Productopia | Black Friday

Sure, this isn't hard-hitting news, just something interesting we've noticed. This year's royal wedding has rekindled a trend. In pretty much every store circular (except maybe Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas), you'll see some version (sometimes more than one) of Princess Diana's (now Kate's) saphire and diamond engagement ring. Here's a look at the knock-off contenders if you're looking to surprise the princess (or the royal watcher) in your life.

During our annual perusal of leaked Black Friday sale circulars, one of the items that's popped onto the radar this year is the digital media player. These are excellent gifts (my wife and I gave her brother a Roku for Christmas last year and it was a big hit), and retailers appear to have caught onto this. Walmart has the RCA DSB772WEl in its flyer listed at $39 (that's also the regular Walmart.com price, so there's no need to run to the store). Best Buy has the Sony SMPN100 media player listed for $49.99 ($50 off the regular price). While those low prices may be tempting, you're better off ignoring them and buying a Roku device instead.

When it comes to e-book readers, two names are usually part of any discussion: the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. Both eReader lines have recently seen significant improvements -- and significant price cuts. It's not a huge surprise, then, that good eReader "deals" are few and far between this Black Friday. To be sure, there are lots of "offers" in the circulars, but little actual discounting. Does that mean that the eReader bargain hunter is shut out this Black Friday? Of course not! Let's dig in to find the best -- and the worst -- of this year's ebook reader deals.

If you're thinking of buying a sewing machine for a young Project Runway fan, the holidays are usually a good time to snag a deal. That's not really the case this year. Whereas last year saw sewing machines featured in half a dozen Black Friday circulars, only a handful are offered this year. Since so many sewing machines are made in Thailand, I suspect that this year's flooding in that country may be affecting inventory (I've got calls in to Singer and Brother to find out). But in the meantime, if a sewing machine is on your list, here's what looks best among the slim pickings.