thanksgiving
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Nielsen reports that iPad is most wanted this holiday season
Nielsen has released its annual report on which electronic goodies consumers in various age groups are looking for this Thanksgiving. Once again, Apple products are claiming most of the top of the list. Kids in the US aged 6-12 are looking for an iPad as the number one item under their holiday tree this year, and while that's followed by Nintendo's new Wii U system, Apple's iPod touch, iPad mini, and the iPhone fill out the rest of the top five spots. At the very bottom of the list, the Apple TV makes an appearance, too. That's not a device I would expect kids that young to ask for, but apparently so. On the older side, in persons 13 and up, iPad also tops the list of items that are most expected to be purchased in the next six months. Tablet computers and e-readers are also sitting near the top of that list, and since the iPad is the most popular of those (with 21 percent of people expecting to buy it soon), it's not too surprising to see Apple's slate in high demand. The iPhone is also high near the top of that list. It's perhaps also interesting to note that the rest of the list is full of gaming devices like the Nintendo 3DS, PS Vita and the major gaming consoles. Considering that the iPad and the iPhone provide a strong mobile gaming experience and the widest ecosystem of game apps out there, that's an interesting perspective on what people are willing to spend big ticket money on lately. Finally, the Apple TV makes an appearance on the adults' list as well. I think 2013 will be a very interesting year for that device -- if Apple can bring its popular App Store to a non-mobile device, starting with the Apple TV, the core functionality of that little black box may be very different in a year's time. [via 9to5Mac]
Nine PS3 Ultimate Edition deals take a seat at the Thanksgiving table
PS3 Ultimate Editions bundle major games with all of their DLC packs and throw them up on PSN for hungry consumers to... consume. Nine more of these bundles are on sale now through Monday, November 26, up to 66 percent off for standard PS3 players and up to 73 percent off for PS Plus members.Current Ultimate Editions on sale are Alice: Madness Returns ($20 for standard players, $16 for Plus), Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood ($28, $22) and Revelations ($50, $40), Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($35, $28), Homefront ($20, $16), Mass Effect 2 ($35, $28), Red Faction Armageddon ($25, $20), Saints Row 2 ($25, $20), and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine ($30, $24).Additionally, all purchases made on PSN through November 26 that collectively reach $60 or more will get a $10 PSN Wallet voucher on December 6, valid through January 6. Check out the PlayStation Blog for complete bundle and sale details.
Leaderboard: Holidays to game or holidays from games?
It's Thanksgiving week in the United States, which means that a lot of the Massively staff members will be hanging up their hats for a day. It's an entire day when almost everyone in the country doesn't have to work, and that means an entire day free to game... or an entire day free from gaming. Let's face it, you can get a whole lot taken care of in game when you've got a whole day to devote to leveling or farming or even just crafting. But you can also recharge your batteries away from the daily routine of logging in, and you can appreciate the game a little bit more after a day of fun with friends and family. Besides, you can only clear daily quests in Star Wars: The Old Republic or daily achievements in Guild Wars 2 the one time. So with the holiday looming, which do you think is the better option? Using a holiday specifically to spend a full day in the game? Or using a holiday specifically to spend a full day away from it?
Wings over Atreia: Twelve things to be thankful for in Aion
I can't really help it. I was trying to pen an article or a guide about any of a number of features in Aion, but my mind kept wandering back to the spirit of Thanksgiving. This time of the year I just get to feeling so extra thankful for those things that make life better, easier, and more enjoyable. So instead of fighting it, I decided to go with the flow and just share some of the top things I am grateful for in Aion. As luck would have it, once I started this top 10 list, I kept thinking of more things, as you no doubt noticed by the title! I am sure I could keep adding, but the article had to stop at some point, so I ended my list at 12. Take a look at what made the cut and see if anything from your own list made it on mine.
