Gizmodo

The Talking Luggage Locator Needs Better Range [Travel]

Sean Fallon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:30:50 -0500

Unlike most luggage locators, this version plays a 30 second user-recorded message in addition to lighting up like a Christmas tree whenever the remote is pressed. Of course, it would be better if the range extended beyond 45-feet.

Waaaay beyond actually. That way you can bitch at the baggage handlers tossing your luggage off a plane in Alaska while you sit in the airport in Philadelphia. [TYNKE via TRFJ via OhGizmo]

More Black Friday Bad News: Why Cheap TVs Might Really Cost You More [Black Friday]

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500

You know Black Friday is dangerous, but our friend Gary, the HD Guru, got pretty specific on a few particularly bad deals. For example, that 32" Emerson on sale at Walmart for $248 sounds good, right? Not so fast.

Gary points out that the warranty on this baby is so bad (90-day labor, 1-year parts) that if it broke, it "will cost the owner another $150 [or more] after the 90th day of ownership and at least $250 to repair after the one year warranty is over." He also mentions that failure rates on cheaper off-brand TVs are generally higher—and often significantly higher—than the big well-known brands.

Make the jump to read the details and check out more of Gary's great exposé, including why a Westinghouse TV might not be a good deal, what cheap Blu-ray player to look for, and why 240Hz HDMI cables aren't just a ripoff, they're flat-out BS. [HD Guru]

You Don't Need a TiVo Anymore [Rant]

Jason Chen — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500

This chart of TiVo's slipping subscriber numbers may be surprising, seeing as TiVo is the television recording device (and it's so good), but it's something we've seen coming for a while. We love you TiVo, but you're fast becoming obsolete.

The typical TiVo user is a person who just wants their TV recordings to work, regardless of the monthly fee. They may or may not be tech savvy, but chances are TiVo was their first DVR—since we've found, anecdotally, people gravitate back to the first DVR interface they use. So why is their marketshare down to 2004 levels? The answer is simple: cheap DVRs from providers are eating TiVo from the low end, and everyone else can now use Windows 7 and a tuner to act as a DVR just fine.

Cheap DVRs from Comcast, or Time Warner or your satellite provider have gotten good—or rather, less shitty—enough to make them actually viable options for home recording. Even I couldn't turn down only paying an extra $5 per month to have a recorder that works well enough to watch stuff with, even if you don't have show recommendations, and fast forwarding barely functions well enough to stop where you want. But it's $5. $5. Five. Dollars. And that's without having to pay upfront for the box. You can rent three of these for the price of one TiVo subscription.

As for the big reason why you don't need a TiVo anymore, in the future, you can thank Microsoft and Windows 7. Just take a look at that Windows 7 PC you have. Yeah, the one in your office. That can be your DVR. CableLabs finally took off their ridiculous OEM restriction on who can install CableCARD tuners—the device that actually takes a digital cable signal and turns it into something your computer can understand and record—so you can go and get one of these yourself for about $200. So for $200, with no future fees except for your normal cable bill, you can have yourself a home DVR that's arguably as good as TiVo. And, much easier to expand and augment, both storage and functionality-wise, than a set top box.

And if you don't want a computer in your living room (you need that thing in your office anyway), all you have to do is get an Xbox 360 and extend it. Multiple Xboxes mean streaming to multiple rooms, something that's not even possible on a TiVo.

Of course there's going to be a core group of TiVo users who really enjoy TiVo functionality, really appreciate their interface and can't imagine using something else. But is that enough to sustain a business when so many other options are cheaper and just as good? The numbers say no.

SonyStyle Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals [Black Friday]

Rosa Golijan — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:52:34 -0500

Looks like the SonyStyle store already has their Black Friday deals available. They don't seem to have gone crazy with the price slashing, but the AW series VAIO doesn't seem to be too bad of a deal.

• VAIO CW VPCCW1EFX/W Laptop $769.99 (list $919) - use $150 Coupon Code: BLACKFRIDAYCW150 (ends 11/30 or after 200 uses)
• VAIO FW VGNFW550F/B Laptop $829.99 (list $1079) - use $250 Coupon Code: BLACKFRIDAYFW250 (ends 11/30 or after 500 uses)
• VAIO AW VGNAW450F/H Laptop $899.99 (list: $1140)
Save up to $470 hardware & software upgrades when you build VAIO CW series

• FREE PS3 or Blu-ray Disc player with purchase of select Sony BRAVIA HDTVs
• Buy a PS3 and get two free games: Infamous and Uncharted Drakes Fortune
• 32" Sony BRAVIA HDTV (KDL32L504) $379.99 (list: $479.99)
• Sony Blu-ray Disc Player (BDP-S360) $129.99 (list $199.99)
• 40" Sony BRAVIA HDTV (KDL40S504) $664.99 (list:$999.99)
• 46" Sony BRAVIA HDTV (KDL46S504) $854.99 (list: $1299)
• Sony 60 GB Handycam Camcorder DCR-SR47 $299.99 (list $349.99)
• Sony Stereo Speakers with Remote (SRS-ZX1) $149.99 (list $299.99)

November 27 Only:
• Sony Cyber-shot DSCW190 Digital Camera $119.99 (list $149.99)

[SonyStyle via Logic Buy]

Send Us Your Thanksgiving Tech Support Horror Stories [Thanksgiving]

Adam Frucci — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0500

Happy Thanksgiving! If your holiday celebrations are anything like mine, they involve coming home to a large number of old people confused about how to use their tech gear, treating you like an actually competent member of the Geek Squad.

Do you have any Thanksgiving tech support horror stories? Shoot them to me in email form or drop your stories, photos and video in the comments below. You don't have to suffer alone.

Space Station Is Full: No Vacancy for Space Tourists [Space]

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:58:46 -0500

It's maybe ironic to hear, during the busiest travel week of the year, that nobody will be heading to space. At least no rich-ass civilians, now that the International Space Station permanent crew has doubled to six astro/cosmonauts. [AP/USNews]

Mininova Goes Legit, Saddens Everyone [BitTorrent]

Jason Chen — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:48:05 -0500

Mininova, the other popular BitTorrent tracker, just went legal-only. No more downloading episodes of Dexter or Mad Men off of it, but there plenty of other trackers out there still. [Mininova Blog]

A MacGyver Chef Thanksgiving: Making Choco-Cranberry Mousse With a Hair Dryer [Macgyver Chef]

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500

To honor this most culinary holiday, I found a dessert recipe that, in true MacGyver fashion, can be made with equipment found in a hotel room. Here, a hair dryer provides heat—but couldn't save this disasterpiece.

This recipe is for an ultra-simple chocolate-cranberry mousse, chosen for its simplicity (only a few easily-obtainable ingredients and no advanced skills needed). It's also appropriate for Thanksgiving, being a sticky-sweet dessert with cranberries, and doesn't require any baking (only chilling, and this time of year, that means "put it outside"). It does, however, require some mild heat to create both the chocolate base and the mousse itself—and instead of using something boring like a microwave or saucepan, you can actually use an ordinary hair dryer.

Equipment:
• Handheld hair dryer
• Mixing bowls (anything metal works—an ice bucket, aluminum tin the pie crust came in, whatever)
• Whisk (or fork)
• Measuring cup

Ingredients:
• Pre-made pie crust
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup vanilla-flavored white chocolate chips
• 1.75 cups heavy whipping cream, plus 2 tbsp
• Orange zest
• Whole-berry cranberry sauce

Notes: Recipe adapted from this one—the original is a traditional recipe, using traditional tools, but "low heat" is just so ambiguous that I started looking around for an unexpected source of heat. I found it in a hair dryer. Also, I cheated and used a whisk to whip the cream, but a fork will do the job—it'll take awhile and it's a bit of a forearm workout, but it'll work.

Step 1: Get your pie crust ready. In the interest of forming a recipe that could be made in a hotel room, I first tried one of those cookie crusts that doesn't need baking—huge mistake. As soon as I tried to spread the chocolate base on it, the crust crumbled like my self-confidence, becoming a mass of gooey disgusting chocolate cookie (pictured above). I ended up going with a frozen pie crust, which unfortunately needs to be pre-baked—not very MacGyvery.

Step 2: Mix your gross vanilla-flavored chips with a half cup of the heavy cream in a medium-sized metal mixing bowl. Turn your hair dryer on high and hold it against the bottom of the bowl, and with your other hand stir the chip-cream mixture slowly until smooth. Once it's smooth (shouldn't take more than a few minutes), cover and chill.

I found the best way to perform this balancing act was to point the hair dryer straight up, put the bowl on the nozzle, and press the whole precarious contraption into a table for some kind of stability. This is, of course, highly dangerous. Hopefully your hair dryer, like mine, is flat on the bottom side, but if worse comes to worst (or if you're some kind of wuss), have somebody else hold the hair dryer.

Take another mixing bowl, or the first one if you've moved the results of Step 2 to a different vessel, and mix the semisweet chocolate chips with 2 Tbsp of the cream. Repeat the hair dryer chocolate-melting technique and stir until smooth. Spread this chocolate mixture on the bottom of the pie crust and chill.

