Blog Archives for December 2010

If you are among the tens of millions of people who own a DLP TV, then at some point in the near future you are going to have to replace the lamp. Are you going to pay $250 to a service technician, or are you going to spend 3 minutes watching our video to find out how you can do it yourself?

We were curious what's on tap for stores and online retailers in 2011, so we checked in with a few retail experts and found some amazing changes coming up. Imagine a world where iPad-wielding clerks can get you anything you want, whether or not the store has it. Find out what's in store at your favorite sotres!

You've put the wrapping paper in the recycling bin, you've put away the tree, now what about the gifts in the reject pile? If you've got a few there that just aren't for you, you are going to join the 68% of people who claim they've regifted, or considered regifting, a holiday present. Here's how to do it right…

The holiday is over, now the headache begins. How do you get rid of the tree, the wrapping paper and all the old gadgets you just replaced? We have the answers for how to reuse, reduce and recycle everything having to do the with holiday.

It just wouldn't be the holidays without a little Elvis spoof. So we've teamed up with Eco Elvis, the only environmentally friendly Elvis impersonator, to bring you "Green Christmas" and some responsible holiday cheer. You don't want to miss this.

With iPhones getting stolen left and right this holiday season, you might want to check your "Find My iPhone" feature to make sure it works. As our writer found out the hard way, the safety feature meant to help thwart thieves doesn't work with all combos of browsers and operating systems. Are you at risk?

Welcome to this, the last Rumor Roundup of 2010! For the most part, it looks like the Internet Rumor Engine has already gone on winter vacation, so it's slim pickin's. But, well, it's winter and traditionally a time of hardship, right? So tighten your belt and dole out small portions, because these are the last you're getting for a while! See you in 2011!

Like designer clothes but don't have time to make it to the boutiques? Top-name fashion designers are now hitting the road in any vehicles they can find &mdash from ice cream trucks to Airstream trailers. We've got the scoop on how to get them to stop at your driveway.

Oh, yes, you know you will be regifting something this year. So many people will be re-wrapping gifts that there's actually a day proclaimed as National Regifting Day. Find out how to participate in style, so you don't end up looking like a Scrooge.

Searching for that perfect holiday gift and can't find it in a big box store? You might need Etsy to the rescue. If you can't find something unique among its 7.5 million items for sale, we have the secret to ordering custom gifts!

Come in, and know these rumors better, man! For they are the rumors of The Internet Future and will teach you things about yourself! (Not really. You're perfect just as you are and we wouldn't want to change you.) Anyway! We've let these things build up for a week, so it's time to "vent the steam", as it were. Enjoy our latest Rumor Roundup. Burst.

There's Groupon, and then there's a growing, massive list of other daily deal sites of all stripes. They're easy to confuse and impossible to rate if they're worth your time on your own. Cull your browsing down to just these five that we've selected, and you'll likely end up saving time and money.

Thought holiday shopping was all about women buying gifts for the family? Think again. This year, men will spend more, and divert a lot of their cash to themselves. What do they want? We took our video camera out to the mall to find out. Watch what we found...

Below we've rounded up several discounted and buy-one-get-one gift card deals from participating merchants and restaurants. The deals:

• AMC Theatres: Get a free $10 Concession Card for every $50 you spend on gift card purchases.
• Bonefish Grill: Get a free $20 gift card when you spend $100 or more on gift cards.
• L.L. Bean: Get a free $10 gift card when you spend $50 or more on gift cards.
• Jamba Juice: Purchase a $25 gift card and receive a free 16-oz. smoothie.
• see all gift card deals, almost 30 in all

Tech products may cost less next year than they cost today, but everything else is going to go up! We've rounded up a list of 20 things that will most likely cost more in 2011. Relax, you've got three weeks to stock up in 2010.

Our new "Green Dad" columnist, Lou Carlozo, tracked down The Lazy Environmentalist, Josh Dorfman, who was just named "Dad of the Year" for his environmental concerns. Find out what this greenest dad in the world recommends you do about recycling, solar power and taking really long showers. His answers will surprise you.

With food allergies on the rise, that means big business for restaurants, web merchants and purveyors of information about food allergy safety. Those who can make sufferers happy, win a loyal following and extra revenue. Here's how...

Gift cards may sound easy, but any gift with that much fine print is actually a difficult choice. So before you pile a bunch of cards onto the check-out counter, read these five easy tips for successful gift card giving &mdash including how not to disappoint the fickle teens on your list.

How many stores have you befriended on Facebook to get special deals and coupons? We're guessing too many. You need to cull your list, and fast. We've named the top stores to pay attention to on Facebook so you don't waste another minute on unfulfilled friendship.

Even if you're an avid online shopper, there are still some items you won't buy from your computer. We took our video camera out to the streets to find out what those last remaining items are, and what retailers are doing to change your mind. Come watch!

Are you the kind of person who gets frustrated calling up a customer service line? You don't have to be anymore with our surefire tips for five ways you can complain successfully and win great customer service. There's even live people on the other end of this link (at least via video...)

Now that it's winter, why not pour yourself a steaming bowl of rumors? They'll keep you warm. Even better, take a sip of our Rumor Roundup. It's like rumors from concentrate. Enjoy!

If you don't want to be the cause of a horrid Night of the Living Dead remake when you show up at a family gathering with a video game gift for the kids, then follow our advice on how to pick out the right thing. Skip this and risk the wrath of parents everywhere!

The average person is going to spend $145 on buying gift cards this year, whether any wants them to or not. So we've got one question for you: Why pay full price? And for your recipients, we offer three suggestions: Sell, sell, sell. Here's how to navigate the choices that are out there right now and what cash value you'll get for your cards.

You "like" them, but do you really like them? That's what stores are trying to figure out as they've rushed to Facebook and Twitter, only to find out that the huge numbers of people who sign up to get a coupon don't necessarily stay loyal. Find out what works better...