Talkcast tonight, 7pm PT / 10 pm ET: Black Friday look-ahead
If it seems to you that the holiday season is rushing toward us this year, there's a reason: this is the earliest that US Thanksgiving can be scheduled (the fourth Thursday in November; this November started on a Thursday, so Thanksgiving is the 22nd). An early holiday means an early unofficial kickoff to the shopping season; with Black Friday only a few days away, we'll review deals and gift ideas tonight. We'd love for you to bring your shopping strategies and gift notions to add to the fun! To participate, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for +5 Interactivity, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (viva free weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free X-Lite or other SIP clients (aside from Skype or Google Voice), basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
WRUP: When did it become November?
It's November. When did that happen? Yes, at the end of October, thank you so much. But seriously, it seems like this year just flew by. Already, stores are busily stocking the shelves with winter holiday decorations, ignoring the upcoming Thanksgiving in a mad dash to get the biggest sales out. And while that's obnoxious, I can't blame them because time is just whizzing right on by. So, when we rounded up the hottest news in "what are you playing" this week, I asked your intrepid staff of WoW Insider do-gooders what they're doing to prep for the holiday season. And yes. I'm totally ignoring the election. That wasn't an accident.
Tim Cook offers extended Thanksgiving break to Apple employees
It should be a happier Thanksgiving holiday this year for Apple employees. Once again Apple CEO Tim Cook has let team members know that they've had a great year and that they can take the entire Thanksgiving week off in the US to spend more time with their families. That time off will be with pay; Apple retail store employees will have to juggle schedules to keep the stores staffed during the busy holiday shopping time, so they'll take their extra three days at another time; likewise with international employees. In his letter to the staff, reproduced at 9to5 Mac, Cook said: "Apple is having another incredibly successful year, thanks to all of the hard work by you and your teams. Your focus and dedication to making the best products on earth is what makes Apple such an incredible place." [via MacRumors]
Talkcast tonight, 4pm HI/7pm PT/10pm ET: Holiday kickoff edition!
Here we are again, another Sunday. Provided you survived Black Friday and the turkey-based festivities, we'd love to have you join the TUAW family for a post-shopping, post-tryptophan-coma Talkcast. Most likely we will have a few of the regulars, providing what we'll call "color commentary" in the chat room. Also, if you show up for the recording, you are automatically invited to stay for the aftershow. Learn why TUAWTF is never recorded! Your calls and questions help us make the show the best it can be, otherwise I'm just talking to myself! To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (yay for free cellphone weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo, X-Lite, or Blink SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
Apple flips the switch on Black Friday sale, Macbook Air, Pro see modest discounts
Apple has just launched its annual Black Friday online sale, and, as you may expect, there isn't a whole lot to write home about. The company has slashed the prices of its MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac by a modest $100 for this year's 24-hour event, with the iPad 2 seeing a $41 reduction, and the iPod Touch getting slashed by a measly $21. Not exactly the kind of discounts you'd wait an entire year for, but they're there at the source link, nonetheless. For more tryptophan-laced deals, check out our ongoing Black Friday roundup.
Bing brings the holiday gold, offers free Xbox Live preview for Thanksgiving weekend
Need something to do while your loved ones slave over hot stoves and turkey platters? Microsoft and Bing have got your back, offering gamers another free Xbox Live Gold weekend to help you frag your way through the holiday. Of course, if you're feeling too sedentary to twitch your thumbs, you can always veg out with your Netflix queue or use the console's ESPN app to get your traditional Thanksgiving sports fix. Either way, you're golden until the 27th -- after that, you'll need to pony up and subscribe. Don't have an Xbox 360, you say? We hear there are some deals floating around that might help you fix that.