Step 3: Beat the rest of the cream, 1.25 cups worth, until it's stiff whipped cream. This is kind of a pain in the ass if you don't have an electric beater, which if you're using this recipe you surely don't, but it doesn't take that long with a whisk. As much as I'd like to use aerosol whipped cream here, it won't work; you've got to fold some stuff into the whipped cream and the aerosol type would deflate.

Step 4: Fold the vanilla chocolate chip mixture into the whipped cream, along with about a third of a small orange's worth of zest. That's about a teaspoon, if you can figure out a way to actually measure zest. Here I ran into my most damning problem: My whipped cream wasn't quite whipped enough. It seemed fine as I set down the whisk, but I guess it wasn't stiff enough because it sort of lost its stiffness and turned into puffy cream rather than whipped cream once I folded the vanilla and orange zest into it. Try not to cry directly into this mixture: You'll want to, because it's the most depressing thing you've ever cooked, but it will add unwanted saltiness.

Step 5: Get out your pie crust and layer about a third of a can of repulsive cranberry gelatin product on top of the chocolate that's already there. Then layer the quivering mass of nearly-whipped cream, horrible artificially flavored vanilla chocolate chips, and orange zest on top of the cranberry. The recipe I used calls for you to run a knife through the finished pie to marble the white top with red from the cranberries, but I used that jello cranberry stuff, which is too solid to really spread color around. I halfheartedly ran the knife through anyway but it just looks like somebody really weak tried to slice the pie and barely made it through the whipped cream layer. Anyway, chill this monstrosity for about 6 hours while it sets.

Step 6: Normally this last step would be something cheerful like "Eat!" or "Enjoy!" or "Dig in!" but for God's sake please do not do any of those things. Yeah, I may have extra-ruined it with my un-whipped cream and my can-shaped cranberry jello cylinder of sadness, but in my defense, I think this pie had zero hope to begin with. What I can say is that the hair dryer was not at fault—it's actually not a terrible way to melt chocolate. Usually I'd use a double boiler but that's kind of a pain to set up and honestly I think the hair dryer did pretty much as good a job.

How did it taste? It tasted horrible enough that I actually considered not posting it because I thought it might damage the international reputation of American cuisine. It's horrible enough that I wouldn't eat it while stoned, drunk, or literally starving. The bottom layer of chocolate was way too thick and hard (since it's just melted chocolate with a tiny bit of cream, it's pretty much a candy bar, not a mousse), the naturally vomitous flavor of the cranberry jelly remained woefully unchanged, and the whipped cream tasted like an orange-creamsicle-flavored medicine you might get at the dentist.

This is the worst thing I've ever cooked. Please, nobody ever make this (at least, not the way I did).

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Thanksgiving Message From the iPhone [IPhone]

Adam Frucci — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:17:14 -0500

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Here's a message about the holiday and Black Friday from our friend from Cupertino, the iPhone.

How to Disable the New Google Search [Google]

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Oh you people are never happy. I give you a way to try the new Google Search yesterday, and now you are asking about how to go back to the old one. Fine! Be that way! Here's how:

Yesterday's method only set a cookie in your browser, asking Google to serve a different page layout to you. However, this will affect other Google pages in the wrong way. Googlepedia, for example, renders a very narrow search results page.

To go back, go to your browser preferences and look for the Cookies section—this is generally under Privacy or Security. Now you have three options.

• The brute way: Delete all the cookies.
• The less-brute way: Search for your Google cookies, and delete them all.
• The picky way: Search for your Google cookies and look for this

javascript:void(document.cookie="PREF=ID=20b6e4c2f44943bb:U=4bf292d46faad806:TM=1249677602:LM=1257919388:S=odm0Ys-53ZueXfZG;path=/; domain=.google.com");

and delete it.

Once you are done, go back to Google Search and enjoy the old. [How to Try the New Google Search]

A Taste of Home via a Laptop and a Movie [Image Cache]

Adam Frucci — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

This is a great shot of three soldiers relaxing at their base in Afghanistan, watching movies on their laptops. The real question: what movies are they watching? [Big Picture]

Google Google Google Google [Google]

matt buchanan — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Google Google Google Google Google Google. Oogle. Ogle. Gle. Le. E. Ow.

[GoogleGoogleGoogleGoogle via BuzzFeed]

The Four DSLR Cameras for Every Budget [Digital Cameras]

matt buchanan — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500

We're in kind of a golden age of DSLR cameras. They're cheaper than ever, so they're affordable, and they do more stuff than ever, so the time's right to jump in. Here's our DSLR picks for every (non-pro) budget.

Baby's First DSLR: Nikon D3000

The D3000 is cheap. We're talking a full kit (i.e., it comes with a lens) for just $460, making it the cheapest DSLR kit around. But what really makes it stand out for beginners is a built-in tutorial system that explains how to get certain kinds of shots—like shallow depth of field—in plain English.

Amateur Hour: Canon T1i

The next step up is Canon's T1i. What we like is that it packs a bigger boy's image sensor—it's got the same 15-megapixel sensor as the pricier mid-range 50D—and 1080p video into a camera that's $720 with kit lens. Also, for the money, it edges out Nikon's D5000 on a few points, namely superior video handling and Live View.

Bigger Britches: Nikon D90

Nikon's D90 was the first ever DSLR to shoot 720p video with manual controls, but that's only part of the reason we like it. It's got the awesome image sensor from the semi-pro D300, in a package that's just over $1000. And at that price, it's $100 cheaper than Canon's competing 50D, which has the same image sensor as the cheaper T1i above, but none of the video benefits of either camera.

The Budding Auteur: Canon 7D

The only camera on this list that's more expensive than its competition—the D300s—the 7D overwhelms with DSLR video that's superior to every camera but Canon's very pro 1D Mark IV (which costs $5000). It shoots in 1080p, with full manual controls, and it's amazing what it can do in low light. Besides that, Canon's somehow cheated physics with an 18-megapixel sensor that doesn't explode with noise at high ISO settings, all while cramming a whole bunch of new features, and an actually good autofocus system. It's $1900 with a kit lens.

Beyond here, honestly, you should already have a pretty idea of what you're gonna buy without our help. And if you've got your own opinions about what's best in every price range, let's hear 'em in the comments.

What Would've Happened if Hewlett Packard Built R2-D2 [Image Cache]

Rosa Golijan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:00:00 -0500

Youch. So that's what would happen if HP built astromech droids. Can't say I blame Leia, those error messages make me want to break something, too. Though maybe a lightsaber would've looked more dignified than the baseball bat. [Abstruse Goose]

Fleshbot Reviews the Real Touch, a Video-Synchronized Masturbator [Sex]

Jason Chen — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:20:00 -0500

The Real Touch is like a Fleshlight that moves on its own, pre-synced with the porn you're currently watching on your computer. It's one step closer to simulating having sex with the girl on the screen, but should you buy?

That answer is unclear. Fleshbot tests it out and says that although it has its downsides—PC-only, lots of setup and cleanup, plus it's super expensive—the actual sensation (or sensations, for different orifices) is fantastic.

Head over to Fleshbot (NSFW) to see their review. We'll be covering this as well, from a more technical view to explain how it works, how they get the video synced up and how well it performs as a gadget; albeit a gadget for your penis. [Fleshbot (NSFW)]

First Intercontinental Jetpack Flight Ends With a Wet Crash Landing [Jetpacks]

Rosa Golijan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:40:00 -0500

50-year-old Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy (known aliases: Fusionman and Jetman), was forced to abort his first attempt at a jetpack flight from Africa to Europe with a dive into the Mediterranean Sea. I guess the nicknames didn't come with superpowers.

Seems like jetpacks aren't really the best option for longer distances. But then again, this wasn't Rossy's first time attempting a long-distance jetpack flight either, in fact, this 23-mile trip would've only been one mile longer than his previous (and successful) flight over the English channel. Big difference, of course was that this one ended in failure despite starting with a jump from a plane. Ah well, I'll cheer for his next attempt around New Year's and keep hoping that he'll wear a cape. [Telegraph via Dvice]

Upgrade Your Current Flashlight to an LED Flashlight [DIY]

Adam Frucci — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:00:00 -0500

Why throw your current flashlight away to upgrade to LED when you can keep all the good stuff and just upgrade the light itself? Milwaukee's LED Module flashlight upgrade does just that. [ToolBarn via Core77]

How To Make Any Pair Of Gloves Work With a Touchscreen [DIY]

Sean Fallon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:20:00 -0500

There are commercial gloves designed to work with touchscreens, but you can achieve the same functionality with your current pair of gloves using a needle and some conductive thread.

The iPhone screen is capacative, meaning that it requires your finger to complete a circuit in order to work. So, by sewing some conductive thread in small patches on the fingers of your gloves (a circle of about 1/4" or 6mm in diameter is recommended) and larger patches on the inside area of the fingertip, you should be able to use your touchscreen with an acceptable degree of accuracy.

