friday

'Mobile Thursday' takes on Black Friday, Cyber Monday

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

Giving Tuesday: Your penance after Black Friday, Cyber Monday

Charities are businesses, too.

In order to keep the board members in tuxedos for fundraising dinners, they have to keep on sourcing money.

How beautiful, then, that Razoo -- which claims to be "the fastest growing crowdfunding platform for causes" -- is participating in a concept that the guilty side of you must find deeply persuasive.

The concept is Giving Tuesday.

Yes, these people want you to feel so thoroughly disgusted with yourself -- for yet again succumbing to commercial excess -- that you will donate some money to a charity of your choice.

And, lo, you can … Read more

Seven savvy smartphone steals for Black Friday, Cyber Monday

Ah, it's that time of year again. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because you can gorge yourself on food without feeling guilty, spend time with your loved ones, and knock a stranger over at 6 a.m. in front of a department store in a frantic attempt to purchase that plasma TV.

All right, so it might not be everybody's definition of a good time, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday are grand institutions that let you save a lot of dough on some of this year's hottest electronics.

And as anyone can tell you, … Read more

Microsoft starts Black Friday sale a day early

Microsoft is starting its Black Friday sale early this year by making most of its deals available on Thursday morning, according to a teaser on its site.

The company starts deals for its software and hardware at 12 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, except for its Surface tablet-related deal. That sale is reserved for Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Consumers who purchase a Surface bundle can save $50 on a second Touch or Type cover. The deal starts on Friday, ends on Sunday, and is limited to five per customer.

Other deals, like saving up to $… Read more

Top 16 Black Friday tech deals

Every year the Black Friday online circulars hit the Web and lots of sites round up every tech deal under the sun. That's great, but it's always hard to tell the real deals from all the crap that's being advertised to lure you into the stores. The truth is that a lot of the so-called superbargains are already available online from stores like Amazon and others.

However, a few items do stand out. Alas, many of these are "doorbusters" that are available in very limited quantities and only the people who arrive long before the … Read more

Black Friday video game deals you shouldn't miss

If you're looking for a Black Friday break on the brand-new Nintendo Wii U or just-released games such as Halo 4 and Call of Duty Black Ops 2, you might be out of luck. But, just about everything else in the world of console gaming is, well, fair game.

It's hard to imagine that anyone who wants an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Nintendo Wii doesn't have one already. But just in case you need one or more to fill out your hardware collection or are looking for a gift, there are some deals to be had. … Read more

Apple teases upcoming annual Black Friday sale

Apple plans to hold a sale at its retail stores and online Friday in step with Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving which marks the official beginning of the holiday shopping season.

A special message noting the sale was spotted on Apple's Australian site, where it's already Tuesday, by Macrumors.

Details on which products will be discounted and by how much were not included, however that list typically leaks out in the days ahead of the sale. Last year's sale brought discounts anywhere from $41 to $61 on Apple's iPad 2, and $101 on Apple's … Read more

Samsung reveals Black Friday camera deals

Samsung still doesn't have much of a name when it comes to cameras, but it's managed to compete with other manufacturers with one feature: Wi-Fi.

For that reason, people shopping this holiday season for a camera for someone who is addicted to shooting and sharing should check out these Black Friday deals.

Anything that's branded as a Smart camera will have Samsung's built-in 802.11n wireless, which can be used to connect to your Wi-Fi network for automatic backups to a Windows computer or Microsoft SkyDrive, viewing photos and movie clips on DLNA-equipped devices, or sending … Read more

Top Black Friday apps for iOS

Black Friday is rapidly approaching and we all know that means people are going to be hitting the stores both online and at brick-and-mortar locations to grab gifts for friends and family. But if you want to find the best deals, you're going to need a little help, and I have just the right apps for the job on iOS devices.

Whether you plan to brave the crowds on Black Friday or stay home and shop online, these apps will get you the best deals and hopefully make your gift shopping a little easier.

Editors' note: For Android shopping … Read more

Grab the best Black Friday deals with these Android apps

The holidays are fully under way, which means that shopping is at top of mind for many. In years past, this might have meant thumbing through the weekly circulars and braving the inevitable shopping mall stampedes, but these days, online retailers and deal-hunting mobile apps are changing the game.

For Android users, here are three of our favorite shopping apps, all of which can help you get a heads up on the best deals, not only online, but also in your area. Try them out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Editors' note: … Read more