Blog Archives for 2013

In pondering that chowhound question of the ages, "Where's the beef?" know that the answer could be as close as your own backyard — that is, if you own the right grill for the job. But before you get burned, seared, or otherwise broiled on your gas grill search, here's a handy buying guide to landing the grill of your dreams: this checklist will help you separate necessities from the frills.

Ah, the golden years of being encouraged to sleep, eat, and burp whenever possible. And those pirate-themed beds, treehouses, LEGOs! Do kids even know how lucky they are?! When was the last time you got to wear your batman suit to dinner, hmm? And how handy were bibs!? In our opinion there are some things that really should come in adult sizes. And no, we don't mean diapers.

Are there alternatives to paying $15/lb. for shrimp? There are! Inside, we reveal a super-cheap way to get that shrimpy feeling, without emptying your wallet!

While you might be inclined to opt for an older TV to get a good deal, what if we told you that some 2013 models are already seeing solid discounts? Inside, we detail how much you can save on some highly-rated, super new TVs from the likes of LG, Samsung, and Panasonic.

You don't want to get your dad another tool set or tie this Father's Day. Instead, give him the gift of food! This June 16, fathers across the country can avail of all sorts of free treats from breakfast to dessert.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about the iPhone, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and more? Well, neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the Internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

Normally after Apple releases a new version of one of its devices, we recommend that shoppers save money by skipping the latest model and instead look for deals on the previous generation; often the new upgrades are minor and "older" models are barely a year old. But when it comes to the 2013 MacBook Air, we're recommending shoppers buy the latest model.

Now that E3 has started, we finally have some concrete information about the next Xbox and PlayStation! Along with the real specs, we got hit in the face with the real prices, too. Are these prices out of line? Or are they about what you expected?

We are often told that competition in the consumer electronics space is good for us, but what happens if an ecosystem that you have invested in goes out of business? With Barnes & Noble's eReader sales having hit a standstill the brand may go defunct. So NOOK owners with big libraries of books should look into these ways to protect their NOOK purchases.

Ah, Costco! This warehouse club has got it all, and it can harbor savings of 6 to 12 cents off a gallon of gas. As such, Costco's gas sales have helped the company's bottom line, but is it really worth the cost of membership?

We've mentioned before that laptop prices will drop now that Intel has unveiled its newest processor, but we've typically focused on budget configurations. Today's Editors' Choice deal on a beefed up HP dv6t, however, shows that even high-end laptops are seeing all-time low prices.

If you've bought anything from Rakuten — formerly Buy.com — in the past few months, you'll want to check your credit card statement. Customers have complained of identity theft and fraudulent charges placed on their credit cards used to checkout on Rakuten.

Laptop sales are in the dumps, Windows 8 turned out to be a failure, and tablet shipments will soon outnumber that of notebooks. Despite the gloomy forecast, it's a buyer's market for laptops and this summer you can expect to see some outstanding deals.

Thanks to Dunkin' Donuts, you will soon be able to buy an egg sandwich that uses a doughnut like a bun. But in our latest video, our experts ponder the question: An egg sandwich ... on a doughnut?!

Update: Our Media Editor has tried it! Click through for our video review.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about Apple, Pepsi, MakerBot, Star Wars, and more? Well, neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

During the course of our daily deal spelunking, we often come across some amusing, eccentric, and outright bizarre stuff. Normally we just laugh amongst ourselves, but today we're letting you in on the joke. Inside are 10 of the wackiest and weird outfits we've seen recently in the sale racks, including a red waffle knit onesie that not even Ryan Gosling can pull off.

Nowadays many "hidden" fees added to the base price of everyday utilities (like banking, high-speed Internet, etc.) are not so hidden. And while they allow companies to charge more without officially raising its prices, their costs to consumers adds up quickly. Here's a look at a handful of below-the-line fees and some tips on how to avoid potentially surprising bills next month.

Apple just announced a budget 16GB version of its 5th-generation iPod touch priced at $229, which is $70 less than the 32GB model. However, as many dealnews readers know, it may be smart to hold off on purchasing it, as it's likely to drop even further within just a few months.

We all know that it pays to be green in our lives, and there are a number of variables that determine how energy efficiency impacts one's bottom line. But when it comes to TVs, what are the energy savings like, and are they substantial enough to justify a higher price tag for an efficient model?

Analysts have been predicting the NOOK's demise for a while, which means Amazon's Kindle line may be the way to go for those hesitant of the shaky Barnes & Noble device. And as luck would have it, we found two exceptionally good Kindle Fire deals today, including a rare discount on the current generation tablet and an all-time low price on a refurbished model.

On Monday, Intel will officially debut its fourth generation Core processors, code name Haswell. For tech aficionados, the new chips mean it's time for a new laptop. But for bargain hunters, Haswell means another round of price cuts on Intel's Ivy Bridge systems. With prices already near all-time lows, how much cheaper can laptop deals get?

Earlier this year, Amazon had a pretty unique idea – produce TV pilots and let the viewers decide which ones would become the site's first original programming. Now Amazon has given the green light to five shows, which will air later this year. But are any of them worth the Prime subscription?

With new consoles debuting, cheap Android game systems on the market, and E3 around the corner, it's shaping up to be an exciting time in gaming. To tap into that anticipation, we polled our game-playing readers to find out what they're playing, how much they're spending, and what they're doing with their consoles — when they're not shooting aliens, of course.