Still, I have to imagine that this modification would be useless on anything other than tight-fitting gloves. The thick gloves that actually keep your hands warm would be far too bulky. [Instructables via Lifehacker]

Opening Up a Sega Genesis Leads to a Genesis iPhone Dock, Naturally [DIY]

Adam Frucci — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:40:00 -0500

When you find a dead Sega Genesis and you open it up to see what the insides look like, the chances are probably good that you'll end up with a Genesis you can plug your iPhone into. [Gadget Lab]

Yoomi Baby Bottle Heats Milk For You, No Cartridges Required [Food]

Mark Wilson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0500

Self-heating containers aren't a new idea, but rarely are they as practical or reusable as the Yoomi baby bottle.

You simply push a button on the bottle and wait 60 seconds. The milk will be heated to the perfect, baby-friendly temperature.

But unlike, say, those self-heating mocha lattes you can buy at the store, the heating element can be "recharged" by tossing it in boiling water. The liquid inside becomes solid, and the chemical reaction renews for next time. (This works about 100 times before you need another heating pack.)

The Yoomi is on sale in the UK now for $35, though I expect we'll see it reach more retailers over time. And before I get any strange looks from relatives who are reading this post, no, Liz isn't pregnant. I just think the bottle is neat. [MailOnline]

Check Your Receipts When You Exit Radio Shack [Broken]

Jason Chen — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:20:00 -0500

A Consumerist reader was scammed into giving a donation to Livestrong that he didn't consent to, as he found out when he got home and discovered an unauthorized donation on his receipt.

Here's the quick version: employee asks for a Livestrong donation, guy declines, employee charges him for a donation anyway. The customer has been calling and asking for a refund, but all Radio Shack personnel keep telling him to waste gas driving back to the store to get his dollar back.

Yes, it may just be a dollar, but it's called a donation for a reason. Make sure to check your receipts when you exit the Shack, it smells like RS employees are getting some sort of kickback for getting Livestrong donations. [Consumerist]

NES Netbook [NetBooks]

Mark Wilson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:40:00 -0500

If you don't have at least one NES-style accessory incorporated into your daily routine, you've haven't just failed us, you've let down everyone who ever believed in you. Score this NES netbook case for $50. [Etsy via Lilliputing via UberGizmo]

Black Friday Deals List Updated [Black Friday]

Kyle VanHemert — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:20:00 -0500

Our Black Friday List is updated with deals from Vizio, WireFly, HP and Amazon, including an entirely new page for Blu-rays and DVDs. That's in addition to Best Buy, Office Depot, Dell, Target, Walmart, K-mart and more. Start saving here.

Are You Going To Shop On Black Friday? [Question Of The Day]

Sean Fallon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0500

After investigating what I consider the "myth" of Black Friday deals, I'm curious to know how you plan to spend Black Friday. Are you shopping for gifts and gadgets? How will you shop? Or do you have other plans?

White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer Compares Censorship In China To American ISPs [Blockquote]

Sean Fallon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:40:00 -0500

AT&T did not take kindly to remarks made by White House Deputy CTO Andrew McLaughlin comparing oppressive Chinese censorship to the practice of American ISPs.

McLaughlin, a major supporter of net neutrality rules, made the comment in a telecom law conference last Thursday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln law school. Reaction was swift from AT&T's chief lobbyist, Jim Cicconi:

"It is deeply disturbing when someone in a position of authority, like Mr. McLaughlin, is so intent on advancing his argument for regulation that he equates the outright censorship decisions of a communist government to the network congestion decisions of an American ISP. There is no valid comparison, and it's frankly an affront to suggest otherwise," Cicconi said.

Maybe so, but it's a slippery slope. At any rate, the bottom line is that ISPs are going to end up screwing us one way or another—either with some sort of tiered internet, or pricey data caps. [Washington Post]

Passive-Aggressive Gifts for Geeks Who Are Late to Everything [Gift Guide]

matt buchanan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500

If I show up for something on time, it's probably an accident. Some of us just weren't born with internal clocks that sync up with the rest of the world—these gifts are for people who're late for everything.

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock: Step one to showing up on time is getting up on time, and there's simply no way to ignore the siren song Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock. The 113dB blast is almost as loud as a jet plane, and it shakes the entire bed, traumatically jolting even the utterly comatose to life. It's also simply a horrible way to wake up. $43. [Link]

Jolt Caffeinated Gum: Late people don't have time to make coffee or brush their teeth. Jolt's spearmint gum takes care of caffeine and fresh breath in seconds. Sorta. $3-$10. [Link]

Vibram FiveFingers Sprint Shoes: When all else fails—like public transit in New York City—sometimes you've just gotta sprint to where you're going. Vibram's FiveFingers shoes are the footies of choice for Google's Sergey Brin, and the center of a hippie natural running movement. Also, the hideousness should make you run even faster to wherever you're going. $80. [Link]

5 Second Stadium As passive-aggressive as it gets, Namco's 5 Second Stadium is gift that says, "Can't you learn how to tell time, assclown?" $14. [Link]

Motorola Droid: Why a Droid? Two reasons: Using Google Navigation on Android 2.0, nobody can claim they got lost, and on Google Latitude, everybody knows exactly where you're at. $150-$200. [Link]

Tokyoflash Watches: They look awesome, but no one call tell what the hell time it is with these things. $43-$250. [Link]

Casio G-Shock Watch: Casio's G-Shock watches withstand serious abuse and drowning, so excuses like "Oh, I broke my watch" won't exactly fly. And uh, neon green's a real hard color to ignore. $110. [Link]

Hermione's Time Turner: Our fantasy gift, we're talking about the real thing, not the $50 knock off on Amazon. Turn back time, and arrive everywhere right when you're supposed to. Oh, who am I kidding? I'd still be late. Priceless (or $50 on Amazon). [Link]

I was late turning this in, so surely, there's something I missed—toss your own ideas in the comments.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Handbrake DVD Ripper Just Went 64-Bit [Software]

Brian Lam — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:45:02 -0500

Handbrake just updated to 0.9.4 which uses x264 libraries to encode faster and smaller file sizes. On my iMac Core i7 a DVD ripped 25% faster. It also has better xbox and ps3 presets, among other things. It depends on a now unavailable 64-bit version of VLC but you can still download the nightly builds here. [Handbrake]

Shooting Challenge: Thanksgiving [Shooting Challenge]

Mark Wilson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:40:00 -0500

You've got a long weekend to stew in food and everything-but-blood strangers. So take a little time to enter this week's Shooting Challenge: Thanksgiving. (Thermite turkeys optional.)

The official challenge: "Thanksgiving." As always, interpret the theme however you'd like to give us the best shot that you can. (Food shots are always great, but Thanksgiving can mean people, Black Friday trampling and more.)

Of course, if you decide to do food, check out this list of ways you can cheat a bit: Food Styling - Fun Tac, anyone?

The rules:

1. Submissions need to be your own.
2. Photos need to be taken the week of the contest. (No portfolio linking or it spoils the "challenge" part.)
3. Explain, briefly, the equipment, settings and technique used to snag the shot.
4. Email submissions to contests@gizmodo.com.

Send your best entries by the end of SUNDAY at contests@gizmodo.com with "Thanksgiving" in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs or GIFs at 800 pixels wide, and use a FirstnameLastname.jpg naming convention using whatever name you want to be credited with. Include your shooting summary (camera, lens, ISO, etc) in the body of the email. [Image]

LessLoss Blackbody Improves Stereo Sound With Slippery Snake Oil Science [Audio]

Sean Fallon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:39:00 -0500

Step right up and marvel at the latest innovation in audio technology. The LessLoss Blackbody...box...thingy claims to improve stereo sound simply by being placed next to your gear. How does it work? I haven't the slightest idea.

The Blackbody is a high-tech audio accessory which greatly enhances your audio playback experience by addressing the interaction of your audio gear's circuitry with ambient electromagnetic phenomena and modifying this interplay. The Blackbody takes advantage of the quantum nature of particle interaction, and is therefore able to permeate metal, plastic, wood, and other barriers to affect the circuitry inside your components. This altered electromagnetic influence results in profoundly improved sound quality.

Basically, it cleans up audio imperfections that may or may not arise from your gear's interaction with ambient electromagnetic phenomena. Supposedly, this creates a super-clean sound that even "non-audiophiles" can appreciate. Oh, and did I mention that it costs $959? Sounds like a scam to me, but then again, I'm not the person to ask about the validity of this technology. If you are, take a look at the product page and let us all know if it's actually real science. [LessLoss via Engadget]

The Complete List of NewEgg Black Friday Deals [Black Friday]

Rosa Golijan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:25:11 -0500

We were teased with the first leaks, then with an update, but now we've got NewEgg's complete list of Black Friday and pre-Black Friday deals.

