holiday shopping
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Google's AI-powered search tool can help tackle your holiday shopping
Google is scaling up Search Generative Experience (SGE) for holiday shopping. The company announced Thursday that its AI-powered search bot can now spit out gift ideas, photorealistic images of product types and virtual try-ons of men’s tops.
Introducing Engadget’s 2020 holiday gift guide
Introducing Engadget's 2020 Holiday Gift Guide. Here you'll find the best tech gifts you can get this holiday season, as chosen by Engadget editors.
Now all Walmart stores will match Amazon prices
Rather than going for an Amazon deal, Walmart wants you to nab that PlayStation 4 in its stores this holiday season. The world's largest retailer will start offering price matching for Amazon and other online stores starting tomorrow. That's actually something around half of Walmart stores are already doing, but now it's official policy for all 4,300-plus locations across the US. It follows on the heels of other aggressive moves from the company for the all-important holiday shopping season, including last year's plan to match competitors' Black Friday prices a week early. Online shopping is an undying threat for Walmart and other brick and mortar retailers, so an official online matching policy makes sense. If anything, we wonder what took Walmart so long to make it happen nationwide. [Photo: Amazon]
Holiday gift ideas for World of Warcraft players
Tis the season for Winter Veil -- or for those of us out here in the real world, a variety of gift-giving holidays. While getting gifts may be as easy as waiting for them to arrive, giving clever gifts that show you care takes a little more thought. It's not too late to start picking out gifts for your loved ones -- and WoW Insider is here to help you out. Digital goods like pets and mounts may be all well and good, but there's a vast variety of real-world items that are sure to delight anyone on your shopping list as well. If you're a WoW-player looking for gifts for your WoW-playing friends, check out the list we've compiled of cool gift ideas for the holiday season. Alternatively, you can always slip this handy article to your friends and family that are wondering exactly what's on your wish list this season!
Talkcast tonight, 7pm PT/10pm ET: Gift guide edition!
All-new dial-in experience! See below -- do not call into Talkshoe, we won't be there. Be sure to set up Fuze Meeting before the show if you want to join in live. Another Sunday, another TUAW talkcast! We're in the thick of the Christmas season, so we'll probably be discussing gift guides, unless you really want to talk about iOS 7 adoption rates (almost as crazy as holiday shopping), or perhaps iBeacons (possibly crazier than holiday shopping). Reminder on new-style talkcasting: With some help from the fine folks at Fuze, we're using a new system to record the show. This should let everyone listen in live -- and, if you want, raise your hand as you would in the Talkshoe room to get unmuted and chime in. You can join the call in progress (meeting # is 20099010) at 10 pm ET from any computer via this link; if you download the Mac or Windows Fuze clients ahead of time, you'll get better audio and a slicker experience, but browser-only will work fine. Just click the phone icon to join the audio once you're in. Using an iPhone or iPad? Grab the native clients from the App Store and get busy. (Even Android users can join the party.) Still feel like using the conventional phone dial-in? Just call 775-996-3562 and enter the meeting number 20099010, then press #. While the Fuze web and native clients have a chat channel, we'd like to reserve that for host participants, requests to talk and other real-time alerts... so the full-on chat for the show will appear in this very post at 10 pm tonight. You'll need Twitter, Facebook or Chatroll credentials to participate in the chat. We'll remind everyone to check back in at that time. Your patience and forbearance with our new tech is appreciated in advance. For the time being, the podcast feed of the show will continue to originate from Talkshoe and should be there within 24-36 hours. See you tonight!
