Barnes & Noble ebook reader is already sold out


Before picking up an ebook reader for the holidays, many people were waiting for the debut of Barnes & Noble's Nook -- an ebook reader meant to go head-to-head with Amazon's Kindle. The Nook has now been out for less than a month, and it's already sold out for the holidays. Order a Nook now and it won't arrive before the week of January 4, according to an article in the New York Times Bits blog.

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Destination reached: The best Black Friday GPS deals are...


We've covered a few Black Friday GPS deals already, but in the time since those initial offerings leaked onto the web, the big guns -- Target and Wal-Mart-- have one-upped pretty much everyone else when it comes to aggressive pricing on portable automotive GPS units. If you've been thinking of picking up a GPS for yourself, or plan to give one as a gift, there are now a couple of clear cut winners to choose from.

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Nifty netbook deals for Black Friday


While the rumored $150 Acer Aspire One at Office Max turned out to be a mirage, shoppers looking to snag a sleek and stylish netbook still have some reasons to be merry this holiday season. There are some real lemons out there to be sure -- the $120 Kmart "netbook" deal we posted about earlier comes to mind -- but some good performers at substantial savings can be found at several retailers. Here are the details for some of the better deals we've spotted:

 

While the rumored $150 Acer Aspire One at Office Max turned out to be a mirage, shoppers looking to snag a sleek and stylish netbook still have some reasons to be merry this holiday season. There are some real lemons out there to be sure -- the $120 Kmart "netbook" deal we posted about earlier comes to mind -- but some good performers at substantial savings can be found at several retailers. Here are the details for some of the better deals we've spotted:

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Blu-ray player bargains for Black Friday


Though it's not the $50 Blu-ray player that some thought would be out there for Black Friday this year, the $78 Magnavox NB500 that Wal-Mart is offering as a doorbuster is still the cheapest Blu-ray player we've seen to date. This Funai-made player has been around for quite a while now under various brand names, including Philips and Sylvania, and has earned pretty good user feedback. Of course, there's a catch or two.

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Holiday vacuum roundup: Who's got the best bargains


In leaked Black Friday circulars, every retailer seems to be pushing at least one discounted vacuum cleaner. We've taken a look at all of them to figure out whether any are worth the hassle and lines of Black Friday.

In leaked Black Friday circulars, every retailer seems to be pushing at least one discounted vacuum cleaner. We've taken a look at all of them to figure out whether any are worth the hassle and lines of Black Friday. Read more

Sunbeam mixer is cheap, but maybe too cheap


Shoppers trying to score a cheap, reliable mixer this Black Friday may be tempted to head to Target. A recently-leaked circular revealed that the store will be offering the Sunbeam Mixmaster Hand/Stand Mixer for only $25. Normally priced at $50, this seems like a great deal. The hitch? We found iffy reviews.

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Take a terabyte out of the holidays with a 1 TB hard drive


You're heard it all before: Buy the biggest hard drive you can when you buy a computer, so you can store all your digital music, photo and video files. But no matter how big your PC's hard drive, sooner or later, it's going to fill up. Even if you have a massive drive, it's a good idea to have backup, because computers do fail (usually at the worst possible moment).

We've spotted a lot of good discounts on hard drives, but based on the reviews we read, we don't think any of them are better than the Western Digital My Book World Edition reviewed in our report on external hard drives.

You're heard it all before: Buy the biggest hard drive you can when you buy a computer, so you can store all your digital music, photo and video files. But no matter how big your PC's hard drive, sooner or later, it's going to fill up. Even if you have a massive drive, it's a good idea to have backup, because computers do fail (usually at the worst possible moment).

We've spotted a lot of good discounts on hard drives, but based on the reviews we read, we don't think any of them are better than the Western Digital My Book World Edition reviewed in our report on external hard drives. Read more

Best Buy offers two cordless phones on Black Friday: Which one is better?


Best Buy is offering two cordless phone systems with significant price reductions:
  • The Panasonic KX TG6413T, normally $85, will be marked down to $60.
  • The VTech LS6215-2 Expandable Cordless Phone System, originally $60, will be on sale for $45.

So which phone is the better option? It's more expensive, but we think the Panasonic phone is the better deal.

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Cookin' with Black Friday gas grill deals


For a lot of the country, grilling season's been over for a while. That hasn't stopped Lowe's and Home Depot from advertising a couple of okay-sounding gas grills in their Black Friday circulars. The former is dangling a dirt-cheap Charbroil Quickset while the latter has a more premium-sounding Brinkmann offering at a middle-of-the-road price. Which is a better bet?

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Check out our "steamy" video


For a laugh, check out our art-house homage, "Une Affaire Humide." While perhaps a tad unrealistic, it does sort of sum up how we feel about product research. We think that "love what you buy" means getting the right product for you - not the most expensive or flashiest gadget, but the one that fits your needs and your budget. See the short YouTube video here. Read more

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