Hasta La Gadget!

Don’t think that the Black Friday shopping rush this year is all about the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. We’ve rounded up a smorgasbord of Thanksgiving week deals that should appeal to tech-savvy shoppers of all stripes, whether they’re looking for entry-level smartphones or giant 4K TVs. Hop past the break and you’ll find bargains that could please the gadget lovers in your life — and just might spare you from battling the crowds at the mall.

[Image credit: AP]

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Tablets, HD, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Dell

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Microsoft’s aging Xbox 360 console still has some pep in its proverbial step, moving more than 750K consoles last week in the US alone, rounded out by Black Friday. Between November 18 and 23, 360 sales bucked internal forecasts — no doubt bolstered by the release of Halo 4 a few weeks prior, as well as holiday bundles — helping Microsoft’s game box to best Nintendo’s new Wii U by more than double (during the Wii U’s launch week, no less). Of course, the Xbox 360 now exists in a variety of flavors, from the $99 subscription model to the $300 S model; this makes Nintendo’s $300 minimum for a Wii U a somewhat unfair comparison with the variety of Xbox 360s out there.

Regardless, Redmond’s assuredly hoping these sales numbers will keep Xbox 360 in the top of NPD’s monthly sales charts (October was the 360’s 22nd consecutive month on top), though we have a few more weeks before we’ll hear for certain which console maker moved the most units during one of the year’s most crucial sales months. Despite a new PlayStation 3 model and the launch of the Vita this year, Sony’s yet to announce its Black Friday numbers.

Continue reading Microsoft sold over 750K Xbox 360s last week, more than double Wii U sales

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft

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Considering the parody-worthy dangers of America’s busiest shopping day, it’s no surprise to hear that online consumerism is on the rise. According to ComScore, 57.3 million Americans took their wallets to digital storefronts on Black Friday, spending a record $1.04 billion in the process. “With Black Friday online sales up 26 percent and surpassing $1 billion for the first time, coupled with early reports indicating that Black Friday sales in retail stores were down 1.8 percent, we can now confidently call it a multi-channel marketing phenomenon,” stated ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni. The organization also noted that digital content sales are on the rise, too, citing a 29 percent increase in the category over the same period last year. Finally, Fulgoni projected Cyber Monday sales in excess of $1.5 billion, based on observations culled from the years past. Read on for ComScore’s official numbers.

Continue reading ComScore: Black Friday online spending rings in at a record $1.04 billion

Filed under: Misc

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If you’ve taken advantage of the myriad Black Friday deals on mobile devices and PCs, you’re probably looking for content to feed the technology beast. Google and app creators are pulling out all the stops to make sure that beast stays full: Google Play has discounts throughout the Thanksgiving weekend for just about every format on offer. Android apps are the highlight, with SwiftKey 3, Shadowgun and Documents To Go on the list of those with grander price cuts, although there’s some definite bargains to be had in media. Among the picks are price drops on books like The Hobbit, movies like The Big Lebowski and Serenity, and music from the likes of Diana Krall and Kendrick Lamar. We can’t possibly mention every offer here, so check our links for some of the larger deals.

Terrence O’Brien contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, Tablets, Internet, Mobile

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Source: Google Play (1), (2)

Another decent discount on Barnes & Noble’s entry-level e-reader means you can now get the sans Glowlight Nook Simple Touch for just under $80. This prices it below to Amazon’s (ad-free) basic e-reader but above the $50 price tag that Target’s announced. However, this limited-edition Nook is encircled with a white border, which at least sounds a little more festive — we haven’t managed to snatch a glance at one just yet. Barnes & Noble says that it’ll remain at this price for as long as in-store stocks last, but bare a thought for your transatlantic cousins, who are paying the same amount, but in pounds, for an identical e-reader.

Continue reading Limited-edition White Nook Simple Touch lands at $79 this Black Friday

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Source: Barnes & Noble