friday

Sitting atop CNET's list of Best Bluetooth Speakers, you'll find the Audyssey Wireless Speakers. These Bluetooth-enabled version of the earlier (wired) Media Speakers sound great and -- unlike most of the mini-soundbar portable models -- the Audysseys offer true stereo separation. The only problem, then, is the price: at $249 to $299, they're on the expensive side.

Thanks to Black Friday madness, though, that price is heading down to $199. And there are two ways to cash in:

Exclusive deal for the first 2,012 CNET readers -- $199 at Audyssey.com: Normally, buying the Wireless Speakers … Read more

The shopping phenomenon known as Black Friday, with its "insane" doorbuster deals, comes around only once a year. While there are a couple of nuggets hidden in there, it's also an excuse to clear stock of items people aren't that interested in anyway.

If you see any of the following TVs for sale on the day, grab them! For our picks of the best door-buster deals, try here. But if you miss out, know that the TVs listed below are already available for affordable prices, and you don't have to line up in the cold … Read more

Are you gearing up for Black Friday already? When it comes to smartphones, you may want to pause and reconsider any purchases.

As with many Black Friday and Cyber Monday "deals," a majority of the items on sale are outdated models, less-than-desirable devices, or just products that the carriers and retailers are looking to unload. In other words, don't let the Black Friday fever blind you from a deal that's not really a deal.

Smartphones are a different beast than other consumer electronic products. They are more personal than other gadgets, and are almost always with … Read more

A little while back I confessed my general apathy about Black Friday. It could have something to do with my day job -- finding awesome tech deals all year round -- but I just can't work up much excitement about the day. And many readers agreed: most of the day's bargains aren't worth standing in long lines in cold weather and being surrounded by pushy shoppers.

But then I got to thinking. (I hate when that happens.) How could stores recapture some of that old Black magic? What would it take for me to give a damn … Read more

Just in time for the holidays, not to mention Black Friday, Virgin Mobile announced today that it'll be offering a number of its devices at lower prices.

Starting tomorrow and lasting through Cyber Monday, its $199.99 Samsung Galaxy Reverb will go on sale for $99.99.

The day after, the HTC Evo V 4G will go from $299 to $199.

Other offers include the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G, which has been on sale since Monday. It comes with a $70 price break, at $299.99.

In addition, the carrier's unlimited data and messaging monthly plan, called … Read more

Last year, Barnes & Noble ran a Black Friday sale on its Nook Simple Touch e-reader, chopping $20 off its list price of $99. This year it slices $40 off with a $59 in-store special -- while supplies last, of course.

Both Target and Sears are offering doorbuster deals on the Nook Simple Touch for $49 and $39.99, respectively, but I suspect Barnes & Noble will have more units on hand, which means you'll probably have a better shot of picking one up at a discounted price.

When it was released in 2011, we gave the Nook Simple … Read more

Black Friday deals are often a mixed bag. You might save some cash up front, but often the best deals are for products of lower quality that you end up regretting later.

But if you have the chance to snag a cheap Blu-ray player, I'd say go for it. I've reviewed a bunch of midprice Blu-ray players this year, which typically add premium features such as built-in Wi-Fi and "Smart TV" streaming service like Netflix, Amazon Instant, and Hulu Plus. Though they're nice perks to have built into the player, the reality is that the &… Read more

When it comes to holiday shopping, I tend to take a conservative approach: decide what you want, then look for good prices. That makes you a little less likely to be swayed by faux bargains, like bundles with mediocre bags or accessories you really won't use. The one exception is for lenses -- provided they're ones you'll actually use -- which do increase the value of a bundle, though you don't want to buy a mediocre body just because the two-lens kit is cheap. With that in mind, I found a handful of models that take … Read more