Black Friday is just two days away. If you have what it takes to wake up at the crack of dawn, brave the crowds, and spot the best deals, there are plenty of savings to be had. Here’s a quick list of some of the best deals from the most popular product categories being offered by brick-and-mortar stores, followed by a few prestigious awards that have been given to various retailers.

Doorbuster deals have been marked with and asterisk and, where applicable, the next best non-doorbuster deal has been listed as well.

Best TV Deals

• 19-inch: Walmart $128* / Best Buy $149.99
• 22-inch: Radio Shack $199.99
• 26-inch: Office Depot $299.99
• 32-inch (720p): Target $246
• 32-inch (1080p): Best Buy $439.99
• 40-inch (1080p): Target $449* / Best Buy $499.99
• 42-inch (720p): Walmart $448* / Best Buy $547.99
• 42-inch (1080p): Sears $499.99* / Sears $549.99 (Plasma)
• 46-inch (1080p): Walmart $798* / Best Buy $847.99
• 50-inch: Walmart $598 (Plasma)

Best Netbook Deals

• Best Buy: Compaq 10.1-inch $179.99
• Radio Shack: Acer Aspire One 11.6-inch $249.99

Best Notebook Deals

• Walmart: eMachines 15.6-inch $198*
• Office Depot: HP 15.6-inch $299.99
• Walmart: HP 17-inch $398

Best Desktop Deal

• Office Depot: Compaq $229.99

Best Blu-ray Deals

• Walmart: $78*
• Best Buy: $99.99

Best GPS Deal

• Walmart: TomTom One 125-SE $59

Best Hard Drive Deals

• Target: 1TB Western Digital Desktop $59.98
• Office Max: 500GB External 3.5-inch $49.99
• Target: 500GB Western Digital Portable: $59.98

Best Digital Camera Deals

• Office Max: Vivitar $39.99 (Point-and-Shoot)
• Best Buy: Nikon D3000DX $499.99 (DSLR)

Best Monitor Deals

• Office Max: Acer 18.5-inch $69.99
• Best Buy: Acer 20-inch $79.99
• Staples: eMachines 21.5-inch $89.98*
• Office Max: AOC 22-inch: $99.99
• Staples: Acer 23-inch $139.98

With the best deals in the most popular product categories out of the way, we can now move on to the awards section of the program. Please hold your applause until all of the winners have been announced.

The “So… Are You Guys Actually Having a Sale?” Award

And the winner is… GameStop. Aside from a few anemic doorbuster deals, the store’s Black Friday ad is chock full of plenty of regularly-priced items. Wii Fit and Balance Board for $99? Gee, thanks.

The “Why the Hell Are You Opening So Early?” Award

And the winner is… Old Navy. No electronics deals to speak of other than getting Lego Rock Band for free with any $20 purchase but for some crazy-ass reason, the stores are opening at 3AM on Black Friday. Because the only thing better than being in an Old Navy store is being in an Old Navy store at 3AM and then having to kill time until all the other stores open.

The “Doors Will Probably Literally Get Busted” Award

And the winner is… Walmart. Just like every other year, the retail giant will be offering plenty of insane deals to plenty of insane people. If you’re planning on shopping at Walmart this Black Friday and you’re reading this, you are not insane. Everyone else around you will be, though. Not you. I don’t want any trouble. I’m just a guy with a keyboard.

The “Under the Radar” Award

And the winner is… Target. The store lulls everyone into complacency with everyday household items and then sweeps the 32-inch and 40-inch TV deal categories like a ninja, with a 32-inch LCD TV priced at $246 and a 40-inch 1080p doorbuster TV priced at $449. Well played, Target. Well played, indeed.

The “One-Stop Shop” Award

And the winner is… Best Buy. Pretty good all-around deals, plenty of video game deals (especially the Xbox 360 bundles), and 18-month interest-free financing on all purchases totaling $249 and up if you have a Best Buy card make the store a good option if you want to immerse yourself in the Black Friday madness for an hour or two before going back to bed.

Walmart is another worthy option, although Best Buy’s “everyone waits in line for a ticket to buy doorbusters so there’s no mayhem when the store opens” policy seems a little less chaotic than Walmart’s “holy crap I thought there’d be more cops here now who’s going to stop these crazies from ripping the doors off the hinges sweet jesus they’re just like living zombies except much faster and exponentially angrier” Black Friday sales of years past.

See more Black Friday ads here…

Short Version: You want to listen to Fergie in the kitchen. Don’t worry, I understand. Fergie and cooking eggs just go together well. If you’ll be piping Fergie off an iPhone or iPod, you’ll probably want a compatible speaker system.

Like anything in the audio world, the price tag on dedicated speaker systems for the iPhone or iPod can be surprisingly cheap ($30-40 bucks), or mind-blowingly expensive ($500+, like the Bose SoundDock 10). Most tend to work their way into a comfort zone of $129-$159.99 – and at an MSRP of $149.99, that’s exactly where you’ll find the Klipsch iGroove SXT. Originally released in 2007, the SXT has just been re-released with improved sound quality and compatibility with the latest iPhones and iPods. It’s not perfect, but with dual 2.5-inch subwoofers, it packs a good amount of boom for your buck.

Features:

• Dual 2.5-inch woofers in ported enclosure and dual 0.75-inch horn-loaded tweeters
• Features 3.5-mm auxiliary input
• Remote Control

Pros:

• The sound quality matches the price perfectly. It’s not going to blow away $200+ systems – but of any speaker I’ve heard under $150, this one takes the cake
• It looks great
• S-Video output for video/slideshow playback on compatible iPods

Cons:

• No volume indicator
• No FM radio

Review:

There I was in the kitchen, still rockin’ my pajama pants from the night before. Half a dozen eggs were left in the carton, the pan was just beginning to smoke, and the Klipsch SXT was just begging for me to hit the play button. I shot the go-ahead signal across the room with the remote control right as the first egg splashed down.

Listen up ya’ll, cause this is it. The beat that I’m banging is de-lic-ious.

Yep! I was listening to Fergie. Do I like Fergie? Oh hells nah. In fact, she drives me absolutely bat shit insane – but that’s exactly why I’d picked her for this test. If a stereo could make Fergie’s sinus-backed voice sound good, I’d give it a thumbs up. And sure enough, Fergie sounded pretty damn good. The sound was filling the room better than I’d expected out of the tiny box, with a decent amount of bass pounding out of the dual 2.5″ subs.

I dug around for a few speaker systems for the sake of comparison, and, from a sound quality standpoint, the Klipsch SXT seems to fit exactly where they’ve priced it. It blows away the $80-$90 iHome clock radios we had laying around the office, and sounds quite a bit better than the almost identically priced JBL On Stage 200ID. It fell a bit short against the JBL On Stage 400 series — but considering that that 400 series costs nearly $100 more, that’s pretty much what was expected.

