Lukewarm digital camera deals at Target and Staples

Electronics
By Molly McLaughlin on November 18, 2009 in

The Nikon Coolpix L20 digital camera is a hot ticket for black friday 2009. We've already seen it in leaked circulars from Sears and OfficeMax, and now Target's recently leaked flyer is showing the L20 for $88. Target's price sits between those of Sears ($100) and OfficeMax ($80), both of which were deemed by us to be "no deals." While spending less than $100 for a digital camera is tempting - the L20 isn't even really worth that low price. As we've reported, the Nikon Coolpix L20 gets mixed professional reviews and many users reviews report blurry images and other issues. We recommend going with the Canon PowerShot SD480 (*Est. $105) if you're on a budget. See our cheap-digital camera report. for more best-reviewed (and affordable) cameras.

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Beware gift-card gotchas

Family & Pets
By Christine Frietchen on November 18, 2009 in

GAP GiftCard
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Black Friday could be good for car deals, too

Automotive
By Alex Nunez on November 17, 2009 in

Dealer handshake

Maybe you're not looking for a sweet deal on a stand mixer or an electric razor this Black Friday. Perhaps you have a more substantial purchase in mind. You know, even bigger than, say, a new flat-panel TV. Suppose you decide to avoid the mall entirely and instead head to one of your local car dealers. Are there deals to be had on Black Friday? According to a report by CNNMoney.com, the answer is yes.

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Need directions? Garmin still leads the way

Automotive
By Alex Nunez on November 17, 2009 in

Garmin nuvi 765T

Once again, the experts agree: If you're going to stick a portable GPS device to your car's windshield, your best bet is to go with a Garmin. The manufacturer's auto GPS units earn consistently high reviews from professionals and owners alike, thanks to their ease of use and attractive features such as free traffic information for the life of the device. The latter even applies to the budget-priced Garmin nuvi 265T (*Est. $185), a Best Reviewed pick in our latest report on portable automotive GPS devices.

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Stride right at Sears this Black Friday

Fitness & Sports
By Sarah Burns on November 17, 2009 in

Proform Crosswalks will be offered at Sears this Black Friday.

Trying to slim down? Stride over to Sears this Black Friday. A recently leaked circular reveals the store will be offering three solid treadmills.

The first: The ProForm XP Crosswalk 580, normally $900, will be on sale for $570. Overall, we found this product gets decent reviews. It has a 2.8-horsepower motor, a 20-by-55-inch walking belt and 12 personal trainer workouts. However, parts and labor are only covered under warranty for 90 days. About 80 percent of owners at Sears.com say they would recommend this treadmill to a friend, but several reviewers say the 580 shakes or buzzes loudly when jogging or walking fast.

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Need a new vacuum? Check out these Black Friday deals.

Home & Garden
By Sarah Burns on November 16, 2009 in

Black Friday vacuum deals abound

Need a new vacuum? You'll encounter a bevvy of dirt-busting options this Black Friday. Kohl's will be offering the widest selection this year. A little preview:

  • The Hoover Wind Tunnel Cyclonic vacuum, regularly $250, will be knocked down to $150 that day.
  • Dyson's DC14 All Floors Bagless vacuum, normally $450, will be sold for $320.
  • The Dyson DC25 All Floors Bagless vacuum, normally $550 will be on sale for $400.
  • Bissell's Momentum Bagless vacuum, originally $130, will be only $80.
  • Bissel's Lift Off Multi Cyclonic Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum, normally $220, will be sold for $180.
  • Shark's UltraLite MultiVac, regularly $140, will be offered for $120.
  • Hoover's WindTunnel Self-Propelled Bagged Vacuum, normally $240, will be $215.
  • Bissell's Lift Off Multi Cyclonic vacuum, regularly $220, will be offered at $180.
  • Hoover's Linx Stick vacuum, regularly $210, will be discounted down to $180.