Looking for holiday gifts? WoW Mega Blocks on sale at Amazon
If you're on the hunt for holiday presents for your fellow WoW-players, you might want to consider the World of Warcraft-themed Mega Bloks sets -- they're fun to put together and make excellent additions to the toy layout on your desk or bookshelf. (Everyone keeps toys scattered on their desks, don't they?) To help you along, Amazon is currently offering a lot of sets at a big discount, bringing some of the pricier sets within easy financial reach. Sets on sale right now include: Arthas & Sindragosa for $14.00 (60% off) Sha of Anger for $12.99 (68% off) Deathwing's Stormwind Assault for $45.00 (55% off) ...and plenty more. Many of these discounts are offered by third-party Amazon retailers, but most of the deals we looked at (and all the ones above) were shipped by Amazon, so we wouldn't expect you to have any trouble getting your hands on them. But like most of these Amazon sales we have no clue when prices might jump back up to retail -- so if you're interested in picking up some Mega Bloks for yourself or your friends, get shopping! [Via Reddit]
TUAW TV Live: Holiday gifting episode
If you're like most TUAW readers, you're not only good-looking, but you're also very smart. So smart, in fact, that you decided to skip both the insanity of Black Friday and the online spending spree of Cyber Monday. You decided to wait until today to find out what ideas the TUAW TV Live gang has for your holiday gift buying! We'll have some pretty cool ideas for you, along with links on where to buy the products for your family and friends. Some are incredibly unique, while all will be useful and well worth seeing. To join in to watch the live feed and participate in the chat, just click here. You'll join us on the AOL On Network. If you can't watch the entire show today, come back to this page within 24 hours to see the latest video below. Past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel. Show Notes: Here are links to some of the items discussed on the show. Motrr Galileo, $149.95 Companion app: Sphere Pad & Quill Messenger Bag, $369.00 Doxie Flip Cordless Flatbed Photo & Notebook Scanner, $149 EyeFi Mobi memory card, $49.99 for 8 GB, $99.99 for 32 GB Drobo Mini: About $335 on Amazon Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub and Harmony Control App Harmony Smart Control $99.99 Dropcam Pro, $199.99 JBL Synchros S700 headphones, $349.95 Fitbit Force, $129.99 Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air $99.99 The Loop Magazine - $1.99 twice a month Lynda.com -- Subscriptions available
Sony Online Entertainment offers bonus Cyber Monday cash
Cyber Monday is like Black Friday without the waiting in line or the limited-stock items left on shipping pallets throughout the store or any of that insanity. But it's very similar insofar as you can find deals that are theoretically meant to be for others but wind up mostly being presents to yourself. Case in point, Sony Online Entertainment's sale today on Station Cash. No, it's not cheaper to buy, but you get a lot more for what you buy. Until 11:59 p.m. PST today, all Station Cash purchases receive a bonus 25% Station Cash above and beyond the normal amount. That's not counting various games holding their own sales within the in-game marketplace, meaning that you could wind up with more Station Cash and individual items costing less money. So it's sort of like everybody winning, except it's really just you winning multiple times. But get on the deal soon before it evaporates.
Daily Update for November 18, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Target adds QR codes to hot holiday toys for secret shopping
Well, this one should give parents with ever-present ankle-biters reason to celebrate. Starting Sunday, October 14th, Target will make a special in-store area available highlighting 20 of the most sought-after toys -- all tagged with QR codes for one-stop, secret mobile shopping. The initiative is being targeted at consumers (read: frazzled Moms and Dads) who need to conduct their frenzied gift-buying without the prying eyes of curious children. You'll have to install the company's app to scan the codes and opt-in for the free shipping, but it's really no more complicated than that. All told, it's an added bit of convenience that should relieve some of that mad holiday stress, but it's definitely bad news for the impulse buyer. You can check out the PR after the break for the full list of included products.
Best Buy rewards your procrastination with buy-one-get-one iPhone 4 deal
Sure it's Christmas Eve and we're more than halfway through Hanukkah, but it's never too late to score some last minute deals -- and heck, why not get a little something for yourself, while you're at it? Best Buy wants to give you a free iPhone 4 for your impressive ability to hold out on holiday shopping for this long. Pick up a 32GB version of the last-gen handset with a two-year AT&T or Verizon plan, and the big box retailer will toss in a second (plus carrier fees, naturally). This is an in-store only sort of deal, and it's only good through close at 5PM tonight -- those folks in the blue polo shirts have families too, you know. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
2011 Holiday Buyers Guide: PlayStation Network
Did you ravenously unwrap a gift this holiday season, only to discover a redeemable PSN card within? Don't despair -- that card can actually be turned into video games! We've got a bunch of suggestions on which 2011 video games you should transmogrify your e-money into after the jump. Whether you're using a PS3 or PSP, we've got you covered.