Dedicated iPod speakers tend to be ugly chunks of black plastic, but that’s not the case here. The SXT is essentially one big glorious speaker grill, accented with a bit of silver plastic around the edges. It manages to be color neutral without looking cheap, so it ought to fit well in just about any room you throw it in.

Snap back to the kitchen – pajama pants, eggs, etc. No one was home (and thus, no one was around to make fun of my music selection) – might as well crank it up, right? I hit the volume up button – it got louder. I hit it again – it got louder again. So far, so good. The volume level was hurts-so-good loud at this point, but there wasn’t even a hint of distortion yet. I hit the button again and… nothing. I’d capped out the volume, but had no way of knowing as there isn’t any sort of volume indicator.

There also isn’t any FM radio. Considering that most people would presumably use this in rooms where they don’t otherwise have an audio system — and that it’s almost standard amongst lower-end systems — this is a bit disappointing. Alas, FM radio almost always gets abandoned once the price tag goes up, presumably because FM radio is the last thing you want (besides AM radio) when you want to be pushing quality sound.

If you’re looking for an iPod/iPhone speaker set that smokes the sub-$100 sets and the majority of stuff available around the same $150 price tag, the Klipsch iGroove SXT ought to fit the bill.

Product Page

GameStop will be opening at 6AM on Black Friday, a good 10 hours before most hardcore gamers normally wake up. The good news is that you can basically just stay up an extra couple hours, make your purchases, and then go home and go to bed.

Here’s a list of the goodies that’ll be on sale. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk and will be available until 11AM.

Digital Media Cards

SanDisk Memory Stick Pro Duo 2GB (PSP) – $14.99

SanDisk Memory Stick Pro Duo 4GB (PSP) – $19.99

SanDisk Wii/DSi 2GB SD Card (Wii) – $7.49

SanDisk Wii/DSi 4GB SDHC Card (Wii) – $14.99

Video Games

AC/DC Track Pack w/Rock Band Purchase – Free

Assassin’s Creed II (Xbox 360) – $59.99

Bakugan Battle Brawlers (DS) – $29.99

Band Hero (Game Only) (Wii) – $59.99 

Batman Arkham Asylum (PS3) – $39.99 *

Batman Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) – $39.99 *

Beatles Rockband (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Ben 10 Alien Force (DS) – $9.99

Ben 10 Alien Force (Wii) – $9.99

Borderlands (PS3) – $49.99

Borderlands (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Buy 2 Get 1 Free On All Pre-Owned Games and Accessories – B2G1 Free

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (PS3) – $59.99

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) – $59.99

Call of Duty World at War (PS3) – $39.99 *

Call of Duty World at War (Xbox 360) – $39.99 *

Call of Juarez Bound in Blood (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Chicken Blaster w/Wii Rifle (Wii) – $29.99

Crisis Core – Final Fantasty VII (PSP) – $9.99

Dead Space (Wii) – $19.99 *

Dirt 2 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Drawn to Life (DS) – $19.99

Drawn to Life (Wii) – $39.99

DS Duo Game Case & Stylus – $4.99

DS Lite Traveler Case – $4.99

Dynasty Warriors 6 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Fallout 3 (PS3) – $49.99

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Family Game Night (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Fossil Fighters (DS) – $34.99

Game Boy Advance SP Pre-owned System – $29.99

Gears of War (Used) (Xbox 360) – $9.99

God of War II (PS2) – $19.99

God of War II (PS3) – $39.99

Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) – $19.99

Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Gran Turismo 3 (Used) (PS2) – $1.99

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3) – $29.99

Gran Turismo (PSP) – $39.99

Guild Wars Trilogy (PC) – $24.99

Guitar Hero 5 (PS3) – $39.99

Guitar Hero 5 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Guitar Hero Aerosmith (Used) (PS3) – $7.49

Guitar Hero Aerosmith (Used) (Xbox 360) – $7.49

Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock (Used) (PS3) – $4.99

Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock (Used) (Xbox 360) – $4.99

Guitar Hero World Tour (Used) (PS3) – $14.99

Guitar Hero World Tour (Used) (Xbox 360) – $14.99

Halo 3 ODST (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Jewelry Design (DS) – $19.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (PC) – $29.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

LEGO Rock Band (Xbox 360) w/Free Lego Keychain – $49.99

Little Big Planet (PSP) – $39.99

Littlest Pet Shop Starter Kit (DS) – $14.99

Madden NFL ‘08 (Used) (PS3) – $2.99

Mario and Sonic Olympic Winter Games (Wii) – $49.99

Mario Kart (DS) – $34.99

Mario Kart Super Circuit (Used) (GBA) – $19.99

Mario Kart (Wii) – $49.99

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS) – $34.99

Mario Party (DS) – $34.99

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (PSP) – $19.99

MySims Agents (Wii) – $19.99 *

My Sims Racing (DS) – $29.99

Naruto Shippuden Ninja Destiny 2 (DS) – $19.99

NCAA Football ‘10 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii) – $19.99 *

Need for Speed Shift (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Nerf w/Controller (Wii) – $59.99

Nintendo DSi Limited Edition Brain Age Bundle – $169.99

Nintendo DSi Limited Edition Mario Bundle – $169.99

Nintendo DSi System – $169.99

Nintendo DS Lite Pre-owned System – $59.99

Nintendo DS Original Pre-owned System – $49.99

Nintendo Wii Console – $199.99

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers Sky (DS) – $34.99

Pokemon Platinum Version (DS) – $34.99

Pokemon Ranger (Used) (DS) – $12.99

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS) – $34.99

Prototype (PS3) – $29.99

Prototype (Xbox 360) – $29.99

PS2 Console – $99.99

PS2 Pre-owned Console – $39.99

PS2 Slim Pre-owned Console – $49.99

PS3 120GB Console – $299.99

PS3 120GB Holiday Bundle with 3 Games – $299.99 *

PS3 DualShock 3 Wireless Controller – $54.99

PS3 Energizer Controller Charger – $19.99

PSP 3000 Core Pack – $169.99

PSP Assassin’s Creed Bloodline Bundle – $199.99

PSP Go In-Ear Headset – $19.99

PSP Go System – $249.99

PSP Go Traveler Case – $19.99

PSP Original Pre-owned System – $79.99

PSP Road Gear Kit – $9.99

Rainbox Six Vegas (PSP) – $9.99

Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) – $29.99

Scribblenauts (DS) – $29.99

Sims 3 (PC) – $29.99

Sing It w/ Microphone (Wii) – $49.99

Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals (Used) (PSP) – $9.99

Spider Man (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Spore Hero Arena (DS) – $29.99

