Other

Set it and forget it

While cleaning my house over the weekend, I thought of something that I should have put on my wish list: the iRobot Roomba! I have a big furry dog so I need to vacuum pretty often if I don't want to see dog hair flying around whenever the heater is running. With the Roomba, I can just turn it on and leave it, and spend my precious time doing other things. I have heard good things about the Roomba, and a lot of people swear by it. Added bonus, my dog might even enjoy chasing it around the house.

Be Vista ready

The launch date of Microsoft Windows Vista is right around the corner, and we want to help you get ready for this new and highly anticipated operating system. In a joint effort between CNET and System Requirement Labs, we've put together a tool to help you test your computer's ability to run Vista. If it turns out your computer is not yet Vista ready, check out these desktops and notebooks that are, so you can use the famous OS as soon as it is launched.

Shopper beware

CNET shoppers are at it again. Thanks to a tip from one of our customers we have investigated a merchant that is using our logo without our permission. NewWorldVideoDirect.com is not a CNET Certified Store and has taken the CNET Certified Store logo and illegally placed it on their site. We have added them to our list of noncertified stores along with others that we have investigated over past months.

Local Shopping to the rescue!

Problem: My friend was looking to buy her boyfriend a Canon PowerShot SD600 for Christmas, but she needed it ASAP because he was leaving the country for the holidays.

Solution: CNET Shopper.com's Local Shopping to the rescue!

We have this great feature called Local Shopping. Enter your zip code to see if a product is in stock locally within your zip code. I entered my zip code and voila! I get 94105 Canon PowerShot SD600 availability. You can view the store address and the store hours, and map the address. So, if you are ever in a panic … Read more

Want it by the 25th?

Do you know there are only 18 shopping days left? I have been so busy lately and only started putting together my shopping list yesterday. Yes, I am starting to feel a bit of a panic. I really need to start shopping. If you wanted a gift to be delivered by the 25th, here's a handy page we put together that showcases our online stores and their guaranteed shipping schedules. Click here for the Holiday Shipping Schedule. Also, if you aren't sure what to buy your loved ones. Check out CNET's Holiday Gift Guide.

Remedy for hard-to-shop-for people

There's always at least one person on your holiday gift list who is impossible to shop for. Instead of buying just anything and hoping he or she will like it, how about a gift certificate from one of these online stores? >> Amazon >> Best Buy >> Crutchfield >> Newegg >> SonyStyle.com And two pluses for buying the certificate; your gift recipient can pick whatever his or her heart desires, and you won't end up on the lame present-giver list.

Shopping safety tips

Don't forget that there are other places you can visit and check out additional safety tips before making your final online shopping decision. We at CNET do it all the time. In addition to checking user feedback and surveys, we also check in with our friends at the Better Business Bureau. We look at a store's overall performance, how they respond to user complaints, and, most importantly, their BBB rating: satisfactory or unsatisfactory. CNET staff then adjusts the store's certified rating accordingly.

CNET exclusive deals

We have some hot CNET exclusive deals from our merchants. Check it out! PCSuperDeals >> $25 for orders above $1,000 with coupon code CNET251000 >> $50 for orders above $1,500 with coupon code CNET501500 >> Offer ends 12/31/2006 Second Act >> $10 off any product with coupon code C2249 >> Offer ends 03/31/2007 CellHut >> $5 off on items over $150 with coupon code CNET05 >> $10 off on items over $200 with coupon code CNET10 >> Offer good from 11/20/2006 through 12/31/… Read more

Come home soon

James Kim, we hope to see you and your family return soon. We miss you.

More than a Frame

Every Christmas, I struggle with what to get my sister as a present. She's one of the hardest people I know to shop for. Earlier this year, she got a new digital camera and has been snapping away ever since. However, she doesn't upload them to any photo-sharing sites such as Webshots , nor does she print them out, so I decided to get her a digital picture frame. The EDGE Digital Frame allows you to load up any major format flash memory card and will rotate your photos in a slide show format. You also can upload MP3s … Read more