Ngaycuame.com's Web site offers suggestions for digitally celebrating Mother's Day, such as getting and sending e-cards.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)Editor's note: CNET editor and Crave contributor Dong Ngo is spending several weeks in his homeland of Vietnam and will file occasional dispatches chronicling his adventures. To read stories from Dong's last visit, in December, click here.
HANOI, Vietnam--I'm not a big fan of holidays. I don't mean the time off, of course, but the mass consumption that generally accompanies them.
For this reason, I've been sort of secretly happy that my parents live in Vietnam. This means that for years I haven't had to pay attention to Mother's Day or Father's Day. The Vietnamese, one would think, have no reason to even be aware of these American days. And for a long time, they weren't.
Thus, it was a revelation to me the other day, during a casual conversation at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, when a trendy-looking and friendly Vietnamese girl asked me if I had done anything for Father's Day.
Learning where I stand on the issue, the girl, Lan, expressed surprise. "I bought my dad a Gillette shaving set," she shared, "and he was very happy. You should have done something! I bought my mom a nice bouquet for Mother's Day a month ago, too."
Original American movies and TV programming with subtitles are popular in Vietnam.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)I was speechless. I live in America and my American friends have hardly ever asked me the same question. As it turned out, over the years I was away in America, American pop culture, via TV and the Internet, has sneaked into my home country in a big way.
Apparently, a month ago, for the first time, Mother's Day was a big event in Vietnam. Newspapers talked about it, TV talked about it, teenagers blogged and made YouTube videos about it, and people went out to buy flowers and presents for moms.
The day was hyped so much some people even felt guilty because they hadn't known about it in previous years. Yet at the same time, most didn't know the origin of it. "I had never heard of it and all of a sudden everywhere people started talking about it," Lan told me honestly. "But I think it's meaningful to honor your parents. Don't you think?"
Though it might have seemed "all of a sudden," the introduction of Mother's Day marked a very deliberate attempt by businesses here to sell products. ... Read more
Wal-Mart is already selling Vizio's 1080p VO420M for $697 online.
(Credit: Walmart)Following the demise of Circuit City, Wal-Mart's been making a big push into the electronics market, and one of its PR folks let us in on a couple of upcoming "deals" on certain LCD TVs. The sale runs from June 14-20, or while supplies last.
- Vizio VO420E 1080p 42-inch LCD ($697)
- Sony Bravia KDL-52S5100 1080p 52-inch LCD ($1,788)
- Sanyo DP37649 720p 37-inch LCD ($398)
We've seen lower prices on the Sony, but the Vizio and Sanyo look pretty close to rock-bottom. (Note: Just checked and Walmart is selling the Vizio VO420M) online for $697. The "M" and "E" series appear to be the same model--or at least very similar).
Update--Here are a few more electronics deals Walmart will be throwing out there for Father's Day:
- Magnavox NB500MGX Blu-ray Disc player ($128 )
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play Wii bundle with Wii Motion Plus Accessory and protective sleeve ($59.96)
- PS3 (80GB) Bundle including Quantum of Solace on Blu-ray Disc and the MLB '09: The Show ($399 )
- Dell Inspiron Black Notebook Computer ($398--not sure which model) or Dell Studio One 19 All-in-one Touch Desktop Computer ($848)
- Canon Pixma Ink Jet Photo Printer with Fax($69)
- Seagate Free Agent Go 250GB Portable Hard Drive($69)
Father's Day is a joyous time, a time to recognize the ol' patriarch for all he's done for you over the years. And lots of dads like tech. That means that lots of dads get disappointed by stuff their family thought they would like.
Don't fall into the trap of getting your dad any old tech. In fact, we have five recommendations for you.
Watch our video of the top 5 worst tech Father's Day gifts. Then come back here and give a gift to yourself. One of the first 10 people to answer our trivia question from the video correctly will get a TiVo hat. It's our way of saying Happy Father's Day. Even if you're not a father.
(Credit:
I4U News)
It's nearly two weeks after Mother's Day, and that can mean only one thing: The marketing floodgates are about to swing wide open for Father's Day. And the worst example is a good product that would be fine on its own but instead stoops to some cheap gimmick that lowers its image.
Take, for example, this special edition of the MoGo mouse. This anorexic peripheral, which can be stored in a PC card slot, has gotten some high marks from people who praise its innovative design. But then they had to go and slap on a sticker that says "#1 Dad" like some cheap T-shirt.
We think a better gift would be the original mouse in its sleek form. Then get a card.
Photoshop is taken to creepy new heights with Manbabies.com. Simple Web site, disturbing content: Switch the head on your favorite "dude-meet-baby" shot and post it up; users like it or dislike it and rate accordingly. In that way, it's a lot like HotorNot.com, except with babies...and men.
... Read more
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