Ask Massively: You know what day it is edition
Because of the way Thanksgiving works in the USA, Ask Massively always falls on the holiday. Last year's approach was closer to my usual one, but you know what? This year, I'm just going for the straight dope. We all know what day it is, we all know what holiday we're celebrating, and in all likelihood we're all so stuffed with turkey that we don't want to think about anything other than slowly sloughing to the bathroom. So let's not kid ourselves. At any rate, the important part isn't the paragraph I devote to ridiculous nonsense; the important part is the questions. And they're just past the cut -- questions about video personalities, loneliness, and last week's forbidden screenshot. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment, leave it in the comments or send a letter to ask@massively.com. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup: 2011 edition
So apparently there's this thing called Black Friday. This is news to me because shopping isn't really my thing, see, especially if it involves looking for parking spaces, Christmas music, or entering a retail establishment of any sort (regardless of season). OK, I do occasionally make allowances for the grocery store. Anyway, when it comes to holiday consumerism, fortunately there's this place called the intarwebs, where savvy merchants have taken to selling all manner of whatever and delivering it directly to your front door with the bare minimum of fuss. I hear there are even a few deals and steals for the budget-conscious MMO fiend in this land of digital plenty, and you should head past the break for links to a few of the more noteworthy sales.
Thanksgiving app sales: More Gameloft titles, Dark Meadow, and Steam sale underway
Here are even more Thanksgiving/Black Friday app sales popping up on the App Store: Gameloft has a few more titles on sale than I mentioned yesterday -- here's the full list. Retro RPG Companions for iPad is down to $3.99. The official Peterson Birds of North America app is down to 30% off, at $9.99. Steam has started up its official holiday sale, featuring huge discounts on all kinds of downloadable games for the Mac. Portal 2 for just over $10 is a great place to start (if you don't have it already), but there will be great games in there all week long. Boy, if you've ever wanted an EA Mobile game, now's the time to buy it -- almost all of the company's games are down to 99 cents. Reckless Racing, Simcity Deluxe, and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit are standouts, but there's a lot of good choices in there. Pangea Software is having a Black Friday 99 cents sale as well, with Enigmo 2 and Nanosaur 2 as two to check out. Tactical Soldier: Undead Rising is down to $1.99, and Heroes of Kalevala is that same price on iPad, only 99 cents on iPhone. Wayforward's great Shantae: Risky's Revenge is usually $4.99 with an in-app purchase, but this week it's only a buck. Firemint's titles are on sale, but I think we all already own those. Playfirst's Hotel, Wedding, and Parking Dash titles are lowered to 99 cents on iPhone and $2.99 on the iPad. Dark Meadow is just a buck -- highly recommended if you don't have it yet and don't mind some scares. Kairosoft's Hot Springs Story and Pocket Academy are both down to just $1.99. Telltale has a whole bunch of iOS games on sale, including Puzzle Agent 1 and 2, and all of the Back to the Future, Hector: Badge of Carnage, and Tales of Monkey Island games for iPad. Each episode is $2.99, which could make for a fun Thanksgiving weekend if you buy the whole set. Spinlight Studio has a whole line of colorful childrens' education apps, and all of them are on sale this weekend. All of the Sage Board games apps, including Tigris and Euphrates, Ra, and Puerto Rico, are on sale, from $1.99 to $4.99. Flickr HD is just 99 cents, which is the cheapest price the app has ever been. DebtMinder is half off at $.99. And I think that's all ... for today (isn't that enough?!). There's really no need to fight store lines for video games when you can get all these great titles for pennies each on the App Store. Be sure to keep an eye on our Deals category for even more deals all weekend and holiday season long!
Free for All: What I am thankful for
Here in the United States we are gearing up to celebrate well, whatever it is exactly that we give as the reason to get together with friends and family and eat more than humanly possible on the last Thursday in November. To be honest, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I truly do use the occasion to take stock of how good I have it and to decide what is important to me and my future. I wanted to take similar stock with you all, my readers. After all, work can be a major part of our lives, and this is my work. Over the year and a half I really have learned a lot and became a better writer through the experience. So I am thankful for a lot. Click past the cut and I'll tell you just what I am thankful for.
