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It's that time of the year again, when savvy shoppers like yourself head to your favorite online retailers to avoid the ridiculous shenanigans and flesh-pressing of Black Friday. But just because you know enough to buy online doesn't mean that there aren't some good tips worth paying attention to. Here are a few worth repeating for habitual online shoppers.

Change your passwords now because chances are, you haven't in a long time. Change your e-mail account password, change your banking password, and change the passwords for online shopping accounts like at Amazon. A good tip for … Read more

When you're maxing your credit card on Black Friday, creepy store mannequins might actually be eying you.

Retailers are deploying mannequins equipped with cameras that watch for shoplifters and record shopper behavior to improve sales.

The EyeSee mannequin from Italy's Almax SpA is being used with facial-recognition software that can identify the age, race, and gender of shoppers and record how long they spend around a display. Almax says the technology doesn't violate shoppers' privacy. … 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

Most thrifty spenders are still turning to retailer sites and not coupon sites when it comes to getting mobile coupons, according to a Nielsen study released today.

Fifty-four percent of U.S. consumers who use their mobile phone or tablet to shop turn to retailer Web sites for mobile deals. Daily deal sites, like Groupon and Living Social, are the second choice with 31 percents. Shoppers also use retailer apps and daily deal apps, but to a lesser degree.

This means consumers are going to the brands they are most familiar with and what is most convenient while their shopping … Read more

Online retailers will have good reason to make merry this holiday season.

People shopping via the Internet will spend to the tune of $43.4 billion during November and December, according to a report out today from ComScore.

That figure is a 17 percent gain over last year's online holiday spending, which itself rose 15 percent over 2010's number. It's also way ahead of the retail industry's expectation of just a 4.1 percent rise in overall consumer spending this season.

"The strength leading up to and during the holiday season-to-date, in addition to a … 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

This year, some retailers are so impatient to open their doors for Black Friday that they're calling in employees to kick off the sales bonanza as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. But why wait even that long? In fact, why even get off the couch when that tablet resting on your turkey and pie-filled belly has access to both your wallet and a whole universe of deals?

Digital ad agency Digitas told its hometown paper the Boston Globe this week that its recently commissioned survey (conducted by Harris Interactive) of consumers found that 28 percent plan to shop via a mobile device this Thursday. … Read more

Cell phones can make fantastic holiday gifts, but purchasing one for someone other than yourself is more complicated than shopping for other gadgets. Unlike a laptop or a shiny new camera, a cell phone requires a service plan to use any voice or data features (otherwise you wind up with a very expensive paperweight). In most cases, you won't even be able to leave the store or complete your online order until you get that angle set up. And beyond just being an additional expense, that service may require a long-term commitment.

There's no reason to stress, though, … Read more

After using the Wii U for about a week, I've had a decidedly mixed experience.

The positive future-forward idea of a tabletlike GamePad that works away from the TV, Nintendo's fun family-oriented ideas of same-room party play -- well, so far, those benefits have been outweighed by a lot of question marks.

You've probably heard about some of the issues in our still-unfolding Wii U review. The Wii U, as it currently stands, is a new game console that's in need of a confidence boost. It needs to compete against the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and even Apple's devices, and be good enough to succeed.

Here's what I think it needs most, and what's standing in the way of success.… Read more