Crave

Two Pixar classics on Blu-ray for just $11. How can you go wrong?

Here's an interesting deal for anyone who has:

1. Children
2. A Blu-ray player
3. A nearby Target store
4. A love of Pixar films

With a little coupon magic, you can score the "Monsters, Inc." and "Up" Blu-ray combo packs for $10.98 (plus sales tax).

Each bundle has four discs: two Blu-ray Discs (one with the movie, one with extras), one DVD of the movie (bonus!), and one disc containing a DisneyFile Digital Copy (for viewing on, say, a laptop or iPhone).

Start by printing this $8 off "Monsters, Inc." coupon. You'll need to install a small app called Coupon Printer, but it appears to be harmless.

Next, print this $10 off "Up" coupon. It also requires Coupon Printer.

Finally, head to this Hot Coupon World post, scroll down to the Expiring November 25, 2009, section, and enter a '1' in the field next to "Blu-ray movies: "Up AND Monsters, Inc. together." Then scroll all the way down, click "Get Coupons," and ... Read more

Going to a retail store for consumer electronics purchases can be both exciting and frustrating. After working at Best Buy for two years, I have a few opinions to share that you might want to consider before your next shopping trip.

1. We have no formal training in the field of consumer electronics.
Upon transferring to the computer department from home theater, I expressed concern to the manager: "Will there be time for someone to train me on laptops/desktops? What do these specifications mean?" His reply was simple: "Just do your best. A good salesperson can just read the labels and compare specs." Ouch.

Salespeople are not necessarily experts in the products sold in their departments, even if they are expert salespeople. Though many express a strong interest in the products they sell, your time spent at a retail store fishing for information about a future TV purchase could be better spent online researching the products yourself (I heard CNET has pretty great reviews).

"You need those HDMI cables, you know you do."

(Credit: Amazon)

2. We make little off the big-ticket items, so we smother you with accessories.
Remember the story "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? Well, if you tell a salesman you're going to buy a TV, he's going to want to sell you a DVD player to go with it. Once he sells you the DVD player, he's going to want to get you to buy an HDMI cable, too.

Managers at Best Buy (and possibly all retailers) tell employees that the store profits surprisingly little from video game consoles and computers. Cables, accessories, mice, and other components, however, have a huge profit margin-- stores can make about $120 from a $150 Monster HDMI cable. Angry yet? The point is, we're going to work really hard to convince you to purchase that big item, but once you've said "OK" you've opened Pandora's Box.

Here's my advice: Grab the big item, and run. Purchase all accessories online, including memory cards, cables, traveling cases, and so on. Amazon, Monoprice, and Newegg are all reputable discount Web sites. You'll find what you need at a much lower price.

(Credit: Sony)

I just got a news release from Sony that talks about how its $300 PRS-505 Reader Digital Book is slated to show up in Target stores nationwide this weekend along with its accessories. As I previously reported, Sony has a Reader event slated for October 2 as rumors of a next-generation Sony e-book continue to percolate (one CNET reader claims the new Reader will be called the PRS-700 and feature a built-in "lighting feature").

Here's what is in today's release:

This weekend, the Reader Digital Book by Sony will be available in Target stores nationwide. Beginning September 14, the PRS-505 model will be featured in the "Discovery Hub" endcap in the electronics section of all 1,634 Target stores. With the purchase of a Reader, consumers will also receive a coupon code to download a free copy of 'The Other Queen' by Philippa Gregory from the eBook Store by Sony. 'The Other Queen' is slated for release on September 16.

Alongside the device, the endcap will display Reader accessories including: eBook ... Read more

Way down at the bottom of the electronics section on Target.com is something you'd miss if you weren't looking for it: a tab called "Pre-owned Electronics."

Target is selling this pre-owned 80GB iPod Video for $200, down from the $319 it would charge for a new one.

(Credit: Target.com)

The retailer has been testing out selling some gadgets on its Web site only that have been returned to stores for the past month, but the company finally called attention to the experiment during its quarterly earnings call Tuesday, as Reuters reported.

So far Target is reselling used Nintendo GameCube systems, a variety of Toshiba high-definition TVs, a JVC video camera, and original iPods, as well as iPod Nanos, Videos, Minis, and Shuffles. The site says each item has been inspected and refurbished by a third-party that's either been approved by the manufacturer or is managed by Target itself.

And Target says the same 90-day return policy it gives on new gadgets still applies here.

Oh, the horror!

(Credit: Gamespot)

Now that the dust has settled with Manhunt 2 and Rockstar and its parent company Take Two Interactive are being held to the fire once again, the utter lack of knowledge and ignorance that permeates every level of retail has shown its ugly face.

Instead of understanding the nature of the latest Manhunt 2 scandal where gamers could ostensibly view adults-only content in the game through a code hack, Target and others have announced that it will not sell the game on its shelves because "players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code."

Simply put, this is one of the most ludicrous and ridiculous decisions I have seen in years by any retailer. Just because a gamer can "potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code", Target (and others) feel the need to take Manhunt 2 off store shelves?

Ridiculous.

It's fun for me to think about a room full of Target executives sitting around and making a decision about whether a video game is too violent for it to sell.

According to ABCNews.com, the giant retailer has decided not to carry the recent Rockstar Games gorefest, Manhunt 2, almost certainly because it has been at the center of the latest kerfuffle over the content of one of the publisher's titles.

"All video games and computer software sold at Target currently carry ratings by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board--from early childhood through mature audiences," ABC quoted a statement from Target as saying. "While Manhunt 2 was given a 'Mature' rating by the ESRB, we received additional information that players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code. As a result, we have decided not the carry the game."

Rockstar Games' new title, 'Manhunt 2' has been the focus of a great deal of controversy because of its highly violent content. As a result, Target has decided not to carry ... Read more

The expanded color spectrum

(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET Networks)

A special pink edition has been added to the spectrum of Shuffles announced by Apple earlier this month, though this time it's not just for fashion and marketing. Target is packaging the pastel music players with an iTunes gif card for no additional charge as part of a campaign to combat breast cancer.

AppleInsider says the retail chain will donate up to $25,000 of the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Photos of the special bundle, which is available only at Target's brick-and-mortar stores, can be seen here.

There's still another week to go for Halo 3, but you can enjoy some Spartan combat early with WizKids' Halo ActionClix miniatures game. A lot like WizKids' Heroclix and Horrorclix games, Halo ActionClix (or HaloClix) is a tabletop strategy game that lets you control inch-high characters and units from the Halo universe. Instead of dealing with complicated stat sheets and strange characteristics, every HaloClix character's twistable base and card comes with all the information you need to control them.

Smile for the Chief

Gamers who preorder Halo 3 at Target will get an exclusive two-pack of HaloClix, including an assault rifle-wielding master Chief and an energy sword-wielding Arbiter. These two figures are hardly enough for an epic tabletop battle, though, so if you really want to build your miniature army of Spartans or Arbiters you'll need to pick up HaloClix booster packs. The packs contain four or five figures each, along with a pair of tiny dice, game instructions, and a fold-out game map. The packs will retail for $10 or $11 ... Read more