Need a new vacuum? You'll encounter a bevvy of dirt-busting options this Black Friday. Kohl's will be offering the widest selection this year. A little preview:

  • The Hoover Wind Tunnel Cyclonic vacuum, regularly $250, will be knocked down to $150 that day.
  • Dyson's DC14 All Floors Bagless vacuum, normally $450, will be sold for $320.
  • The Dyson DC25 All Floors Bagless vacuum, normally $550 will be on sale for $400.
  • Bissell's Momentum Bagless vacuum, originally $130, will be only $80.
  • Bissel's Lift Off Multi Cyclonic Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum, normally $220, will be sold for $180.
  • Shark's UltraLite MultiVac, regularly $140, will be offered for $120.
  • Hoover's WindTunnel Self-Propelled Bagged Vacuum, normally $240, will be $215.
  • Bissell's Lift Off Multi Cyclonic vacuum, regularly $220, will be offered at $180.
  • Hoover's Linx Stick vacuum, regularly $210, will be discounted down to $180. Read more

Plasma TV/Blu-ray bundle a good Black Friday buy at Best Buy

Electronics
By Carl Laron on November 16, 2009 in

Panasonic TC-P50U1

Though a few okay deals can be found, the Black Friday circulars leaked so far haven't held a lot of excitement for those looking to score a home-theater bargain for the holidays. The Best Buy Black Friday circular looks like more of the same for the most part, but one combo deal, a 50-inch Panasonic Viera TC-P50U1 plasma TV and a Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu-ray player for just under $1,000, made us sit up a little. Taken together, it looks like a little better discount for decent tech than we've seen from many other retailers. Let's dig a little deeper.

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Snapfish still the best digital photo printing service

Computers & Internet
By Molly McLaughlin on November 15, 2009 in

Snapfish

Almost all digital photo printing websites offer the same basic options: online storage, editing tools, printing services, photo gifts and photo sharing. Photo sharing is an especially helpful feature, as users can upload photos and invite friends and family to view them online. This saves you from e-mailing large batches of image files. Anyone can then order just the prints they want, as well as photo gifts like photo mugs, coasters, magnets or entire photo albums.

Reviews say Snapfish is the best digital photo printing service overall, with the perfect balance of quality and price. Snapfish (*Est. 9 cents per print) gets recommendations from a number of review sites including PCMag.com, BusinessWeek and Which?, a British consumer magazine.

Almost all digital photo printing websites offer the same basic options: online storage, editing tools, printing services, photo gifts and photo sharing. Photo sharing is an especially helpful feature, as users can upload photos and invite friends and family to view them online. This saves you from e-mailing large batches of image files. Anyone can then order just the prints they want, as well as photo gifts like photo mugs, coasters, magnets or entire photo albums.

Reviews say Snapfish is the best digital photo printing service overall, with the perfect balance of quality and price. Snapfish (*Est. 9 cents per print) gets recommendations from a number of review sites including PCMag.com, BusinessWeek and Which?, a British consumer magazine. Read more

Hot stuff: Toaster ovens do more than toast bread

Kitchen & Food
By Sarah Burns on November 15, 2009 in

Today's toaster ovens offer a slew of convenient options.

With bake, toast, broil and convection settings, today's toaster ovens are giving full-size ovens a run for their money. Unlike standard toasters, these small counter top ovens can do more than just toast bread. They can bake cookies, heat up a frozen pizza or even roast a small chicken. However, contrary to popular belief, a toaster ovens can't toast bread as evenly or as quickly as a traditional, slot-style toaster.

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Bugging out: What's in your new mattress?

Home & Garden
By Sarah Burns on November 15, 2009 in

What;s in your mattress?

Ah, bed bugs.....Think these tiny bloodsuckers only plague high-rise apartments and hotels? Think again. The truth is, more and more people are getting bed bugs from brand new mattresses. That's right, this seemingly innocent purchase can quickly morph into an unbelievable nightmare.

So, how does this happen? To increase their "sell," many companies now offer to discard a shopper's old mattress when they deliver a new one. What they don't tell you: It's a common practice to toss old mattresses in the back of the truck with brand new ones yet to be delivered, and this can easily spread bed bugs.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

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