Nintendo 3DS available for $145 at Target's pre-Black Friday sale
It's official: Black Friday has transcended both space and time. No longer bound to the Hipparchian constraints of the 24-hour day, the Mother of all Sales has now given birth to an entire generation of equally stygian offspring, oozing her mercantile tentacles into nearly every crevice of our American existence. Case in point: Target's pre-Black Friday sale. It's a sale in honor of a sale that's in honor of a holiday -- the Apollo to Thanksgiving's Jupiter, if you will. It's also where you can grab a Nintendo 3DS for just $145, as noted in this ad that we came across yesterday. So loosen those purse strings and clench your fists, because the Supra Sale draws nigh.
Retailers opening up at midnight (or even earlier) for Black Friday
If waking up at 5am in the morning this Friday to grab some of those deals on video games at Gamestop doesn't sound like your idea of a good time, then good news times two: One, you're completely sane. Second, GameStop is actually opening at 12:01am on Thanksgiving night/Friday morning, so if you can wake yourself out of your turkey coma to go and buy some games, you can get all your shopping done before the moon even comes out. Best Buy is also opening up at 12am on Friday morning for its doorbuster sale, as is Target, despite some protests from employees and their families. Toys R Us is the real kicker, though: Its sales are starting at 9pm on Thursday night, hardly enough time for the football games to even finish before the holiday sales begin. You can see all of the available deals on video games, online and offline, in our big, bad Black Friday deals post for this year. If you do head out to buy some items right away at midnight, maybe offer to buy the employees you see there some doughnuts or coffee -- if they're out there all night, they'll probably need it.
Thanksgiving app sales: Frogger Free, iBlast Moki 2, lots more
Every day this week, we'll be spotlighting some major app sales on the Store, because all week long for Thanksgiving, devs everywhere are putting up their apps for discounted prices. Come get some great cheap apps! The beautiful Lemmings-a-like Spirits for iPhone is down to just 99 cents. This is a must buy: iBlast Moki 2 HD is on sale for just a buck. One of the best games of the year, for the change you've got in your couch? Yes please. I really wish the deck-building card game Dominion was out on iOS, but it's not yet, and until then we have Battle of Gundabad, which is also a buck today. All of Huaxu's games are going free during the holiday this week, including Castles Conqueror, Crystal Soul, and Crystal Dash. And it's not really a holiday sale until Sega gets involved -- they've got a bunch of games on sale, including Gunstar Heroes, the Streets of Rage and Super Monkey Ball games, and all of the Sonic the Hedgehog titles. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Frogger, Konami has released a game called Frogger Free, featuring new content, new modes, and the same old game that you already love. I don't know how holiday-related this is, but hey, it's a free classic game -- what more do you need? Enjoy! Stay tuned to our holiday gift guide all this week -- we'll have lots more sales to report, I'm sure.
World of Tanks dishes up Tanksgiving and the Update 7.0 trailer
Trust us on this: Never before has the word "fjords" been issued with such goosebump-raising intensity. But such is the World of Tanks and its passionate love for geography and the many, many ways that it can be blown to smithereens. Wargaming.net is pumping up the hype for Update 7.0 with a new trailer showing off the famous Fjords map, the new camouflage feature, and (of course) massive tank battles. Update 7.0 is currently in public testing for release in the near future. This week also will see "Tanksgiving" coming to the game on November 24th. During Tanksgiving -- November 24th through the 28th -- select tanks will receive double credits during matches. Wargaming.net promises even more to come with the event, but the studio is keeping its cards tight against its chest until the event arrives. You can watch the Update 7.0 trailer after the jump!
Namco Bandai discounting iOS stable for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday (but not Super Tuesday)
Sick and tired of your neighbor Steve Grabowski always showing off with his fancy Pac-Man Championship Edition on iPhone? First and foremost, tell Grabowski to shove it, but more importantly, know that you'll soon be able to afford your very own copy. Namco's Thanksgiving Week slash Black Friday slash Cyber Monday iOS sales are offering dramatically discounted versions of excellent games like Pac-Man CE and Galaga Remix, and the deals kick off at 12AM PST today ... so they're totally live right now. Said deals shall stay that way through November 28, just before midnight PST. At very least, the discounted wares should give you a brief reprieve from that jerk neighbor.