PRE-Black Friday Sale from now until 2:59PM PST Wednesday 11/25

$97 - TomTom XL340 GPS - Free Shipping
$149.99 - GARMIN nüvi 1200 3.5" GPS Navigation - Free Shipping
$49.95 - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Free Shipping
$44.99 - Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W 80 PLUS Power Supply - Free Shipping
$49.99 - ViewSonic VFD810-50 8" 800x600 Digital Photo Frame - $1.99 Shipping
$49 - Polaroid DVF-130 Titanium 1.3 MP 2.0" LCD Digital Video Camera - $1.99 Shipping
$199.99 - Canon DC410 Silver 1/6" CCD 2.7" 112K LCD 37X Optical Zoom DVD Cammcorder - $1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - Seagate Expansion 2TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive ST320005EXA101-RK - Free Shipping
$99.99 SAMSUNG S2 640GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive HX-MU064DA/G22 - Free Shipping
$29.99 - Black & Decker CMD3400MB Coffeemaker - Free Shipping
$24.99 - Rosewill - HDMI Switch box 3-in-1 w/ Remote (RME-002) - Free Shipping
$29.99 - Monster - High Speed HDMI cable - 16 FEET - Free Shipping
$1499.99 - LG 55" 16:9 2.4ms 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV 55LH55 - Free Shipping
$399.99 - SAMSUNG 32" 16:9 720p LCD HDTV LN32B360 - Free Shipping
$129.95 - LG Network Blu-ray Disc Player BD370 - Free Shipping
$12.99 - Logitech RX1500 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Corded Laser 1000 dpi Mouse - Free Shipping
$34.99 - Creative Fatal1ty Gaming USB Headset - Free Shipping
$69.99 - Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II 32 watts RMS 2.0 Speakers - Free Shipping
$43.99 - Logitech G11 Gaming Keyboard - Free Shipping
$94.95 - CyberPower Intelligent LCD Series GreenPower UPS - Free Shipping
$24.99 - Microsoft SideWinder X5 Mouse - Free Shipping
$115.99 - ZOTAC IONITX-B-E Intel Atom N230 1.6GHz NVIDIA ION Mini ITX ION Platform Motherboard/CPU Combo - Free Shipping
$149.99 - Intel Entry Storage System SS4200-E NAS Server - Free Shipping
$199.99 - HP MediaSmart Server LX195 640GB - Free Shipping
$64.99 - HIS H467QS1GH Radeon HD 4670 1GB - Free Shipping
$19.99 - SPARKLE SFPX84GS512U2HF GeForce 8400 GS 512MB - Free Shipping

ShellShocker Black Friday Kick Off. That's a deal every 2 hours until 3:00PM! All times listed in PST.

Wednesday 11/25 (Midnight - 1:59AM): $69.99 - A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 - Free Shipping
Wednesday 11/25 (2:00AM - 3:59AM): $10.99 - BELKIN F5D8011 N1 Wireless Notebook Card - Free Shipping
Wednesday 11/25 (4:00AM - 5:59AM): $19.99 - Rosewill R230-P-BK Black Computer Case - Free Shipping
Wednesday 11/25 (6:00AM - 7:59AM): $54.99 - HP DF808C1 8" 800 x 600 Digital Photo Frame - Free Shipping
Wednesday 11/25 (8:00AM - 9:59AM): $159.99 - Hanns•G HH-241HPB Black 23.6" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor Built in Speakers
Wednesday 11/25 (10:00AM - 11:59AM): $69.99 - OLYMPUS FE-26 Black 12.0 MP Digital Camera - Free Shipping
Wednesday 11/25 (12:00PM - 2:59PM): $18.99 - Logitech RX720 Black Cordless Laser Mouse - Free Shipping

Black Friday Starts 3:00PM PST Wednesday 11/25 - Exclusive Sneak Peek

10% Bing.com Cashback on everything!
Available Friday 11/27 at 6:00AM PST: $59.99 - TomTom ONE 140 3.5" GPS Navigation with IQ Routes Technology - 5.99 Shipping
Available Friday 11/27 at 6:00AM PST: $189.99 - Acer Aspire One AOD250-1924 Black Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz) 10.1" WSVGA 1GB Memory 160GB HDD Netbook w/ 6 cell battery (8 hour life) + Free Shipping

Cases & Power Supplies
$59.99 after MIR - COOLER MASTER Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Free Shipping
$24.99 - HEC 6T Series Black MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Free Shipping
$99.99 after MIR - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Free Shipping
$74.99 after MIR - Antec Mini P180 White Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Free Shipping
$84.99 - Thermaltake V9 Black Edition ATX Computer Gaming Chassis Mid Tower - Free Shipping
$59.99 - NZXT BETA EVO Classic Series ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Free Shipping
$39.99 after MIR - RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Free Shipping
$179.99 after MIR - CORSAIR 1000W ATX12V Power Supply - Free Shipping
$59.99 - Thermaltake 500W ATX 12V Power Supply - Free Shipping
$79.99 after MIR - COOLER MASTER 700W ATX12V Power Supply - Free Shipping
$99.99 - Rosewill 1000W ATX12V Power Supply - Free Shipping
$44.99 - ENERMAX Tomahawk 405W Power Supply - Free Shipping
$39.99 - COOLER MASTER Intel Core i7 compatible 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Free Shipping

Cell Phone & Accessories
$8.99 - GRIFFIN - AirCurve for iPhone - 1.99 Shipping
$19.99 - Motorola F3 Unlocked GSM Bar Phone with Speaker Phone - 2.99 Shipping
$8.99 - LG HBM-760 Bluetooth Headset - Free Shipping
$8.99 - Kingston 4GB Micro SDHC Flash Card with microSD/SDHC USB Reader - Free Shipping
$14.99 - Transcend 8GB Micro SDHC Flash Card - Free Shipping

Desktops
$799.99 - iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 938i Intel Core i7 860(2.80GHz) Desktop PC - Free Shipping
$399.99 - CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 2019 Athlon II X2 245(2.9GHz) - Free Shipping

Digital Cameras/Camcorders & Accessories
$99.99 - Creative vado HD White 4GB Pocket Video Cam - 1.99 Shipping
$99 - OLYMPUS Dark Gray 12.0 MP 4X Optical Zoom Wide Angle Digital Camera - 1.99 Shipping
$439.99 - Nikon D40 Black 6.1 MP Digital SLR Camera w/AF-S DX NIKKOR ED 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G II Lens - 1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP 3X Optical Zoom, Dark Gray - 1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP 3X Optical Zoom, Light Gray - 1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP 3X Optical Zoom, Pink - 1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP 3X Optical Zoom, Blue - 1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP 3X Optical Zoom, Green - 1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP 3X Optical Zoom, Orange - 1.99 Shipping
$99.99 - FUJIFILM A235 Silver 12.2 MP 3X Optical Zoom Digital Camera - 1.99 Shipping
$149.99 - Recertified: JVC Everio GZ-MG230 Silver CCD 28X Optical Zoom 30GB HDD Digital Camcorder - Free Shipping
$99.99 - Flip Video Ultra Camcorder - 1.99 Shipping
$39.99 - Aluratek ADVC01F Red 5.0 MP 8x Digital Digital Video Camcorder - 1.99 Shipping

Digital Frames
$59 - Kodak EASYSHARE P725 7" 800 x 600 Digital Photo Frame - 1.99 Shipping
$89.99 - HP DF1200A1 12" 800 x 600 Digital Photo Frame - Free Shipping
$29.99 - ViewSonic VFA713W-10 7" 480 x 234 Digital Photo Frame - 1.99 Shipping

Displays (LCD Monitors)
$129.99 - LG W2230S Glossy Black 21.5" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 1920x1080 - Free Shipping
$79.99 - ACER LCD 18.5" 5MS X183HB RT Monitor - Free Shipping
$89.99 after MIR - ASUS LCD 20" 5MS VH202T-P RT Monitor - Free Shipping
$259.99 - HANNSG LCD 27.5" 3MS HG-281DPB Monitor - Free Shipping
$119.99 - SCEPTRE X226W-1920 Black 21.5" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Free Shipping
$139.99 - Acer P235Hbmid Black 23" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Free Shipping

Flash Memory
$8.99 - Kingston 4G Micro Flash Card with microSD Reader - Free Shipping
$14.99 - Transcend 8GB SDHC Flash Card - Free Shipping

GPS & Car Electronics
$99.99 - Garmin Nuvi 205W 4.3" GPS - Free Shipping
$169.99 - nüvi 265WT 4.3" GPS with FM Live traffic - Free Shipping
$179.99 - nüvi 1350T 4.3" GPS Navigation with FM Live traffic - Free Shipping
$79.99 - TomTom One 130 3.5" Portable GPS Navigation - Free Shipping
$97 - TomTom XL 340 4.3" GPS Navigation - Free Shipping
$299.99 - TomTom GO 740 Live gps - Free Shipping
$169.99 - TomTom GO 630 4.3" GPS - Free Shipping
$49.99 - Clarion CD/MP3/WMA Receiver Model CZ109 - Free Shipping
$159.99 - Valor AM/FM/DVD Receiver with 7" Touch Screen Monitor - Free Shipping
$59.99 - TomTom ONE 140 3.5" GPS Navigation with IQ Routes Technology - 5.99 Shipping