Spore Hero (Wii) – $19.99 *

Style Lab Makeover (DS) – $19.99

Style Savvy (DS) – $34.99

Super Mario Bros. (DS) – $34.99

Super Mario Bros. (Wii) – $49.99

Super Mario Galaxy (Used) (Wii) – $39.99

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up (Wii) – $29.99

Tekken 6 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

The Price is Right (Wii) – $19.99

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) – $59.99

Various Charm Girls Club Games (Prom, Show, Mall) (DS) – $29.99

Various Littlest Pet Shop Games (DS) – $29.99

Wii Active – $29.99

Wii Energizer Power & Play Station – $19.99

Wii Fit Plus (Game Only) – $19.99

Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board – $99.99

Wii Motion Plus – $24.99

Wii Music (Used) (Wii) – $39.99

Wii Nunchuck – $19.99

Wii Play – $49.99

Wii Play (Used) (Wii) – $9.99

Wii Remote – $39.99

Wii Remote Controller Red – $29.99

Wii Sports Pack – $9.99

Wii Sports Resort – $49.99

Wii Sports Resort w/Free 2nd MotionPlus Controller – $49.99 *

Wii Zapper w/Link’s Crossbow Training – $24.99

Wireless Controller and Charger (Xbox 360) – $69.99

World of Warcraft Battlechest (PC) – $19.99

World of Warcraft (PC) – $4.99

World of Zoo (Wii) – $29.99

Xbox 360 Arcade Console – $199.99

Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle with 3 Games – $299.99 *

Xbox 360 Energizer Controller Charger – $19.99

Xbox Live 3 Month Gold Card – $19.99

Zelda (Used) (DS) – $19.99

GameStop Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

Read more Black Friday posts…

Walmart’s Black Friday ad is here, packed full of holiday goodies. Stores open at 5AM Friday morning and doorbusters will be available until 11AM.

Here’s a list of gadget-related items. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Computers

Acer 17.3″ Blue Laptop w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Premium (Online Only) – $498.00

eMachines 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Processor, 2GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive (Model # EME627) – $198.00 *

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/Intel Processor, 3GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # G60-519WM) – $298.00 *

HP 17″ Notebook w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # G71-329WM) – $398.00

HP Pavilion All-In-One 19″ Desktop w/4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, MS213 AMD – $598.00

HP Pavilion Desktop w/AMD Processor, 3GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, w/20″ Monitor (Model # P6243w-b) – $398.00 *

Digital Cameras

Kodak C82 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $69.00

Nikon CoolPix S230 10MP Digital Camera – $139.00

Sony Cyber-Shot DSCS930 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $79.00

Digital Media Cards

Sandisk 4GB SDHC Card – $8.00

Sony 4GB Memory Stick – $20.00

DVD Players

Magnavox NB500 Blu-ray Disc Player – $78.00 *

Samsung BD-P1590 Blu Ray Player (Saturday) – $148.00

Sony BDP-S369 Blu Ray Player – $148.00

Electronics

8″ LCD Digital Photo Frame – $29.00

Philips 6′ Gold HDMI Cable – $19.00

Philips 7″ Portable DVD Player – $49.00

Philips Earbuds – $10.00

Samsung MX20 Red Camcorder – $149.00

GPS Systems

TomTom One 125-SE GPS – $59.00

TomTom XL325-SE GPS – $89.00

Hard Drives

Western Digital 1TB 3.5″ External Hard Drive – $78.00

Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB Hard Drive – $49.00

Miscellaneous

Duracell UltraAdvanced AA/AAA 6-Pack – 2 For $5

Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA 2-Pack – 2 For $5

Rayovac AA/AAA 12-Pack – 2 For $5

MP3 Players

Apple 8GB iPod Touch w/$50 iTunes GC – $195.00

Phillips 4GB MP3/Video Player – $29.00

Sony iPod Speaker – $69.00

Networking

Belkin N 150 Router – $29.00

Portable USB Storage

Sandisk Cruzer 4GB USB Flash Drive – $8.00

Printers

HP Deskjet F2430 All-In-One Printer – $25.00

Kodak ESP5250LE Wireless Printer – $99.00

Televisions

Emerson 32″ LC320EMFX LCD 720P HDTV – $248.00 *

Emerson 42″ PL-P42W-10A Plasma 720P HDTV – $448.00 *

Flat-Panel TV Stand – $89.00

Philips Large Fixed TV Mount – $69.00

RCA 46″ LCD 1080p HDTV (Online Only) – $688.00

Samsung 32″ LN328360 LCD 720P HDTV (Saturday) – $398.00

Samsung 42″ LN40B500 LCD 1080P HDTV (Saturday) – $598.00

Samsung 42″ PN42B400 Plasma 720P HDTV (Saturday) – $548.00

Samsung 46″ LN46B500 LCD 1080P HDTV (Saturday) – $848.00

Samsung 50″ PN50B400 Plasma 720P HDTV (Saturday) – $698.00

Sansui 19″ HDLCD1909 LCD HDTV – $128.00

Sayno 50″ DP50719 Plasma HDTV – $598.00

Sony Bravia 32″ KDL32L504 LCD 720P HDTV – $378.00

Sony Bravia 40″ KDL40S504 LCD 1080P HDTV – $598.00

Sony Bravia 46″ KDL465504 LCD 1080P HDTV – $798.00 *

Video Games

2K Sports NBA 2K10 For Xbox 360 – $25.00

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader For PS2 – $7.00

Bakugan For Nintendo Wii – $25.00

Big Beach Sports For Nintendo Wii – $10.00

Call Of Duty 4 Modern Warfare For PS3 – $25.00

Carnival Games For Nintendo Wii – $10.00

Celebrity Sports Showdown For Nintendo Wii – $7.00

Comand And Conquer Red Alert 3 For Xbox 360 – $7.00

EA Sports Madden 10 For PS2 – $25.00

Grand Theft Auto IV For Xbox 360 – $10.00

Lock’s Quest (Nintendo DS) – $7.00

Midnight Club Los Angeles (Xbox 360) – $10.00

MX Vs ATV Untaimed (Nintendo DS) – $10.00

Need For Speed Undercover (PS3) – $10.00

NeoPets Puzzle Adventure (Nintendo DS) – $7.00

Nintendo DS Lite – $98.00 *

Nintendo DS Lite Starter Kit – $10.00 *

Nintendo Wii Value Bundle With Console, Remote, Nunchuck, 2 Games And An Extra Set Of Nyko Controllers (Online Only) – $249.00

Over 30 Games For $25 – $25.00

Over 40 Games For $10.00 – $10.00

Over 50 Video Games For $7.00 – $7.00

Playstation 3 Console w/Infamous & Batman Arkham Asylum Games + Dark Knight Blu-ray – $299.00

