar deals are closed, I assume lives could or have been saved via texting,as well. Texting is essential in today's business world. But, I do think that the $50K should have been a college scholarship. Education is the what will make the US strong and prosperous, not useless skills. And for the blue collar people, education can be ANYTHING-machinist, cosmetologist, medical assistant, CDL training- skilled labor or white collar. I don't care. We need skilled, educated people to lead our country or we will all be deep crap in the years to come. I am one of theose "idiots" that texts everywhere-driving ,in a line at a store etc, but I try not to talk on the phone while doing those things. It is all perception...
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picksd said 10:46AM on 6-18-2009
this is stupid- that much money for doing something that is potentially dangerous-
ie. driving and texting, I know she is only 14 now, but this says loud and clear that
it's okay to do whatever else you want to while texting. This is hardly a life
skill that will get her anywhere--- it's too bad the young lady who discovered the
supernova didn't get the money. At least she did something useful. The story
is on the web.
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drv7788 said 10:50AM on 6-18-2009
HA HA HA! Hilarious, this competition set women back 20 years. Go equal rights!
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kurtis987 said 11:36AM on 6-18-2009
Now tell her see me in that 95 Madden.
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