Nintendo to release streamlined Wii in the UK, at reduced, holiday season price
It may be a while before we see the Wii U hit the market, but it looks like a refreshed version of its predecessor will be hitting the UK market just in time for the holiday shopping rush. According to the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, the refreshed console will sport a streamlined look and adjusted configuration, designed for horizontal orientation, rather than vertical. It will also be included in a "Family Edition" bundle scheduled for a holiday release, alongside a Wii Remote Plus, Nunchuk controller, and editions of Wii Party and Wii Sports. The downside, however, is that the slimmed-down Wii won't be compatible with GameCube games or controllers, though it will reportedly be sold at a reduced, unspecified price. No word yet on whether Nintendo has a similar update in store for markets outside of the UK, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out.
Get your giving sorted out with Gift Plan
Keeping track of all the holiday shopping and the various recipients of gifts among family and friends is a chore that's just crying out for an app. There are plenty of gift organizers on the App Store, but one of the newest and slickest is Glasshouse Apps' new release Gift Plan. This US$1.99 app gives you all the tools you'll need to manage your holiday, birthday or other occasion gift-giving. Gift Plan lets you organize by date, shopping list or by recipient/occasion. Once you've added your likely gift recipients (from your contact list, Facebook birthday sync or manually), you can file away ideas for the next gift, likes/dislikes, and clothing sizes. You can also keep track of what you've already gotten for each person, to avoid repeat gifts. You can filter your upcoming occasions by birthday, anniversary or holiday giving, just to keep from being overwhelmed by the prospect of all those presents. All this is wrapped up in a graceful and straightforward interface, which is just what you'd expect from the team that brought us The Early Edition, Barista and Cellar. Happy holidays, and happy shopping! %Gallery-111682%
SOE's super offers for super fans
Sony Online Entertainment wants to give the superfans more reasons to log in to their favorite games this Cyber Monday. Most of the SOE titles, like EverQuest, EverQuest II, Everquest II Extended, Clone Wars Adventures, Free Realms, and Pox Nora, are offering discounts on Station Cash as well as other special offers starting November 29th and ending December 3rd. Just $37.50 US buys you 5,000 Station Cash, while $65 US buys you 10,000. That means you can finally purchase that sparkle pony cat you always wanted. In addition to these offers, each SOE title has its own daily deal. Free Realms is giving triple member discount on items. EverQuest, EverQuest II, and EverQuest II Extended have 50% off a daily featured item. Clone Wars Adventures is giving away special discounts to members. And PoxNora will not be left behind with offers ranging up to 50% off game items. Log in to your Station account for more information on these offers or visit the games' respective websites.
Great GPS navigation deals for holiday travelers
As the holidays approach we're seeing some very tempting prices on navigation apps for the iPhone. Here are some deals worth considering if you've been waiting for price drops. My favorite app, from Navigon is on sale Black Friday only. The USA version drops to $29.99 from the regular $49.99. The MyRegion versions, giving you a choice of the US East or West Coast, or the central states drops $10.00 to $19.99. I've consistently recommended the Navigon app because of it's many features, excellent voice directions, and easy GUI. I'd also point our readers to the CoPilot Live app which is on sale this week only. The North American version, which contains maps of both the US and Canada is now $9.99. A high resolution version for the iPad is now on sale for $19.99. Those prices are 50% off the regular cost. If you'd like to see what CoPilot Live can do, watch this video demo. We've already reported that the Magellan Roadmate app is also on sale for $34.99 until December 1, so no more excuses and stop getting lost on those road trips.