Rock Band Special Edition (PS3) – $50.00

Rock Band Special Edition (XBox 360) – $50.00

Suzuki TT Super Bikes (PS2) – $7.00

Tak And The Guardians Of Gross (Nintendo Wii) – $7.00

The Godfather II (PS3) – $10.00

The Sims 3 For PC/Mac – $25.00

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Nintendo Wii) – $25.00

UFC 2009 Undisputed (Xbox 360) – $25.00

WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 For PS3 – $25.00

Xbox 360 Arcade w/Madagascar 2 Game & w/Madagascar & w/Madagascar 2 Movie DVDs – $199.00

X Rocker Turbo Sound Gaming Chair – $35.00

Walmart Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday posts here…

Here’s another topic I’m stealing from Ron and Fez: disaster movies. We sorta discussed this a few times already, but the movie 2012 broke all sorts of records at the weekend. I’d make a big stink about Americans having zero taste, but if I could make $80 zillion per movie sleeping through my lines like the cast of 2012 presumably did, you can guarantee I’d be right there alongside them. That aside, the topic on the radio show was this: what is it about disaster movies that make people so excited?

There’s a few theories. The one I found most interesting is that since nobody wants to die in real life, people enjoy seeing movies where the entire planet is threatened. “I don’t want to die and know that you guys are still having fun without me,” that type of thing. So watching a movie where everyone is in danger, well, count us in. (And it really does need to be that everyone is in danger, and none of this I Am Legend action-adventure nonsense, otherwise you alienate people who aren’t into Indiana Jones-style movies. One man versus crazy odds.)

Which brings us to 2012: why did so many of y’all watch it this weekend? Were you attracted by the special effects? Do you like the director or the actors? Just needed to kill some time with your friends at the mall? The movie is bloody awful, so I’m just curious.

Then again, I used to watch WWF/WWE all day long, so who am I to question people’s judgement vis-à-vis entertainment?

It’s here. Best Buy’s Black Friday ad is here. Stores open at 5AM and Best Buy will “pass out tickets for our Doorbuster Specials up to two hours before 5 a.m. store opening,” according to the circular. That means no running, probably. You can still do that thing where you walk really fast and sort of skip a little bit, but no running.

Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Automotive

Alpine 50-Watt x 4-Channel Car Stereo – $99.99

Pioneer 50 Watt x 4-Channel Car Stereo & Speaker Pair – $89.99

Cell Phones

AT&T Sony Ericsson W518a – Free w/2 Year Contract *

BoostMobile Motorola Clutch i465 – $59.99

DLO Jam Jacket For iPhone – $9.99

Jabra BT-2080 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99

LG Chocolate Touch From Verizon w/Two Year Activation – $0.00 *

MiFi 2200 By Novatel Wireless w/Two Year Activation – $0.00

Mobile Broadband Card 598U By Sierra Wireless w/Two Year Activation – $0.00

Motorola H710 Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headset – $39.99

Motorola S9 HD Stereo Bluetooth Headset – $49.99

Net10 Samsung T401G – $39.99

Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 Smart Phone – Free w/2 Year Contract

Sprint Samsung Instinct S30 – Free w/2 Year Contract

T-Mobile Motorola Renew Phone – $7.99

Verizon Wireless DROID – $199.99 w/2 Year Contract

Verizon Wireless Motorola Rival – Free w/2 Year Contract *

Virgin Mobile Kyocera X-tc – $49.99

Computer Accessories

Logitech C250 Webcam – $19.99

Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse – $24.99

Rocketfish AC Power Adapter – $39.99

Computers

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $179.99

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive – $229.99

Dell 10.1″ Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $379.99

eMachines Desktop w/AMD Athlon Processor, 3GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, w/18.5″ LCD Monitor and HP Deskjet Printer – $299.97

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 6GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $599.99

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 8GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $699.99

Macbook 13.3″ Notebook w/2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive, w/$150 Gift Card – $999.99

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $399.99

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray Player, Blu-ray Movie – $479.97

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 3GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) – $399.99

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB DDR3 Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) w/Printer and Case – $499.97

Digital Cameras

Canon EOS Rebel Tli D-SLR Camera w/18-55mm IS Lens – $699.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Grey) – $149.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Teal) – $149.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Grey) – $179.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Teal) – $179.99

Canon Rebel Tli Camera w/55-250mm IS Telephoto Lens and Lowepro D-SLR Bag – $849.97

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $149.97

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 Polka Dot 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $119.99

Insignia 720p HD Camcorder – $69.99

Insignia NS-DSC10A 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Pink) – $49.99 *

Insignia NS-DSC10B 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Blue) – $49.99 *

Kodak EasyShare C140 Digital Camera With 7″ Kodak Digital Photo Frame – $109.99

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera – $299.99

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $329.97

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Red) – $179.99

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $209.97

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm and 55-200mm Lens and Bag – $599.97

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm VR Lens – $499.99

Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera (Black) – $99.99

Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Flexpod and Camera Case – $119.97

Digital Media Cards

PNY 4GB Flash Drive – $9.99

PNY 4GB MicroSD HD Memory Card – $9.99

PNY 4GB SDHC Memory Card – $9.99

Sandisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $14.99

Sandisk 8GB MicroSDHC Memory Card – $19.99

Sandisk 8GB SD Card – $19.99

DVD Players

Insignia Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # NS-BRDVD3) – $99.99

Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray Disc Player – $279.99

Samsung Blu-Ray Disc Player – $149.99

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc Player – $149.99

Electronics

2GB Pulse Smartpen w/$30 Gift Card – $169.99

Bose In-Ear Headphones – $89.99

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder – $499.99

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8″ HDMI Cable – $599.97

Dynex 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99

iHome Portable Alarm Clock Speaker iPod Dock – $39.99

Insignia 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $44.99

Logitech Harmony 510 Advanced Universal Remote – $39.99

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/3 Handsets – $59.99

Pandigital 9″ Digital Photo Frame – $59.99

Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder – $249.99

Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & Bag – $299.97

Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder – $199.99

Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8GB Memory Stick – $259.97

Sony Reader Pocket Edition w/$30 Gift Card – $199.99

Sony Studio Monitor Headphones – $9.99

VTech DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/2 Handsets – $44.99

GPS Systems

Garmin GPS Friction Mount – $14.99

Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS Navigation System – $99.99 *

Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS Navigation System – $129.99

Lowepro Black Neoprene Sleeve – $7.99

Magellan SE4 GPS – $89.99

Tom Tom 540S Portable GPS Navigation System – $149.99

Tom Tom GO 730 Portable GPS Navigation System – $174.99

Hard Drives

LG External Slim Portable USB 2.0 DVD Drive – $49.99

Western Digital 1.5TB My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive – $119.99

