Blog Archives for 2013

Black Friday and social media have had a rocky relationship as of late, and the way stores use popular social sites remains in flux. However, we can say that, based on what we know from previous years, we do know that retails will use social media for some Black Friday marketing tasks this year.

With the leaking of the 2013 Toys "R" Us Black Friday ad, parents will find a treasure trove of excellent Black Friday deals — although they might want to buy some of the best offers for themselves. Even still, we found some very popular holiday 2013 toy offerings in the massive, 28-page ad.

Tradition suggests that Black Friday dollars are spent on a pretty good cause — buying holiday gifts for our loved ones. So we were surprised to discover that a whole bunch of you guys are turning convention on its head and snatching up the greater portion of Black Friday loot for yourselves!

This is the "Holiday Creep," and he can be a real jerk sometimes. Even if you're trying to enjoy an activity that's actually appropriate for the season, he's hanging over your shoulder, whispering something in your ear about must-have toys or special layaway terms.

Ever since the Great Recession of '08, most shoppers have cut back on extravagant purchases. Lots of consumers have also pinched pennies on everyday items, from bottled water to gasoline. Simultaneously, manufacturers and retailers have been trying to sell a myriad of items to budget-minded consumers that purport to be effective tools for saving even more money. But are these gadgets, services, and memberships worth it?

There's so much news to cover as we approach Black Friday and the holiday season, you might have overlooked some important information to guide your purchases. Here are some recent features you might have missed:

• People Are Already Camping Out in Front of a Best Buy in Ohio
• 13 Things NOT to Buy on Black Friday
• There's a Reason No One Stands in Line Outside Drugstores on Black Friday
• What It Takes to Score a Black Friday Doorbuster Deal
• Walmart, Target, and Best Buy Black Friday ads
• Thanksgiving and Black Friday Store Hours
• The best TV, laptop, tablet, clothing, home, electronics, gaming, and hardware ads
• The Best Black Friday Freebies

... and more!

Earlier this week, Amazon launched its Kindle MatchBook program, which lets you download discounted Kindle eBook versions of select titles you've already physically purchased. While there are supposedly 70,000 eligible titles available, and some of them are reportedly free to download, we've yet to find great value in the service.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about video games, Google, 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!

Dynamic pricing is marketplace buzzword that has been around for a while, though it's being bandied about with increasing frequency as of late. Whether you're a consumer already planning your holiday shopping budget or just looking to save money on your regular household expenditures, it's important to understand what dynamic pricing is and how it can affect you.

Google unveiled a purchase history and shipment tracking service that, with the holiday season around the corner, could potentially simplify your life — assuming the concept doesn't totally freak you out.

It's come to light that Motorola is working on developing a "modular" cell phone called Project Ara. Every component in the handset will be removable and replaceable, so if you want to upgrade your CPU you simply pop out the old one and clip in a new one. In this brief — yet lively — video, our experts discuss the pros and cons of a modular cell phone.

The skies are about to become a bit friendlier, but that's not necessarily a good thing. It came to light last week that several major airlines are adding an extra seat to aisles in coach in order to boost their bottom line. Even frequent and elite travelers aren't exempt from airline changes: the Consumerist discovered that some airlines have done away with free checked bags and a number of Premium Economy seats on popular routes.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about Apple, Pixar, Forking, 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!

Now that the latest iPad lineup details are confirmed, we're back to give shoppers another quick rundown of potential iPad deals. From shockingly cheap iPad minis to surprising discounts on the latest iPad Air, here's a look at what iPad prices to expect in the coming months.

Cell phone service providers thrive by peddling a plethora of extra features on top of basic service plans, but many people don't even look at their monthly cell phone bill. Checking your bill though can help you remove any of these unnecessary extras. Here are 11 ways to cut back on your wireless plan and put some extra money back in your wallet.

It's no secret that we here at DealNews get really excited about Black Friday. Like, really excited. And while we're the first to admit that we might have "Black Friday tunnel vision," we're not the only ones...