It's a safe assumption that no national retailer wants its name associated with Hitler, but JCPenney has unfortunately fallen victim to the mania of internet memes.

In a recent poll, 56% of dealnews readers said they felt obligated to tip even if they received terrible service. But why do we feel guilty when we stiff someone that's provided bad service? We delved deeper into the messy politics of tipping and discovered that, like everything else, it comes down to a question of nature versus nurture.

Once upon a time, shoppers seemed to care deeply about whether their kitchen cabinets were filled with familiar names and food mascots. But these days, are you any more likely to prefer Kellogg's over cereal from Target? And what if you could save more than $1,000 every year by going generic?

Prom: Never have so many spent so much on an event so crucial at the time only to have it haunt us decades later with cringe-inducing vengeance. But tell that to today's teens who have even more inventive, creative ways to blow over $1,000 on one night. Where does all that money go?

If there's one thing our fathers like, it's spouting off irrelevant factoids. So, in honor of dear old Dad, we wandered around in the internet in search of interesting facts about Father's Day. Then we spruced 'em up (using Pop's Pommade and Old Spice) and created this fancy infographic.

Microsoft's new Xbox One will radically change your living room. But with its heavy component-like capabilities, is Redmond's redesigned machine a new toy for A/V buffs or still the hardcore gaming machine we've come to love and want?

Do you guys remember New Coke? No? Well, there's a good reason why: when a current-generation product achieves monumental popularity, its successor very well may not. In fact, we can think of nine products and business initiatives that were total #fail-ures.

T-Mobile has long frustrated customers by carrying every other brand of smartphone but the iPhone. That is until the carrier brought aboard the iPhone 5 last month, at a discount to boot. But now a new 16GB iPhone 5 will cost you $629.99 upfront. What's up with that?

If you've ever wondered what happens to all those frequent flyer miles you accumulate — and why you sometimes can't track them all — you are not alone. Brian Kelly, aka "The Points Guy," set out to uncover the best ways to monitor and earn frequent flyer points.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about Google, Apple, Facebook, and more? Well, neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the Internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

Online-only retailers have much lower merchandise return rates than other merchants. But is this because web-only merchants are better at preventing returns than other companies, or is returning items to an online retailer too much of a hassle in the first place?

Concrete details for the newest Xbox and PlayStation consoles are just around the corner, but since it's almost certain that both consoles will not be backwards compatible, it's likely that all of your video games are about to become outdated. How will this affect the trade-in value of your current-gen video games, and what can you do to get the most money when selling?

When they debuted for consumers earlier this year, 4K TVs carried a $20,000 price tag. For this reason, we'd wager that few dealnews readers realistically ever considered buying one — that is, until Seiki released a 50" 4K TV for just $1,500. Despite that crazy low price, there are still many reasons why it's not worth investing in 4K technology just yet.

Through various means, network TV is coming to the Internet in the form of live streams. In this brief but lively discussion, our experts ponder the eternal question: What will it take to get you to watch live TV online?

Although it may seem strange to get health care at your local pharmacy or big-box retailer, it can actually be less expensive (and more convenient) than trying to make a doctor's appointment. So would you head to an in-store, walk-in clinic at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, or Target?

May is National Moving Month! All excitement aside, moving is not only a hassle but can be an extremely expensive endeavor. And while we can't help you alleviate the burden of uprooting your possessions and starting anew somewhere else, there are some ways to lessen the financial strain of hiring movers. From ideal scheduling to scoring free materials, here are some ways to cut moving costs.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and more? Well, neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

Amazon's lack of profits in 2012 are mostly a result of the company's hefty investments and overall thin profit margins. And while no experts blame customers for not buying enough, it very well may be Amazon shoppers who will pay the price to make up for lost revenue.

The Senate approved the hotly-debated Internet sales tax proposal on Monday, which means the landmark legislation is on its way to the House. And if the House gives it the go-ahead, the landscape of online shopping may be forever changed.

YouTube is going to start charging money for access to select video channels, so we asked our panel of experts the eternal question: What would it take to get you to pay for YouTube?

Last week, PayPal announced a plan to expand its mobile wallet service to an estimated 2 million stores by year's end. But what are the consumer incentives behind leaving that easy-to-use credit card at home and instead reaching for a PayPal card instead?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation just released its annual "Who Has Your Back?" report, which offers an in-depth look at the digital companies that protect your data from the government — and its findings may surprise you. Looking at the privacy policies of ISPs, email providers, cloud storage providers, social networking sites, and more, it's become clear that not all of our online data is safely guarded.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about Android, Batman, Conroy, Apple, and more? Well, neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

JCPenney has changed so much in the past year, usually to the customer's dismay. The higher-ups know that shoppers are losing patience with the store, so in an attempt to make amends, JCPenney made a video apology and posted it on YouTube. Is it enough to get customers back to shopping in JCP stores?

Get This is a new app that lets you purchase items you see flash across the screen during your favorite TV shows. Currently only two programs are eligible for this real time product curation, but that didn't stop us from thinking about all the ridiculous things we'd like to own from our favorite TV shows.

Details on Microsoft's next-gen console will be revealed on May 21 and while most gamers are aching to know specs and hardware, we're zeroing in on the Xbox 360, which is poised to become the cheapest game console ever.