5 apps for Thanksgiving
Whether you're ready for it or not, the holiday season is upon us. One week from today, many of us in the US will be pushing ourselves away from the Thanksgiving dinner table, sated and ready to do some serious shopping on our iPads. To get you ready for the holiday of turkey, football, and giving thanks for what you've got, here are five apps that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit. iCookbook 2.0 Part of the Thanksgiving tradition is cooking up an amazing feast for family and friends. iCookbook (on sale for US$4.99) has recently been updated to version 2.0 and it's now the app to have in the kitchen. This universal app has always had thousands of recipes for you to try out, but it's going to be your cooking buddy from now on. The developers at Publications International recently added voice commands to the iPhone version -- you can now avoid touching your iPad or iPhone screen with those greasy hands by speaking commands to move to the next step of a recipe, start or stop a timer, and more. The app is also awesome for those who may be tired of squinting at recipes, since it now has a "Prepare mode" that provides an enhanced display of a recipe for easy viewing. Have a TV in or near the kitchen? Great, since the app now has AirPlay support as well. If you're not thrilled about having your iOS toy in the messy kitchen while you cook, you can print your recipes to any AirPrint-compatible printer. iCookbook 2.0 provides free updates monthly as well as special recipe packs that are available through in-app purchase. Cocktails HD Sometimes the holidays can be a bit stressful with all of the family dynamics, and you want nothing more at the end (or beginning) of the big get-together than a good stiff drink. That's where Cocktails HD (sale priced at $0.99) comes in handy. It comes loaded with over 600 drink, wine and food recipes, a complete guide to bar tending, and new drinks are added on a regular basis in free updates. The app can also be handy for drinking games (please drink responsibly, though!), with a "random shake" mode that displays random drink recipes with a shake. If you do over-imbibe, do not drive. Instead, use this bonus app -- Taxi Magic (Free) -- to get a ride home or call a taxi for Uncle Bob, who just started dancing the lambada with the Christmas tree. College Football Scoreboard Plus It may be considered a little rude to be eating your Thanksgiving feast in front of the TV, so here's a way that you can keep up on the latest college football scores without committing a social faux pas. College Football Scoreboard Plus ($0.99) gives you up to the minute scores of all the games, schedules of what's coming up next, news about your favorite teams, and even a scrolling ticker of scores. It's perfect for sneaking a peek at what's happening -- just put the iPhone in your lap and keep looking pensive, and they'll just think you're reflecting on the meaning of Thanksgiving. Black Friday by BradsDeals While the guys may be in their tryptophan-induced daze after chowing down on a pound of turkey, the ladies are probably scheming for the Black Friday shopping on November 25. One way to plan on getting the best deals is to use an app like Black Friday (free) by BradsDeals. The app (2010 version shown above) lets you plan out your shopping itinerary by store and product, and includes a ton of Black Friday ads for most major retail chains. Get those deals all lined up for Black Friday, and you'll be ready to get up at 3 AM to start your annual shopping assault. Gratitude Journal The oft-forgotten part of Thanksgiving is the "giving thanks" piece. Regardless of your religion or lack thereof, it's a good time to think about being grateful for what you have and helping those who aren't as fortunate. A few years ago, I did a review of an app called Gratitude Journal Your Positive Thoughts ($0.99). The idea is that each and every day, you just write a short note about what you're grateful for. It doesn't have to be anything incredibly earthshaking -- maybe you're grateful that a friend called you, that you're healthy, or that you ate a really good meal last night. By looking over the good parts of your day, this app can really provide a way to focus on the positives in your life and make you happier. Gratitude Journal also includes nice quotes that will help to keep feeling positive about life in general.