Home & Office
$45.99 - Fellowes P70CM Cross Cut Shredder - Free Shipping
$31.99 - Verizon V100AM-2 Cordless Phone w/answering machine and CID - Free Shipping
$22.99 - DeLonghi DCG39 Coffee Grinder - Free Shipping
$19.95 - Oster 4207 Electric Wine Opener - Free Shipping
$34.99 - Oster 5716 Food Steamer - Free Shipping
$32.99 - Tatung THWP3L Water Dispensee - Free Shipping
$64.99 - Tatung 1500W Induction Cook Top - Free Shipping
$19.99 - George Foreman GR12 Super Champ Grill - Free Shipping
$51.88 - Sunbeam 5891 Programmable Breadmaker - Free Shipping
$22.49 - Maxi-Matic EPB-1800 Blender - Free Shipping
$19.99 - 5.5 Cup Electronic Rice Cooker White - Free Shipping
$139.99 - Eureka 8853AVZ Capture+Pet Lover Upright Vacuum - Free Shipping
$14.99 - Mr. Coffee TF5 4-Cup Coffee Maker - Free Shipping
$19.95 - Mr. Coffee TM32W Ice Tea Maker - Free Shipping
$19.99 - Sunbeam 2561 Hand Mixer - Free Shipping
$24.99 - Remington R450SSLTNE Men's Shaver - Free Shipping
$79.95 - Keurig B40 Single Serve Coffee Machine - Free Shipping
$21.99 - Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater - Free Shipping
$26.99 - Ginsu 04878 8-PC Stainless Block Set - Free Shipping
$22.99 - OXO Salad Spinner - Free Shipping
$59.99 - Oxo Everyday Kitchen Tool Set - Free Shipping
$49.99 - Black & Decker 6 Slice Toaster Oven - Free Shipping
$19.99 - Conair WW11 Bath Scale - Free Shipping
$49.99 - Soleus HGW-308 Micathermic Heater - Free Shipping
$14.95 - Breville 1856 Stainless Kitchen Scale - Free Shipping

Memory
$12.99 - Dane-Elec 4GB USB Poker Chip with 600 Games - Free Shipping
$29.99 - Patriot DDR 400 1G Desktop Memory - 2.99 Shipping
$249.99 after MIR - Patriot 128G USB Flash Drive - Free Shipping
$69.99 - G.SKILL DDR3 1333 4GB Desktop Memory - Free Shipping
$79.99 - G.SKILL DDR3 1600 4GB Desktop Memory - Free Shipping
$ - OCZ 10% Off DDR3 Memory
$64.99 after MIR - Corsair XMS DDR2 800 4GB kit - Free Shipping

CPUs & Motherboards
$715/843 - AMD 965 Black Edition CPU/ Asus M4A79XTD Motherboard -
$139.99 - Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 Quad-Core Processor - Free Shipping
$99.99 - GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD3L LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Free Shipping
$179.99 - MSI P55-GD80 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Free Shipping
$79.99 - ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Free Shipping
$64.99 - ASUS M4A785-M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Free Shipping
$29.99 after MIR - ECS AM2+/AM3 NVIDIA GeForce 8200 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Free Shipping
$54.99 after MIR - ECS BLACK SERIES P45T-A LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Free Shipping
$58.99 after MIR - ECS A785GM-M AM3 785G R Motherboard - Free Shipping
$249.99 after MIR - EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 X58 3SLI RT Motherboard - Free Shipping
$85.99 after MIR - ZOTAC IONITX-B-E Intel Atom N230 Motherboard/CPU Combo - Free Shipping
$99.99 - Foxconn R20-S4 Intel 945GC 1 x 240Pin Intel GMA 950 Barebone - Free Shipping
$139.99 - MSI X58M LGA 1366 Intel X58 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Free Shipping
$59.99 - MSI K9A2 CF-F V2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Free Shipping
$174.99 - ASUS P7P55D EVO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Free Shipping
$84.99 after MIR - Asus P5Q Pro Motherboard - Free Shipping

Networking
$49.99 - NETGEAR WNR2000 Wireless-N Router - Free Shipping
$39.99 - LINKSYS WRT120N Wireless Home Router - Free Shipping
$129.99 - D-Link DGL-4500 Gaming Router - Free Shipping
$39.99 - TRENDnet TEW-639GR Wireless Router - Free Shipping
$39.99 - ASUS WL-520gU Wireless Router - Free Shipping
$9.99 - Rosewill USB 2.0 Wireless 1x1 Pre-N Adapter - Free Shipping

Notebooks/Netbooks
$199.99 - Gateway Red 10.1" Netbook, Intel Atom N270(1.6GHZ) - Free Shipping
$199.99 - Gateway NightSky Black 10.1" Netbook, Intel Atom N270(1.6GHZ) - Free Shipping
$449.99 - Sony Vaio 15.5" Intel PDC - Free Shipping
$649.99 - HP Pavilion 15.6" HP Gaming Notebook - Free Shipping
$189.99 - Acer Aspire One Black Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz) Netbook - Free Shipping

Optical Drives & Media
$49.99 - LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Disc Reader - Free Shipping
$129.99 - LG Black WH08LS20K Blu-ray Burner - Free Shipping
$34.99 - Samsung SE-S224Q R External DVD - Free Shipping
$39.99 - Rosewill USB 2.0 External Slim 8X DVD Burner - Free Shipping
$39.99 - PLEXTOR PX-880SA SW R DVD Burner - Free Shipping

PC Accessories
$14.99 - Rosewill RKV-2UC 2-Port USB KVM Switch - Free Shipping
$23.99 - Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 - Free Shipping
$43.99 - Logitech G11 keyboard - Free Shipping
$46.99 - Logitech Black Cordless Ergonomic Desktop Wave Keyboard/Mouse Combo - Free Shipping
$69.99 - Silver/Black 8 ButtonsCordless Laser Rechargeable Air Mouse - Free Shipping
$29.99 after MIR - Logitech V550 Nano laser mouse - Free Shipping
$15.99 - Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 - Blue - Free Shipping
$26.99 - Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 1.3 M Effective Pixels USB Webcam - Free Shipping
$34.95 - SENNHEISER PC151 3.5mm Circumaural Headset - Free Shipping
$39 - Recertified: Gyration GYT8101 GYROTRANSPORT Air Mouse - 5.99 Shipping
$49 - Recertified: Gyration GYT8102 GYROTRANSPORT Air Mouse - 5.99 Shipping
$39.99 - Gigabyte GM-M7800S mouse - Free Shipping
$34.99 - Creative Fatal1ty Gaming USB Headset - Smaller Box - Free Shipping
$34.99 - Creative 73VF040000010 Notebook Pro WebCam - Free Shipping
$49.99 - Creative Sound Blaster Arena USB Gaming Headset - Free Shipping
$49.99 - Adesso WKB-3000UB wireless mini Keyboard - Free Shipping
$14.99 - PLANTRONICS .Audio 480 3.5mm/ USB Canal Stereo Headset - Free Shipping
$59 - Gunner Catalyst Shredder Espresso Digital Performance Eyewear - Free Shipping
$24.99 - Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card - Free Shipping
$69.99 - Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II 32 watts RMS 2.0 Speakers - Free Shipping
$15.99 - Pixxo SS-4697 7 Watts RMS 2.1 Stereo Speakers - Free Shipping
$94.95 - UPS CYBERPOWER|CP1000AVRLCD RT - Free Shipping
$24.99 - Rosewill RX-358-S BLK (Black) 3.5" SATA to USB & eSATA Ext. Enclosure w/Int.80mm fan - Free Shipping
$34.99 - Rosewill R2-JBOD Aluminum 3.5" USB 2.0 DUAL-BAY External Enclosure - Free Shipping
$14.99 - Rosewill RHB-320 7 Ports USB 2.0 Hub with Power Adapter - Free Shipping
$14.99 - Rosewill RTK-045 45 Piece Premium Computer Tool Kit - Free Shipping

Portable Electronics
$19.99 - Sony Premium White Headphones with Gold Plated Connector (MDR-EX56LP/Whi) - Free Shipping
$49.99 - Creative ZEN Mozaic 1.8" Black 4GB MP3 Player - Free Shipping
$68 - Recertified: Microsoft Zune 30GB Digital Media Player with FM Radio and Wireless Connectivity - Free Shipping
$137 - Aluratek "Libre" E-Book Reader Pro with 5" Display, Black - 1.99 Shipping
$9.99 - Rosewill 4 Port USB Charger RUC-6180 - Free Shipping
$79.99 - YAMAHA YPT220 PAK 61 Key Keyboard w/AC Adapter, Keyboard Stand & Headphones - Free Shipping
$19.99 - Energizer - Protective Case w/ Built-in Battery for iPhone (AP1500) - 1.99 Shipping

Printers
$64.99 - HP Officejet J4680 CB783A 4800 x 1200 dpi Wireless Thermal Inkjet MFC / All-In-One Color Printer - Free Shipping
$89.99 - Canon PIXMA MP560 3747B002 9600 x 2400 dpi Wireless InkJet MFC / All-In-One Color Printer - Free Shipping

Servers
$109.99 - SANS DIGITAL TowerRAID TR4M-B - 4 Bay SATA to eSATA (Port Multiplier) JBOD / RAID 0, 1, 1+0, 5 Enclosure - Free Shipping
$299.99 - acer Aspire Easystore H340 Intel Atom 1.6Ghz 2GB 1TB GBLAN 4 Bay Hotswap Windows Home Server - Free Shipping