Apple not only announced new iPads at its event yesterday, but it also stunningly decided to increase the price of the second-generation iPad mini to $399 — which is the same price as the several-years-old iPad 2. So which iPad should you buy? The new one, or the bigger one?

Amazon announced that it will raise the minimum purchase requirement to qualify for Free Super Saver Shipping from $25 to $35. This comes just a week after Best Buy upped its minimum purchase too. So how will this affect customers this holiday season?

Now that the entire 2013 GameStop Black Friday ad has been leaked, gamers have their first glimpse at how the holiday's video game deals are shaping up. Inside, we've highlighted some of the ad's more notable deals, including the lowest price we've ever seen for a PlayStation Plus subscription.

October 22 is shaping up to be a busy day for Apple. Not only is the company expected to announce the new iPad mini 2, but rumors indicate we'll also witness the debut of the iPad 5. As with all Apple announcements, consumers should gear up for discounts on previous generation devices. But just how low will prices go, and when will we see deals on the new tablets?

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about Apple, Spider-Man, Home Depot, 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!

Still haven't decided what to be this year for Halloween? There's some time left to put together a costume that's clever, culturally relevant, and on the cheap. Check out some of our creative Halloween costumes — from Breaking Bad to popular memes — that won't break the bank.

Love shopping online but hate having to enter your name, billing address, and credit card every time? You could checkout via PayPal, or you could opt to use the new payment system from Amazon: Checkout by Amazon. The recently released checkout system works a lot like PayPal, but Checkout by Amazon doesn't redirect users to a new webpage, and instead offers immediate access to users' Amazon address book and payment methods directly on merchant checkout pages.

Earlier this week, Macy's released a sneak peek of its Black Friday ad ... via Pinterest! Regardless of why the retailer chose this social channel, the question remains: Are the deals any good?

Does $6.9 billion sound like a spooktacularly high price tag for Halloween? It's true, Americans spend quite a chunk of change on costumes, decorations, treats, and, of course, fake blood. Here, we present a breakdown of Halloween spending, plus we threw in a few other fun factoids to delight you ghouls and boys. It's scary how informative our infographic is!

While Microsoft and Sony duke it out for your attention this November, the gang at Valve announced plans for new operating system, console, and controller designed to bring Steam into your living room. But despite Valve's recent flurry of announcements, there's still a cloud of mystery surrounding SteamOS and the company's so-called Steam Machines.

Every year at DealNews, we wait eagerly to see what the first Black Friday ad may be. Last year, Sprint leaked an ad for the Samsung Galaxy S3. This year, JCPenney kicks the season off with a teaser announcement about a titillating deal on a... snow globe?

We first talked to Anthony Scarsella, Gazelle's Chief Gadget Officer, last year to find out what devices topped his list of must-haves. But a lot has happened in 18 months or so! And even though there still "isn't enough time to try every gadget" in the world, we did manage to find out his top five new favorite gadgets.

Despite having been dismissed and overpriced, 55" 3D TVs are now enjoying a comeback and will soon cost as much, if not less, than their non-3D counterparts of the same size. With Black Friday approaching, you should keep an eye on a few specific 55" 3D TVs that we expect to see some of the best discounts.

The DealNews Black Friday Predictions come chock-full of information that will help you prepare for the shopping holiday. But you may be wondering where exactly all the price estimations and data points come from. Everything is in fact informed by up to three years of historical data based on deals listed on DealNews.

Toys "R" Us recently released its Fabulous 15 list of the hottest toys for the holiday season. You may be tempted to get your kids' wish list completed early this Black Friday, but we tracked the deals on last year's Fabulous 15 to see when the toys hit their lowest prices of the season, and you could save money if you wait a bit longer.

While we're aware that smartphones can do double duty as a camera, portable gaming system, and MP3 player, their potential actually runs much deeper than that. With the right apps or accessories, your phone can accomplish a variety of nifty tasks that you might not be aware of.