Report: Apple's inventory woes fixed for holiday shoppers
A number of analysts are expecting inventory shortages to restrict holiday gadget sales. However, Forbes reports that Apple will be able to avoid the pinch. Jason Busch, the founder and Managing Director of advisory firm Azul Partner, expects Apple to keep holiday shoppers happy for three main reasons. Busch says that firstly, Apple has "superior" forecast accuracy than its competitors. Keeping a close eye on where their inventory is at all times, Apple is able to control the particulars accurately, although they don't always get it right. For example, when a new iteration of a product is released -- like the new MacBook Air -- stock of the previous version will dry up in the weeks leading to that release, demonstrating Apple's precision in inventory management. Secondly, Busch says Apple is "at the top of the [inventory management] food chain" because of its sheer weight in the consumer electronics market. "Apple controls so much volume that it has greater influence over its suppliers, at multiple levels," says Busch. Finally, Apple can build strong lead times for its most popular products. For instance, the iPad was released in April allowing for strong supply chains to be established well before the expected holiday demand. Gartner supply chain analyst Mickey North Rizza affirms this by saying, "Because Apple brought out the iPad in April, they have had time to ramp things up. Apple's efforts to build a supply chain for each product will continue to create a distinct advantage in the marketplace." With iPhone 4 and iPad supply shortages having been recently resolved, Apple smoothed the kinks in its related supply chain. Either way, if you're looking to buy a loved one some Apple gear during this festive period, we'd recommend starting early, just to be on the safe side. [via MacDailyNews]
Black Friday ads leaking all over town, we've rounded them up
The holiday shopping season is really creeping up on us quickly this year... wasn't it just Halloween the other day? Regardless, Black Friday ads revealing the deals to come are leaking all over the internet, so we thought we'd round up a few of the less monotonous-looking bargains. So what's on offer? It looks like Sam's Club has an Acer Aspire One 10.1-inch netbook going for $197, and an HP G71 17-inch laptop with a Blu-ray player for $499, an Olympus FE-4000 12 megapixel digicam for $98, and a few other odds and ends. Meanwhile, over at Staples you can snag a 500GB Western Digital My Passport portable hard drive for $70 and a 23-inch Acer widescreen LCD for $140. If you're still up to it, you can head over to Target and grab a Nikon Coolpix S203 for $88 or a TomTom XL340S for $97. Finally, it looks like Kmart's going to have a 42-inch Panasonic 720p Plasma HDTV for $550 and a 10.1 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot W180 for $99. While you're there, don't forget to pick up a Jaclyn Smith cashmere sweater set for $30, too! Hit the read links for full ads. Read - Sam's Club Black Friday Ad Leaked Read - Staples Black Friday Ad Read - Target Black Friday Ad Read - Kmart Black Friday Ad
Brenthaven: The best computer backpack I've ever seen
The TUAW gang have been searching for great holiday gift ideas and I think I've found one that's been right under my nose for five years. When I bought my brand new PowerBook G4 17" in 2004, I splurged and bought a Brenthaven backpack for it. Back then it cost a good deal more than the usual backpack -- around $75 -- but I thought it would be worth it since I lugged around my PowerBook nearly every day and it looked like the Brenthaven provided better padding than the competition. Since then, the backpack has housed a succession of three 17" PowerBooks and MacBook Pros under very heavy use. The amazing part is that outside of being a bit dusty, it's in just as good shape as the day I bought it. No frayed stitching, no stuck zippers, no torn dividers. There is no sign of wear and/or tear whatsoever. And if there was, or ever will be, all Brenthaven bags come with a lifetime warranty.
Ask Engadget HD: Where can I find Blu-ray movies for cheap on Black Friday and beyond?
Prices on Blu-ray players continue to plunge, inducing more and more to make the jump, but what about the software? We've asked where you buy your discs before, but this time we're presented with a brand new adopter looking to stock up on titles during the holiday season. That's Sean's situation, where to look for Blu-ray discs over the next month if price is the only consideration. "Instead of camping out for a big ticket purchase on black Friday, I already grabbed a new flat screen and Blu-ray player, but so far I only have a couple of movies to watch on it. I really want to upgrade my library with plenty of reference quality selections, and I figure holiday seasons will be a great time to do it. Any advice on where to look for the deepest discounts / bundles over the next couple of months?" So, we know there's more than a few of you always on the lookout for a BOGO or better offer to come along whether buying for yourself or as gifts, any tips for our tightfisted friend here? Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