Western Digital 500GB My Passport Elite Portable Hard Drive Titanium – $79.99

Western Digital WDTV Media Player – $74.99

Home Theater

4″ Monster Cable 700 Series HDMI Cable – $49.99

Init Cherry Wood Stand With Mount For TVs Up To 46″ – $99.99

Init Cherry Wood w/Black Glass Shelves TV Stand – $149.99

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 5.25″ Floorstanding Speaker – $186.99

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 6.5″ Floorstanding Speaker – $236.99

Samsung 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System With Blu-ray Disc Player – $399.99

Sony 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System – $279.99

Sony 7.1 Channel 770-Watt A/V Receiver – $279.99

Tilting Wall Mount For 30″-56″ Flat-Panel TVs – $99.99

Monitors

Acer 20″ HD LCD Monitor (Model # X203H) – $79.99

Dell 20″ HD LCD Monitor (Model # S2009W) – $99.99

MP3 Players

3 $10 iTunes Gift Cards – $25.00

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Black) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Blue) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Pink) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Purple) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Silver) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

Apple 8GB iPod Touch 3rd Generation w/$30 Gift Card – $199.99

Bose Sound-dock Series II Digital Music System – $269.99

Power Pack for iPod/iPhone – $19.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Black) – $44.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Blue) – $44.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Red) – $44.99

Networking

Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Broadband Router w/4-Port Switch (Model # WRT160N) – $59.99

NetGear Wireless N Router (Model # WNR2000-100NAS) – $49.99

Portable USB Storage

Sandisk Cruzer 8GB USB Flash Drive – $19.99

Printers

$10 Gift Card With Any $40 Ink Purchase – $0.00

Epson Stylus NX110 Multifunction Printer – $24.99

HP Photosmart C4795 Wireless Multifunction Printer – $64.99

Software

Instant Immersion Spanish Software – $19.99

Microsoft Office Home And Student 2007 – $69.99

Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements – $74.99

Televisions

Dynex 19″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L19-10A) – $149.99

Dynex 32″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L321-10A) – $299.99 *

Dynex 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L40-10A) – $499.99

Insignia 42″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV (Model # NS-L42Q120-10A) – $699.99 *

LG 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # 32LH30-UA) – $439.99

Panasonic Viera 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # TC-P50U1) w/Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # DMP-BD60K) – $999.98

Samsung 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B530P7F) – $497.99

Samsung 32″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B360C5D) – $397.99

Samsung 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # LN40B500P3FXZA) – $597.99

Samsung 42″ 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN42B400P3DXZA) – $547.99

Samsung 46″ 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Model # UN4686000VF) – $1599.99 *

Samsung 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV (LN46B500P3FXZA) – $847.99

Samsung 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B530S2F) – $897.99

Samsung 50″ 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B430P2D) – $697.99

Sony 32″ 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL32L504) – $377.99

Sony 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL40S504) – $662.99

Sony 46″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL465504) – $852.99

Video Games

$20 Gift Card w/Any DSi Game System Purchase – $0.00

Assassins Creed (PC Game) – $19.99

Bash Party (Wii) – $14.99

Bioshock (PC Game) – $19.99

Bolt (DS Game) – $9.99

Brutal Legend (PS3) – $34.99 *

Brutal Legend (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Call of Juarex (PS3) – $19.99

Call of Juarez (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Civilization IV (PC Game) – $19.99

Cooking Mama (DS Game) – $9.99

Cooking Mama (Wii) – $14.99

Crash (DS Game) – $9.99

Dragon Age (PS3) – $34.99 *

Dragon Age (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Excite Bots Trick Racing (Wii) – $14.99

Fallout 3 (PS3) – $19.99

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Family Game Night (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Far Cry 2 (PC Game) – $4.99

FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Guinness World Records (DS Game) – $9.99

Hawx (PS3) – $19.99 *

Hawx (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (PS3) – $34.99 *

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Madagascar 2 Escape From Africa (Wii) – $14.99

Madden 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

Madden 10 (XBox 360) – $34.99 *

Marker Man (DS Game) – $9.99

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Wii) – $14.99

My Sims Kingdom (Wii) – $9.99

My Word Coach (DS Game) – $9.99

NBA Live 09 (Wii) – $9.99

NBA Live 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

NBA Live 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Need For Speed: Shift (PS3) – $34.99 *

Need For Speed: Shift (XBox 360) – $34.99 *

NHL 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

NHL 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Nintendo DSi Brain Age Bundle (White) w/$20 Gift Card – $169.99

Nintendo DSi Mario Bundle (Metallic Blue) w/$20 Gift Card – $169.99

Pikmin Classic (Wii) – $14.99

Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii) – $9.99

Resident Evil 5 (PS3) – $19.99

Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Riddick (PS3) – $19.99

Riddick (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Slots (PC Game) – $19.99

Sonic Chronicles The Dark Brotherhood (DS Game) – $9.99

Sony PlayStation 3 Package w/120GB Console, Little Big Planet, and Ratchet And Clank – $299.99 *

Spyro (DS Game) – $9.99

Stalker (PC Game) – $4.99

Sudoku Ball (DS Game) – $9.99

The Bigs 2 (PS3) – $19.99

The Bigs 2 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Wii Sports Snowboard (Wii) – $14.99

Wii Sports (Wii) – $9.99

World Of Warcraft (PC Game) – $4.99

Xbox 360 Elite 120GB Bundle w/Four Pack Game Set – $299.99

BestBuy Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

Well, well, well. If it isn’t Target’s Black Friday ad? Let’s see what’s inside, shall we? Oh my, hello there 32-inch HDTV for $246. How do you do?

Stores open at 5AM on Black Friday. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk and are good “while supplies last,” according to the circular.