Priced at $899, Microsoft's new Surface Pro 2 isn't the cheapest Windows 8 hybrids available, especially when you add the $120 Touch Cover 2. Check out these Windows 8 hybrid alternatives to see if the new Surface tablets actually offer the best specs for your budget.

Autumn is in the air, and even though the season — and all its pumpkin spice glory — isn't in full force yet, there's something else we bet you can smell from a mile away: Black Friday TV deals. And while we're predicting that 55" 3D HDTVs will drop to $425 on Black Friday, we understand that money doesn't grow on trees. Here are 10 ways to trim your budget before Black Friday so that you can afford that new TV come November.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about Daniel Day Lewis, Apple, Amazon, 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 is obviously an important retailer for many people who want their orders in a cheap and timely manner, but the mega-retailer's reach goes beyond just the typical product purchase. For example, did you know that you can legally sell fan fiction through Amazon?

Facebook will now send TV networks a breakdown of how many interactions their shows received on the social network. This will give networks a clearer picture of how much users are talking about their programing. Is it time we saw a change to how TV ratings are gathered? Tell us what you think!

When it comes to paying recurring bills, signing up for automatic payments may seem like the easy — and responsible — way to go. But the convenience of autopay can backfire, making it conveniently easy to not keep track of your spending. Before signing up for automatic bill payments, consider these possible drawbacks.

Toys "R" Us just released its list of the most anticipated toys for the holidays. (And yes, it is only October.) If you have a kid in your life, you better familiarize yourself with this selection of playthings. To make it a tad easier, we've cherry-picked our favorite five toys.

Tablets are once again the "it" item for the holidays, and new Android devices have flooded the market and chipped away at Apple's dominance. All this cutthroat competition has translated into better and faster deals for consumers. As such, there's bound to be some eye-catching Black Friday tablet deals this year.

2013 was a roller-coaster year for the laptop industry. While we saw the introduction of a new, energy-efficient processor from Intel, much of the year was overshadowed by weak laptop sales. And although many analysts are predicting the death of the laptop, we know that when it comes to productivity, the laptop is still king. And with laptop prices lower than they've ever been before, it's a buyer's market. But how far will your money and which systems will see the best laptop deals this Black Friday?

The celebrity exploits, rumored or real, that most often make the tabloids involve excess. But by contrast, the stars who pinch pennies and drive beaters break the lavish Hollywood lifestyle stereotype, and their stories are just as much fun to read. Here we gather 10 celebs who are rich and frugal, practicing the kind of financial restraint and budgetary austerity you'd sooner expect from your sock-darning, fruit-canning granny.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about Google, Microsoft, William Shatner, 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!

Despite the convenience of buying clothes online, many people still shy away from doing so, and for perfectly valid reasons. We're here to quell those concerns about fit, return policies, and fabric quality so you can trade fears for clothing deals.

Whether you don a cheese hat, wave a Terrible Towel, or hoist a foam finger, there are plenty of ways to show your team spirit at the stadium. Fortunately there are also other ways to root for your team at home, when you've got friends over watching the big game.

We all know how frustrating it is to call up a company and be passed along from one machine to another just have a simple question addressed. To alleviate this frustration, the team at GetHuman has put together thousands of cheat sheets to circumvent the automated customer service lines of more than 10,000 companies.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about Apple, Google, Marvel, 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!

Keeping up to date with the latest price and shopping trends involves the often arduous trek through business gibberish and nonsensical numbers. But instead, we've cut through the jargon to put together a roundup of this week's consumer news that you actually need to know about, including the much-publicized depreciation of Apple's shares, McDonald's mobile payments, and stores that will serve you drinks while you shop.

The last few years have seen an increase in retailer exclusives in a variety of categories, from media to clothing lines, and beyond. But despite its presence in the marketplace, consumers planning to buy Star Trek Into Darkness on Blu-ray should be prepared for a surprise.