Software
$69.95 - Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Licensed for 3 PCs - Free Shipping
$23.99 - Acronis True Image Home 2010 Amaray Case - Free Shipping
Free after MIR - AVG Internet Security 2YR/3U 9.0 - Free Shipping

Storage
$214.99 - Intel X25-M Mainstream 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Free Shipping
$49.99 - Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Free Shipping
$89.99 - Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD6400BEVT 640GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive - Free Shipping
$99.99 - Western Digital Elements 640GB USB 2.0 Midnight Black Portable Hard Drive WDBAAR6400ABK-NESN - Free Shipping
$97.99 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Free Shipping
$89.99 - Seagate Momentus 7200.4 ST9500420AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive - Free Shipping
$139.99 - Seagate Barracuda LP ST32000542AS 2TB 5900 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - Free Shipping
$159.99 - Fantom Drives G-Force 2TB USB 2.0 / eSATA External Hard Drive GF2000EU - 9.7
$149.99 - Seagate Expansion 2TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive ST320005EXA101-RK - Free Shipping
$18.99 - Kingston DataTraveler 8GB (4GB x 2) USB2.0 Flash Drive Twin Pack (2pcs) Model DTI/4GB-2P - Free Shipping
$59.99 - CORSAIR Flash Voyager 32GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Model CMFUSB2.0-32GB - Free Shipping
$129.99 after MIR - HITACHI Deskstar HD32000 IDK/7K 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Free

TV & Home Theater
$74.99 - Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player - Free Shipping
$1.99 - Cables Unlimited - Select HDMI Cable - 6 FEET - Free Shipping
$44.99 - Logitech Harmony 659 Universal Infrared Remote Control - Free Shipping
$14.99 - Rosewill - Free Angel HDMI cable (10 FEET) - Free Shipping
$99.99 - Polk Audio PSW10 Black 10-inch Powered Subwoofer Single - Free Shipping
$479.99 - Polk Audio SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater System - Free Shipping
$99.99 - LG Blu-ray Disc Player BD270 - Current shipping
$99.99 - sling MEDIA SC100-100 SlingCatcher Watch Digital Media On TV From Slingbox, PC, Internet - Free Shipping
$149.99 - SAMSUNG Blu-Ray Disk Player BD-P1600 - Free Shipping
$199.99 - SAMSUNG Blu-ray Disk Player BD-P3600 - Free Shipping
$399.99 - LG 32" 16:9 1080p LCD HDTV 32LF11 - No FS
$549.99 - LG 42" 720p LCD HDTV 42LH20 - 29.99 Shipping
$847.99 - SAMSUNG 46" 16:9 6ms 1080p LCD HDTV LN46B500 - Free
$1399.99 - LG 60" 1080p 600Hz Plasma HDTV 60PS11 - No FS
$479.99 - LG 42" 720p 600Hz Plasma HDTV 42PQ10 - 19.99 Shipping
$99.99 - Recertified: SHARP 19" 16:9 720p LCD HDTV LC-19SB25U - No FS
$699.99 - SHARP 46" 16:9 4ms 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV LC-46SB57U - 39.99 Shipping
$159.99 - Sharp Recertified: 19" 720p LCD HDTV, 1366 x 768,TSC/ NTSC/QAM Tuner, HDMI - Free Shipping
$397.99 - SAMSUNG 32" 16:9 720p LCD HDTV LN32B360 - Free Shipping
$597.99 - SAMSUNG 40" 1080p LCD HDTV LN40B500 - Free
$395.99 - SCEPTRE 37" 16:9 6ms 720p LCD HDTV X370BV-HD - 29.99 Shipping
$299.99 - Honeywell Altura 32" 16:9 720p LCD HDTV MT-HWJCT32B4AB - 19.99 Shipping
$159.99 - REMOTE LOGITECH 915-000035 RTL - Free Shipping
$299.99 - COMBO: YAMAHA 5.1-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver RX-V365 + Energy Take 5 Pack 5CH Home Theater Speaker System + Free Shipping

Video Cards
$64.99 - HIS H467QS1GH Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Free Shipping
$99.99 - Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229 PCI-Express x1 Interface - Free Shipping
$89.99 - PNY VCGGTS2501XPB GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 - Free

Video Consoles & Games
$299.99 - Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle w/Lego Batman & Pure & Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite 120 GB Hard Drive Black - Free Shipping
$199.99 - Nintendo Wii Console White - Free Shipping
$39.99 - SONY DUALSHOCK3 Wireless Controller - Free Shipping
$299.99 - Playstation 3 Slim 120GB System - Free Shipping
$39.99 - Batman: Arkham Asylum Playstation3 Game Warner Bros. Studios - Free Shipping
$39.99 - Batman: Arkham Asylum Xbox 360 Game Warner Bros. Studios - Free Shipping
$39.99 - Halo 3: ODST Xbox 360 Game Microsoft - Free Shipping
$39.99 - Forza 3 Xbox 360 Game Microsoft - Free Shipping
$19.99 - World of Warcraft: Battle Chest PC Game BLIZZARD - Free Shipping

* Prices and availability are subject to change

Wowza. Lotsa deals. You can find all the product links on NewEgg's Facebook page and also see updates on what's already sold out. [Facebook—Thanks, Thai!]

The Best Gadgets [Bestmodo]

Brian Lam — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500

"What gadget should I get?" is a timeless question. To answer it, here's our leaderboard of favorite gadgets, from smartphones, laptops and cameras to vacuums, rechargeable batteries and earphones.

Last updated Nov 25th, 2009 but we'll update this list as the new stuff replaces the old and crusty. We read and write reviews so you don't have to!

Smartphones

• The Best Smartphones: We like the iPhone, the Motorola Droid because it runs Android 2.0 operating system, and the Palm Pre for people who have stuck with Sprint. We do not like anything Symbian or Windows Mobile 6.5, for the time being. (But are excited for Windows Mobile 7.)

• Cheapest Android Phones: Droid Eris and HTC Hero.

• The Best Smartphones, By Carrier: We sorted out theses answers on Nov 24th, but this category moves quickly so stay sharp when researching.

• Best Windows Mobile Phone We Wish Didn't Run Windows Mobile 6.5: The HTC HD2

• Best BlackBerry: If you're into phones with exceedingly reliable push email, the Bold 9700 is your phone. (We don't like Blackberry's touchscreen interfaces, so the Storms are no good.)

• Non-Smartphones: You mean dumbphones? No thank you.

Computers

• Netbook: If you must get one of these small, cheap and utterly slow machines, the HP Mini 311 with ion graphics is a good one.

• Netbook for Hackintoshing: Dell Mini 10v (and it must be the v) is the top choice. Here's our guide to making it run OS X.

• Laptop: Our bias for OS X and Windows 7 becomes apparent in our choice of hardware that can run both without hacking. Macbook Pros. (Plus, we like unibody construction.)

• Best Non-Apple Laptops: Dell's Adamo XPS may not be fast but it is "insane," raising the bar on design and quality outside of Cupertino. We also like Thinkpads in general, like the X series and the new multitouch t400s. (It's probably also worth noting that Asus and Toshiba recently came out on top in reliability.)

• Gaming Laptops and Desktops: Our friend Will Smith at Maximum PC likes these two laptops and two desktops. I personally like Xbox.

• All in One: We like the iMac, the HP Touchsmart and although we haven't used it yet, the Sony Vaio L because it can double as a TV even when the PC is off. The PCs here have infrared touchscreens, so they do multitouch, but in a really shoddy way.

• MIDs: We hate MIDs. Always have, always will. Intel said they had the tech to make them; but the world never had the need. It either fits in a backpack and lets you do real work on a real screen and keyboard, or it fits in your pocket. There's no real need for anything inbetween.

• Operating Systems: Windows 7 or Snow Leopard

• Network attached storage: We like the HP Mediasmart series with upnp, iTunes and Time Machine servers among other things. But the Iomega NAS is only a little less fancy and costs half the price.

Audio

• The Best receiver under $1000: We haven't tested one in awhile, but we're going to go out on a limb and say we like Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha and Pioneer gear. While some of our own testing is in progress, we'll go with what our friends at Sound and Vision like: The Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1 receiver with 4HDMI ports and THX certification for $900.

• The Best High-End Portable Media Players: Zune HD and the iPod Touch. We Like the Zune pass system a lot, which allows you to keep 10 songs a month out of your unlimited downloads, even after you stop subscribing. But the iPod Touch's large app library makes it a powerful little computer.

• Best high-capacity media player: iPod classic is pretty much the only one left, since Zune has been discontinued and Archos is a mess.

• Flash Media Drives: We've always loved the screenless shuffle's utility, but there are other drives to be had with more functionality for cheaper. Especially now that the buttonless iPod shuffle is sort of annoying to use. We like the Sandisk Sansa Clip+.

• Surround Soundbar: There's only one series of soundbars that uses cold war submarine tech to bounce soundwaves off your walls for surround, and they're made by Yamaha. I tested the YSP-4000.