Digital Cameras

Kodak ZD15 Digital Camera – $129.00

Nikon CoolPix S203 Digital Camera – $88.00

Polaroid V130 2″ Color LCD Camcorder – $39.00

Digital Media Cards

Lexar Media 4GB microSDHC Card With 50 Free Song Downloads – $10.00 *

Lexar Media 4GB SDHC Card With 50 Free Song Downloads – $10.00 *

DVD Players

Memorex Compact DVD Player With Progressive Scan – $19.99

RCA 7 Inch Dual Screen Portable DVD Player With Car Adapter – $88.00

RCA 7 Inch Portable DVD Player – $47.00

Sony Blu-Ray Player With Free $20 Gift Card – $149.99

Electronics

Casio Keyboard With Stand And Song Book – $49.99

Digital Decor Color LCD Key Chain Holds 48 Pictures – $10.00 *

First Act Electronic Drum Set – $35.00

GE 6 Foot HDMI Cable – $9.99 *

Memorex Home Audio System For iPod – $49.99

GPS Systems

Garmin Nuvi 1350T GPS System – $179.00

TomTom XL340S GPS With Case – $97.00

Hard Drives

Western Digital Elements 1TB Desktop Hard Drive – $59.98

Western Digital Elements 500GB Portable Hard Drive – $59.98

Miscellaneous

$10 Gift Card With Any $100 In Store Purchase – $0.00 *

3-Slot Charging Station – $14.99

MP3 Players

$15 Gift Card With Any Apple 8GB iPod Nano Purchase – $0.00

$30 Gift Card With Any Apple 32GB iPod Touch Purchase – $0.00

Apple 32GB iPod Touch With Free $30 Gift Card – $295.00

Apple 8GB iPod Nano With Free $15 Gift Card – $145.00

Photos

Digital Decor 7 Inch Digital Photo Frame – $29.00

Portable USB Storage

Lexar Media 4GB Twist And Turn USB Drive With 50 Free Song Downloads – $10.00 *

Televisions

Apex 40″ Full HD LCD TV – $449.00 *

Haier 7 Inch Portable Digital TV – $79.99

Westinghouse 32″ LCD HDTV – $246.00

Video Games

$10 Gift Card With Select Video Game Purchases – $0.00

$20 Gift Card With Any DSi System Purchase – $0.00 *

$50 Gift Card With Any Call Of Duty Super Elite XBOX 360 System Bundle – $0.00

$50 Gift Card With Any XBOX 360 120GB Elite Game System Bundle Purchase – $0.00

Animal Crossing Wii Video Game – $27.00

Assassins Creed II PS3 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Assassins Creed II XBOX 360 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Batman PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Batman XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare PS3 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare XBOX 360 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Call Of Duty Super Elite XBOX 360 System Bundle With $50 Gift Card – $399.99

Call Of Duty Wii Video Game – $27.00

Cooking Mama DSi Video Game – $17.00

DSi Game System With Free $20 Gift Card – $169.99 *

Guitar Hero 5 Wii Video Game – $37.00

Halo 3 ODST XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Hannah Montana DSi Video Game – $17.00

iCarly DSi Video Game – $17.00

Littlest Pet Shop DSi Video Game – $17.00

Need For Speed Nitro Wii Video Game – $27.00

Personal Trainer Cooking Game For DSi Video Game – $7.00

PS3 Black DualShock Controller – $39.00 *

Rock Band PS3 Video Game – $7.00

Shaun White PS3 Video Game – $7.00

Shaun White XBOX 360 Video Game – $7.00

Shift PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Shift XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Sim Animals Wii Video Game – $27.00

Star Wars Clone Wars PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Star Wars Clone Wars XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Super Squad DSi Video Game – $17.00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Wii Video Game – $27.00

Ultimate Alliance 2 PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Ultimate Alliance 2 Wii Video Game – $37.00

Ultimate Alliance 2 XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Video Rocker Extreme 2 Chair – $29.98

Wii Mario And Sonic Olympics Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Wii Music Wii Video Game – $27.00

Wii Nerf Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Wii Play Remote Bundle – $39.00 *

Wii Sports Resort Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

XBOX 360 120GB Elite Game System Bundle With $50 Gift Card – $299.99

XBOX 360 Black Controller – $39.00 *

Target Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

Famous rock band No Doubt has sued Activision over the use of its avatars in the game Guitar Hero 5. No Doubt says that the deal it signed with Activision only permitted the avatars to be used when playing No Doubt songs. The problem is that Activision has it set up that you can play any song in the game with the No Doubt avatars. That I’m even writing about this is rather depressing.

As easy as it is to ride No Doubt for being a bunch of nerds, the fact is if the contract the band signed with Activision specified that the avatars could only play No Doubt songs, well, then Activision is in the wrong here.

The band said in a statement:

No Doubt agreed to place avatars containing their name and likeness performing three No Doubt songs in the upcoming Band Hero game of the Guitar Hero series from Activision.

Without the band’s knowledge or approval Activision turned the group into virtual karaoke players by having them perform over 60 additional songs by other musical groups.

Meanwhile, Activision said:

Some of the world’s most popular and iconic artists have been featured in Guitar Hero as playable characters, and we are proud to count No Doubt among them. Activision has a written agreement to use No Doubt in Band Hero — an agreement signed by No Doubt after extensive negotiations with its representatives, who collectively have decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Pursuant to that agreement, Activision worked with No Doubt and the band’s management in developing Band Hero. As a result, Activision believes it is within its legal rights with respect to the use and portrayal of the band members in the game and that this lawsuit is without merit. Activision is exploring its own legal options with respect to No Doubt’s obligations under the agreement.

And there you have it. What a way to start the day~!

Kmart’s Black Friday circular has found its way to the series of interconnected tubes that we all know and love. Here’s a list of the electronics deals you can expect to find.

Doorbusters (available from 6AM-11AM Friday morning) are marked with an asterisk.

Cell Phones

TracFone LG Bluetooth Camera Flip Phone – $19.99

Wireless Bluetooth Headset – $7.99

Computers

Delstar 7 Inch Wireless Netbook 05 Windows CE – $119.99 *

Digital Cameras

Kodak CD80 Digital Camera Bundle – $79.99

Samsung SL40 Digitial Camera – $79.99 *

Sony W180 Digital Camera – $99.99

DVD Players

Magnavox DVD Player w/VCR – $49.99

Memorex 1080P HDMI Upconvert DVD Player – $29.99

Sylvania 7 Inch Portable DVD Player – $49.99 *

Electronics

Cobra Radar Detector – $29.99 *

Cobra Two Way Radio Pair – $19.99 *

Coby 7 Inch Digital Picture Frame – $29.99 *

Emerson 3-Handset DECT Phone Bundle – $39.99

GPX 2.1 Channel DVD Home Theater System – $39.99

iHome Dock – $9.99

iHome PC Accessories – $9.99

Jazz T20 Camcorder – $19.99

Phillips 4-Device Remote Control – $9.99

SmartPants 8.5″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Sony Earbuds – $4.99

Games & Hobbies

48″ Air Powered Hockey Table With Electronic Scoring – $39.99 *

Bowlercade With Electronic Ball Return And Scoring – $59.99 *

GPS Navigation Systems

Magellan Roadmate 1220 GPS Navigation System – $84.99 *

TomTom ONE 130 GPS – $79.99

TomTom XL325S GPS Navigation System – $99.99

MP3 Players

Element 2GB Stick MP3 Player – $9.99 *

Sylvania 4GB MP3 Player – $19.99

Televisions

Element 26″ LCD HDTV – $249.99

Panasonic 42″ 720 Plasma TV – $549.99

Sony Bravia L Series 32″ Class 720p LCD HDTV (Model KDL32L504) – $379.99 *

Video Games

$25 Nintendo Gaming Coupon w/Any DS System Purchase – $0.00

Brutal Legend For PS3 – $39.99

Brutal Legend For XBox 360 – $39.99

Dirt 2 (PS3) – $39.99

Dirt 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Dragon Age For PS3 – $39.99

Dragon Age For XBox 360 – $39.99

for PS3 – $199.99

Halo 3 OSDT – $39.99

High School Musical 3 Dance Bundle – $9.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Nintendo DSi Bundle w/5 Pre-Installed Games – $169.99 *

Nintendo Wii – $199.99

Rock Band 2 Special Edition (XBox 360) – $99.99

Sandisk 4GB SD Card – $8.99

Select Wii Games – $9.99

Select Wii Games – $29.99

Value Video Games – $14.99

WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 PS3 – $39.99

XBox 360 Elite Bundle w/Halo 3 OSDT – $299.99

Kmart Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

Good news, everyone. (I hope people understand that reference.) Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City comes out tomorrow, and to help grease the wheels a little bit, this weekend will be a free-play weekend on Xbox Live for GTA IV. That is, if you have GTA IV but don’t subscribe to Xbox Live Gold, you’ll be able to play online multiplayer this weekend.

The deal goes from Friday to Sunday, and works for all the various GTA IV releases (The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony).

A couple of Rockstar people will be playing all night Saturday night, and their Gamertags are GwRockstar1 through GwRockstar16. Presumably there will be much trash talking and exploding cars.

Also, on Sunday, from 1pm to 3pm ET, you’ll be able to play with Henry Santos Jeter, who’s a singer in the band Aventura. So that’s neat, a successful musician taking time out of his day to run rampant throughout Liberty City with y’all.

In the interest of bringing Ron and Fez’s fantastic radio show topics to a more tech-minded audience, I propose the following: games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, while fun and, generally speaking, “good,” will not save rock music. Rock and roll, for all intents and purposes, is dead. Bear with me for a minute, I’ll make this relevant to CrunchGear.

So the topic on today’s show was: U2—you may have heard of them—recently released a new album, but it didn’t sell too well. This created the discussion: is rock dead? Someone brought up the idea that kids today just aren’t buying music anymore, that they’re playing video games instead; you have but so many entertainment dollars to spend, right? But even if kids (and by kids I mean the 30 and under crowd, a completely arbitrary cutoff point) are going out and buying these games left and right, does that mean they’re experiencing music in a new way, as proponents of the idea that Guitar Hero will save the music business would have you believe, or are they just killing time?

To paraphrase Ron Bennington, if the only thing these kids are doing is playing Simon with Pearl Jam in the background, Pearl Jam might as well be the Pac-Man theme song. The kids aren’t paying attention to the music, aren’t getting “into it,” per se, but are merely following along with whatever random melody is playing in the background.

(Incidentally, a caller tried to blame the decline of rock music on Pearl Jam’s anti-everything antics back in the 1990s and 2000s, driving kids into hip hop’s flashy embrace. Kids want to look up to Rock Stars, and the lifestyle they live, and not necessarily people who, while armed with guitars, are generally against the whole rock “scene.” That’s partially why rapping about money, women, and cars caught fire in the 1990s: it filled a void that rock had left behind. I sure as hell would rather listen to Jay-Z than, say, The Strokes, who, if I recall correctly, were once promoted as the saviors of rock and roll.)

The future?

What new (and I do mean brand new, and not merely new to you) rock music have you heard in one of these games that made you think, “Hey, this band is pretty good. I’m gonna buy their album from iTunes and buy a t-shirt from their Web site.”? You may well be able to play along just fine with a Weezer or Peter Frampton song, and you’ll have a good time doing so, but in doing so you’re not exactly discovering Bruce Springsteen back when he was just a local Jersey act. You’re not discovering new music, but rather pressing a fisher price fret along with the melody to a classic rock song. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s not going to save rock music, now is it?

And by save I just mean to make it popular again. I’d love to see a sales comparison between rock music and hip hop over the past 10 years. I bet it’s pretty one-sided.

Now these games are great for bands like The Beatles that are trying to introduce their catalog to millions of new eyeballs, but you’re not necessarily creating any new talent. It’s sorta like WWE in that sense: I stopped watching regularly back in high school (2004ish), but I turn on Raw or Smackdown today and the very same guys are who were main-eventing then (Triple H, Undertaker, John Cena, etc) are main-eventing now; no new stars have been created in the past five years. That’s not good!

So yeah, sorta rambling, but you get my point: Rock Band & Co. may be great for the record labels looking to make a extra few dollars on licensing deals, and may be great for old bands looking to introduce new fans to their music, but you’re crazy if you think these games will make rock music the music of this generation’s young people; hip has already won that battle. No new rock talent is being cultivated with these games, and the relationship between the actual music and the player isn’t genuine: you’re playing a video game with your friends as part of an event or fun social gathering, and aren’t carefully digesting the melodies and lyrics of “Gouge Away” for the sake of the music itself.

That is all.

Flickr and Flickr

Back before I started playing World of Warcraft (because of something that was work-related, incidentally), I used to tease my then-roommate about playing it well into the night, every night. I was a freshman at a certain horrendously expensive school, and my gaming started and stopped with my Xbox; I had no time for time-sink PC games. Not my roommate, no sir. The day the game came out—he had also been part of the beta—he plopped into his small, uncomfortable chair, Sunkist in hand (man alive did he love Sunkist for some reason), and quested well into the night away.

That was five years ago, and, correct me if I’m wrong, but no other game has even come close to de-throning Blizzard’s little engine that… still does.

Look at the game’s subscription numbers. The current estimate is that some 13.1 million people subscribe to the game in one shape or fashion. Lump all these people together in the same geographic area, and it would be the third biggest city in the world, after Mumbai and Shanghai. (Or, to put it in American terms, that’s nearly twice the population of New York City proper.) That, and the game is still growing… Wrath of the Lich King isn’t even available in China yet! When that hits, bam! Hello, even more money.

So we’ve established that WoW is big; that’s not exactly breaking news. Its closest competitors, I think, at least in the West, are Warhammer Online and AION. Apparently AION has had some technical issues that has driven players away, and Warhammer Online sorta came and went. And it’s not that these games aren’t good, but that, well, if all my friends play WoW, why would I abandon them?

That’s why WoW is where it is, and why it’s not going anywhere any time soon: too many people are playing for someone to come along and not it off its perch. That’s not to say that another game won’t come along and find a successful niche of its own—my money’s on Star Wars: The Old Republic, whenever that comes out!—but you’re crazy if you think another game is going to “kill” WoW.

And what will kill WoW? WoW 2, provided Blizzard wants to rock the boat, so to speak.

The gist is, WoW seems to be pretty much unbeatable right now. It launched at just the right time, with just the right lore, with just the right number of updates, with just the right fanbase.

If that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I don’t know.