• iPod Speaker Dock: JBL OnStage 400p (A winner from last year — I'm almost certain we should be retesting this category)

Video

• Best HDTV under $1000: Panasonic's X1 series plasmas, and four more here.

• Best HDTVs, period: Here.

• 1080p Projectors Under $1000: The Vivitek H1080FD is one we like, although we have not tested many.

• Best Monitors: If your'e a Mac user, the 24-inch Cinema Display has a built in magsafe adapter. The Asus 23-inch VH236H is good deal at about $230, but Samsung and Dell are our solid choices for monitor brands, as well.

• The Best Pocket Projectors: There is no such thing, friend. Wait a generation or 3.

• Blu-ray player: The LG BD390 with WiFi with Netflix and DivX playback is awesome, but we'll never leave out the PS3!

• Media Streamers for People Who Hate iTunes or Love Piracy: The WDTV Live is a good one for people who like it easy, but hackers will probably choose Popcorn Hour, both which did well in our battlemodo. (Stay tuned, cuz that $99 Asus O!Play may soon be the champ.)

Cameras

• Best Entry-Level Video-Capable DSLR: Canon T1i

• Best Midrange DSLR: The Nikon D90 has the same sensor as the D300 at a better price.

• Best Prosumer DSLRs: The Canon 7D is great at shooting video and has great low light performance for an 18MP camera.

• Best Flash Camcorder: The Flip Ultra HD.

• Best Quality Point and Shoot: We like the Canon G11 (which is pretty big, but pretty wonderful.)

• A Camcorder We Like: We haven't tested any in awhile, but we tend to like DSLRs that shoot video or cheap flash camcorders. If you must have a camcorder, our friends at CamcorderInfo liked the Panasonic HDC-TM300 for ~$1000.

• Best Point and Shoot: We like the Canon S90, even though we're sure there are slimmer cameras. This uses the same sensor as the G11 and a faster lens, so it takes great shots for a slim.

• Best Rugged Cameras: The Pentax W80 is the best all around camera because of it's depth and temperature ratings and size. The Lumix has the best picture quality but is a bit of a wimp with low thresholds for dives and temperatures. Canon's the best for water only because of its huge nose. And the outstandingly rugged Olympus has a fatal flaw, which is its terrible video.

• Best Helmet Camera: We love the GoPro Hero HD Wide because it mounts anywhere, is really waterproof and lives in a protected case. Plus, 1080p for $250 bucks.

• Best Slow Motion Pocket Camera: Casio EX FC100

Random Stuff

• The Best iPhone Apps: Here's our monthly list of iPhone Apps, as well as our weekly roundups of the best new releases.

• The Best iPhone GPS Apps: Motion X GPS is our favorite value GPS app, but ALK's CoPilot is another cheap champ. Navigon is still the classiest, but it costs a lot. (We're hoping for free Google Maps with Navigation to come to iPhone.)

• The Best Android Apps: There aren't as many Android apps out, but here are the ones we think are worth checking out.

• Ebook reader: Until we review a Nook, the Kindle 2 is still king.

• USB drive: The Patriot Xporter is fast, but if you have cash to spare, the Corsair Voyager GT is slightly faster and has 128GB of space.

• The Best Video Game Console: Xbox 360

• The Best Video Service: Anything, really, combined with Hulu and Netflix (for free old stuff).

• Best mid-tier office chairs: Herrman Miller Setu and Steelcase Cobi.

• Vacuums: We will always be loyal to Sir James Dyson because he tried to sell bagless vacuum tech to big vacuum corporations and they shut him down motivated by the profitability of bag sales. Then he started his own company. His machines are loud, but you can't argue with their industrial design. Here's his latest handheld and ball vacuum.

• Routers: D-Link Dir685. I know it has a digital picture frame built into it, but it also has a HDD and a bittorrent client. And Jason says it's been more reliable than the top line Linksys he tested it against. I also like the Time Capsule, but haven't yet tested the one with 2x the wireless performance.

• The Best Headphones: For in ear buds, we like the Shure SE110/SE115, Ultimate Ears Metro.fi and Etymotics hf5 won our tests. (The Last updated August 2008, so look for updates to winners.) We like the Klipsch Image S4i earbuds for people who want to use the iPhone's voice control or iPod shuffle's Voiceover function. For Bluetooth stereo headsets, we like the Motorola s305.

• Rechargeable Batteries: Duracell destroyed Energizer, and kept up with the legendary Sanyo Enerloops.

• Mice: For gaming, the Microsoft Sidewinder X8. The Logictech MX1100 for regular mousing. And the Magic Mouse is not amazing, but it's pretty good if you have a Mac—the best mouse Apple has ever made.

• Keyboard: We like the Logitech DiNovo.

Suggestions? Requests for review? Leave em in the comments or email us!

Windows 7 Passes Mac OS X Install Base [Windows]

Jason Chen — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:59:32 -0500

It was going to happen eventually, since Windows has 18 times OS X's marketshare, but Windows 7 already passed Apple's install base about a month after having been released. Again, not a surprise, but it is interesting how many people already upgraded to Windows 7 (or bought a new machine with Windows 7 on it). [Computerworld]

Gadget Deals of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Kyle VanHemert — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:59:00 -0500

With Black Friday right around the corner, today might well be your last chance to get some stress-free savings. Because from here on out its Tryptophan, tramplings, gifts and grandparents.

Top Deals:
• 13.3" Apple MacBook (Latest Generation) for $884.99 plus free shipping (normally $999 - use this form).
• Eye-Fi 4GB Wireless SDHC Flash Card w/ Adapter for $29.99 (normally $69).
• 1Password Pro (iPhone) for $0 (normally $4.99).

Hobomodo:
• 1Password Pro (iPhone) for $0 (normally $4.99).
• Signed Bookplates for Freakonomics for $0 (use this form).
• Slice of Pumpkin Pie at Bob Evans from 11/27 to 11/29 for $0 (use this form).
• Dunkin Donuts Packaged Coffee Sample for $0 (use this form).

If a deal looks too good to be true, investigate the store and see if it's a good, reputable place to buy. Safe shopping!

[Thanks TechDealDigger, Dealzon, Logic Buy, GamerHotline, Cheap College Gamers, CheapStingyBargains and TechBargains.]

Astro A40 Chat Headset Review [Review]

Mark Wilson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:40:00 -0500

The Astro A40 is the premier chat-ready 5.1 surround sound gaming headset on the market, compatible with Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. But unlike the Turtle Beach X41, it's wired.

Price

$250 with mixamp needed to combine chatting and surround sound.

Verdict

I still vastly prefer the convenience of Turtle Beach's wireless X41 headset, but I have to admit, the Astro A40 sounds better.
Playing Borderlands, everything from the growls of skaggs to the cadence of machine gun fire sounded richer and rounder on the A40s than my X41s. Maybe the sounds weren't always as distinct, but especially when cranking the volume on each headset, I realized the general listenability—the whole package of sound—was more pleasant with Atro's product, making me long for hearing loss. It's a difference in mid range that, while not absolutely Earth-shattering, will probably be noticeable to most in a side-by-side test.

Both headsets have extremely similar sound localization. And chatting, on both, is an equal joy.

But there's one, huge, horrible, despicable Achilles' heel to the Astro A40s. To connect the headset to an Xbox 360 (or PS3/PC), wires will invade your entire living room because the console needs to plug twice into a mixamp (the big, retro box you see in the lead photo), then the mixamp connects your headphones and controller. That's confusing, I know. Here's the full workflow:

Xbox 360 optical out and USB cord => A40 Mixamp => Headphones/Mic and Xbox 360 controller.
Ultimately, not only are you negotiating four wires for this one headset, but you'll still be tethered close to your console because of one, generally short/inflexible wire: the optical cord from your Xbox to the Mixamp (you can always opt for stereo plugs, but that sort of spoils the fun).

So while I knew the A40s sounded a bit better than my X41s, I couldn't kick back and enjoy the game in the same way. For one long cord or tight quarters PC gaming, I might opt for the A40s. For four cords sprawled across my living room, I'm sticking with the X41s—especially since they're $50+ less.

Maybe you'll feel differently.

Excellent sound

Headphones work with any 3.5mm source, too

Wiring gets obnoxious

Gifts For Lazy People Who Could Use a Smarter Home [Gift Guide]

Sean Fallon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0500

If you know someone who would benefit by turning more of the day-to-day operation of their home over to gadgets, we have several products you might be interested in (and one you shouldn't be).

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Husqvarna Automower: Come Springtime, the recipient of an Automower from Husqvarna is going to be calling you up every weekend to say thanks because he no longer needs to mow his lawn. The Automower works much like a Roomba does, mapping out the lawn (up to a 1/2 acre) and cutting it frequently in random pattens—so you don't need to worry about bagging. Plus, the top-of-the-line version is a solar electric hybrid, meaning that it's inexpensive to operate in the long term. Most versions even return to the charging base autonomously so the process is literally set it and forget it. $1300-$3000 [Husqvarna via Link]
Savant's TrueImage Home Automation System: If money wasn't an object, I'm pretty sure you would hit a home run with anyone this holiday if you gave them a Savant TrueImage home automation system. It allows the user to control devices in their home by interacting with an image of a room as opposed to confusing menus:

Savant's TrueImage technology gives you fingertip control via a simple tap on a wide angle image of each room in your home. Each touch allows you to dim and turn on/off lights, lower or raise shades, even turn on/off your audio and video components. Instead of interacting with confusing icons, TrueImage allows you to simply touch the actual light or shade in that room. Not only does the light in the room turn on or dim (if you press and hold the represented light), but it also illuminates on the touch panel confirming your command.