Thankfully Dell still managed to pack quality computing components within the rugged frame and it rocks a Core 2 Duo CPU, up to 5 GB of RAM, hot-swappable modules including GPS and webcam, Bluetooth, 3G modem, 802.11 a/g/n wireless, and four-, six-, and nine-cell battery options.

All this doesn’t come cheap though. The XT2 XFR starts out at $3,599 and is currently available in the North American and European market.

Dell Delivers Smallest 12.1-Inch Rugged Convertible Tablet PC, First with Multi-Touch Technology

Latitude XT2 XFR is Purpose-Built to Meet Unique Requirements of Field Service Workers, Military, Law Enforcement and First Responders
Thinnest 12.1-Inch Rugged, Convertible Tablet PC
ROUND ROCK, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dell today unveiled the industry’s smallest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet PC that is the first with a multi-touch display, the Latitude XT2 XFR. The system is designed to meet the unique and demanding needs of customers in the military, police, border patrol, field service organizations, factory fulfillment and first responders.

The Latitude XT2 XFR adds to Dell’s Rugged Mobility Solution offering that includes the fully rugged Latitude E6400 XFR and the semi-rugged Latitude E6400 ATG laptops. It also joins purpose-engineered products like the Latitude Z, Latitude 2100 netbook for education and Dell Precision™ M6400 mobile workstation as another step in Dell’s strategy to develop differentiated form factors and solutions that meet specific customer usage needs.

The News:

Inspired by discussions with the defense, law enforcement, homeland security communities, field service departments and utility companies, Dell developed a convertible tablet that can adapt to changing mission requirements and withstand harsh environments. Features of the Latitude XT2 XFR include:
At 1.5 inches (38.1 millimeters) it is the thinnest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet and starts at 5.4 pounds (2.45 kilograms) with four-cell battery and solid state drive1, it is engineered and independently tested to meet MIL-810G standards for operation in harsh environments. Dell expects MIL-810G certification in the coming weeks.
Compression-sealed and rugged I/O doors, LCD, and keyboard, provide an IP54 level of Ingress Protection, or resistance to moisture and dust.
The Latitude XT2 XFR can be installed in police or first-responder vehicles where critical information can be accessed with one hand. The Latitude XT2 XFR is also ideal for field-service and industrial manufacturing workforces who need an easy to carry, rugged system that can stand up to drops, spills and temperature extremes.
The Latitude XT2 XFR is available with Dell’s optional remote management capabilities and next business day service and support.2
The rugged tablet shares common images and components with the Dell Latitude XT2 tablet for easy integration into existing environments. The Latitude XT2 XFR also includes:
Intel Core 2 Duo processors with up to 5GB3 of DDR3 1066 MHz memory.4
QuadCool Thermal Management System enables excellent performance, even in extreme temperatures from minus 10 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Four-, six- and nine-cell battery options.
Standard data security features that include Dell ControlVault and Dell ControlPoint, as well as optional solid state and spinning disk drives with full disk encryption.
Impact resistant, sunlight viewable, 12.1-inch wide LED display with capacitive multi-touch gestures-enabled or optional resistive touch screen.
Optional hot-swappable modules including GPS (in the coming weeks) and webcam.
Optional expansion sliver provides camera/light, serial, and RJ11 inputs.
An extensive range of optional accessories and services that include mobile rugged docking and mounting solutions in the coming weeks.
A full complement of wireless connectivity options including wireless LAN 802.11 a/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and mobile broadband.
The XT2 XFR is available in the U.S., Canada, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy via all of Dell’s sales channels, including PartnerDirect. It starts at $3,599 and more information is available here.
Quotes:

“The Latitude XT2 XFR is more than a laptop, it’s a key part of our mobile command and data-center solutions for field service, defense and first-responder customers,” said Paul Bell, president, Dell Global Public-Sector Business. “These unique solutions, coupled with our service model, make those communities more effective, enabling them to focus on their core missions instead of managing technology.”

“We are listening and delivering purpose-engineered products based on unique usage models within customers’ environment,” said Steve Lalla, vice president and general manager, Business Client Product Group, Dell, Inc. “The Latitude XT2 XFR is a perfect example where feedback told us that customers needed the innovative functionality of the Latitude XT2 with the ability to perform in rugged environments.”

The Rocketfish system is made up of a wireless amplified audio receiver, a wireless sender/receiver, a wireless outdoor speaker, and a wireless HD audio starter kit, which contains a sender and a receiver unit. With the appropriate component purchases, you can send up to five different sources to up to nine receivers throughout your home.

Rocketfish is expected to be available this month, however at this time the area of Best Buy with pricing information is not yet active.

Best Buy isn’t the first company to jump on the wireless audio bandwagon this year, and most likely won’t be the last as the holiday season approaches.

[via Ecoustics]

The Stage-Gig speaker system is being debuted at the College Music Journal (CMJ) music festival in New York City. Modeled as a stage monitor, the Stage-Gig gives you a 6.5″ woofer, silk tweeter, all with 40 watts of output power. It has two sets of RCA plugs so you can theoretically chain as many of these units are you could possibly want.

If you don’t have any better speakers, these offer you a simple, plug-and-play upgrade for your game console. XBox, Playstation, Wii, anything that uses RCA audio outputs will work. Look for it in early November and expect to shell out $99.95.

So, what is blackra1n? blackra1n is a 30 second ALL device 3.1.2 jailbreak. Even the ipt3, but the ipt3 is tethered. In order to boot it, just rerun blackra1n. As far as donations go, they are much appreciated, but not until after blackra1n works for you. I never ask for donations before the tool is released.

Warning 3g and 3gs unlockers, do not upgrade to 3.1.2 using iTunes if you want to keep your unlock. Baseband cannot be downgraded. Check out the dev team’s offerings. Also blackra1n doesn’t hacktivate.

Also, the secret word for today is FORDS. Just thought you might like to know.

At this rate, you and your garage band could be starring in the next Rock Band-like game! (That’s actually not a bad idea. Some sort of service wherein you upload your band’s songs, and a little while later out pops a file that works in Rock Band and Guitar Hero.) Famous band U2 recently told USA Today that, sure, it would love to be in a video game of its own one day. It’s probably too late now, seeing as though, years from now, The Beatles: Rock Band will be viewed as the apex of these music games.

The band’s bassist, Adam Clayton, said:

We definitely would like to be in there, but we felt some of the compromises weren’t what we wanted. That could change. I love the idea that that’s where people are getting music, and we’d love to be in that world. We’ll figure something out. What The Beatles have done, where the animation is much more representative of them, is what we’re interested in, rather than the one-size-fits-all animation. We didn’t want to be caricatured.

If the control freak Beatles can agree to a game, there’s no reason why U2 can’t agree to a game.

Also, War > Joshua Tree. Just sayin’.

via Kotaku