Pricing Varies [Savant and Link]
Chefstack Automatic Pancake Maker: Would you be crazy to buy a $3500 pancake maker as a gift? Well, how much do your friends like pancakes? And I do mean all of your friends because this thing cranks out 200 perfectly-formed low fat pancakes (in three-sizes) per hour. Essentially, it's one big gift for all of your pancake-loving friends, and an even bigger gift for yourself when you visit. $3500 [Chefstack via Link]
Iomega's Ix2-200 NAS: If you know someone looking for a network storage solution, they will surely be thrilled with the Iomega Ix2-200. It does a lot of things for the price, and our hands-on review revealed that it does those things pretty well:

Features:

• Automated backup and restore: Full Time Machine support for Macs as well as Retrospect, a different backup scheme, for PCs and Macs.
• Automated copy jobs, which can automatically and incrementally copy (either with Windows file sharing or rsync) files off of network shares and dump it onto its own storage, or the other way around. Perfect for backing up other network shares for double data security
• RAID1
• DLNA, iTunes Servers
• Quiet running
• SMB features like email notifications, event logs, iSCSI, automated video surveillance (provided you have a compatible camera) and USB printer support
• A load of networking support, like Apple File Sharing, Bluetooth, FTP, NFS, Rsync, SNMP and standard Windows File Sharing (CIFS)
• Torrent downloading
• Remote access

$700 [Iomega Review and Iomega]
Schlage Link Doorlocks: If you know someone who travels frequently or has kids that get home before they do, a product from the Schlage Link line would a make nice, practical gift. The devices allow you to monitor and control access to your home remotely via a cellphone or other web-enabled device. Schlage Link thermostats and security cameras can also be added on to the system if you are interested in more security and control. Prices Vary Depending on Configuration [Amazon and Schlage via Link]
Vue Wireless Home Monitoring System: With the Vue, a loved one could monitor their home, their kids, and a suspicious babysitter or housekeeper remotely. The system consists of one central gateway and two tiny battery-powered wall-mountable wireless cameras for a relatively affordable price. $300 [Vue Review and Vuezone]
DON'T BUY the Book: Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker: Just take a look at this video. I love chicken just as much as the next guy, but come on. This is why we have KFC. $20 [Amazon]
SmartLink Insteon: Serious home automation systems can be ridiculously expensive, but the SmartLinc Insteon can give users some of the same functionality at a fraction of the cost. The Insteon controllers is installed between the device and the wall outlet, allowing you to turn it on and off via your cellphone (optimized for iPhone and iPod Touch) or other web-enabled device. $130 [Smarthome Thanks Doug!]

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite home automation gadget in the comments-include pics and pricing if possible.
All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Why You Should Ignore Black Friday Cellphone Deals [Black Friday]

John Herrman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:53:38 -0500

Forget TVs, laptops and Blu-ray players, this year's go-to Black Friday doorbusters are smartphones. And as tantalizing as the deals might look, do yourself a favor. Pretend you never saw them.

It's a reliable rule of thumb for the rest of the year, made invaluable by the Black Friday hype: Unless you are planning on buying a smartphone anyway—a specific smartphone, on a specific carrier—upfront price deals are a trap. And even though this may seem obvious to a lot of people, some advice is worth repeating, especially with National Irresponsible Impulse Buy Day bearing down on us like some kind of perfectly prophesied minipocalypse. A friendly reminder, about math and the human psyche, from your Gizmodo!

Take the $80 Motorola Cliq at Radio Shack. It's advertised as a huge cut; implicit in the deal is that you're getting 60% off of your new Android phone, which feels great. But what you're really getting is a 6% discount off your total cumulative cost of owning the phone, which, if you get a data plan, is originally at least $1880.

Granted, $120 is still $120, and if you were planning on entering a multi-thousand-dollar two-year contract with T-Mobile anyway, the deal is worth a look. Just don't decide to start a new contract because of one of these deals. You're going to be living with this phone, this carrier, and this contract for two whole years—hen you're standing in line at Best Buy, with a misleadingly-priced cellphone in hand and four months left on your current contract, make sure that the five bucks you're going to be saving each month is really worth it to you.

Because chances are, it's not. [Deal via PC Mag (not PCW, as previously written)]

While you're busy not buying a new smartphone, make sure to check out Sean's definitive master list of other crappy deals to avoid.

Autonomous BB-Shooting Mini Mech Is Too Violent For Its Own Good [Robots]

Sean Fallon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:40:00 -0500

Just look how excited this "X-Brat" mini mech gets when it acquires a target. Clearly, it is consumed with the urge to kill. In the end, this proves to be his undoing.

The robot is designed to compete in the Mech Warfare event at RoboGames 2010, where he will be let loose on other robots to quench his insatiable lust for carnage. Let's hope the designer works out the kinks before X-brat decides to turn his rage on human beings in the crowd. [Trossen Robotics via BotJunkie]

The 5 Best HDTV Deals Under $1000 [TVs]

Gary Merson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500

We teamed with HD Guru Gary Merson again, this time to find the best TVs under $1000. This economy has really shocked prices. Forget the off-brands. You can now get a top-name good-looking 50" TV for $700, and more...

Note: Due to the unprecedented price fluctuations seen on TV pricing this week from online retailers, don't be startled if the prices we brazenly quoted here are off—by pennies or by hundreds. The model numbers are there for a reason, so you can check prices yourself when you're ready to cash out.

Panasonic X1 Plasma Series

Plasma HDTVs provide the best picture performance and these 720p Panasonics—shown up top—are the value champs. Plasma screens have a wider viewing angle than any LCD panel, excellent contrast and color fidelity. The X1s include 600Hz refresh for full motion resolution, an SD card reader for digital photos and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one). Available in 42-inch and 50-inch screen sizes. If you're going to set it up at a distance of 9 feet or more, it's almost silly to spend extra for more resolution.

The best deal is the TC-P50X1, a 50 incher selling for $689.98 at Electronics Expo (via Amazon).

Panasonic S1 Plasma Series

The S1s are Panasonic's least expensive 1080p line to feature its energy saving, high contrast, deep black level Neo PDP plasma technology. In addition to the full 1080 line motion resolution and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one), there's an SD card reader. If you're looking for a Full HD 1080p TV with the excellent performance and don't care about features like internet connectivity or THX-certified picture and sound modes (which the step-up G10 line has), these are the HDTVs for you. Available from 42-inch to 65-inch screen sizes.

Under $1,000, your best shot is the TC-P42S1, a 42-inch set now selling for $797.95 at Amazon.

LG LH30 Series

LG's LH30 is the first step-up from the baseline, maintaining a nice low price but delivering surprisingly good picture quality. This model has a wide-viewing-angle IPS LCD panel, dull-finish anti-glare screen coating (better than the shiny anti-reflective coating at cutting down natural-light reflections, but at a slight cost of contrast), pro color-calibration mode and "Picture Wizard." They add 1080p resolution and Smart Energy Savings for low power consumption. Offered in a range from 32 inches to 47 inches.

We were impressed to find the 47-inch 47LH30 locally for $900, and on Amazon for $938.15.

LG LH40 Series

The LH40 line adds 120Hz to plenty of models below $1000. If that's something you value, this is your best bet. Everything else here comes in the LH30 line, too. It's available in screen sizes ranging from 32 inches to 55 inches.

Locally, we spotted a 47-inch 47LH40 for $980, though it was over $1000 on Amazon. The 42-inch 42LH40 may be the best pick: It's currently $823 on Amazon.

Samsung B550 Series

This series represents Samsung's top 60Hz 1080p HDTVs. They provide excellent overall performance without any of the fancy features found on its higher-end models. They incorporate Samsung's Touch of Color bezel and its 6ms response time LCD panel, and are available in 32-inch to 52-inch sizes. Currently, the 46-inch LN46B550 is priced at $999 on Amazon.

For this story, Gary picked out 10 total deals. He is running the other five on HD Guru, so go have a look. If you came across any other good deals lately, let us know in comments, but be ready to defend the quality, not just the super sick price.

Gary Merson is the HD Guru, the industry's leading HDTV journalist. He's been reviewing TVs for well over a decade, and recently wrote a guide to choosing an HDTV.

Every Mac Price-Compared Across Retailers [Dealzmodo]

Mark Wilson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:59:59 -0500

AppleInsider has a ridiculously handy chart that compares prices on Mac sales across various retailers. Granted, it's not taking into account Apple's Black Friday deals, but there are hundreds of dollars to be saved if you're interested. [AppleInsider]