ZDNet Must Read:
Gadget Gal's Daily Deals
Looking for a sweet deal on the latest tech? ZDNet's Gadget Gal Jennifer Bergen serves some up hot and fresh, five days a week. Check it out... Continued »
July 3rd, 2009
Gadget Gal's daily deals: 60 GB Apple iPod, 250 GB Archos 5, Logitech keyboard and mouse combo
An Archos 5 media tablet, a Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse combo, and a refurbished Apple iPod. Here are your daily deals for Friday, July 3, straight from the Gadget Gal:
1. Amazon’s deal of the day is the Archos 5 250 GB Internet Media Tablet. Originally selling for $449.99, you can get the Archos for $279.99 today. It has a high-resolution 4.8-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, can play up to 22 hours of music or seven hours of video on a single charge, and can hold up to 300 movies, 2.5 million photos, or 145,000 songs.
[read the review] [find the deal]
2.Get the Logitech Wireless Desktop EX 110 Keyboard & Mouse Combo for just $18.99 after coupon code logi_ex110_7109. This particular EX 110 is a “dented box” item, which means its outer box has been damaged somewhat, but the product itself is guaranteed to be in brand new condition and fully warranted. The deal is valid until July 9, 2009.
July 2nd, 2009
Gadget Gal's daily deals: Star Wars bobble heads, Lenovo ThinkPad, Asus monitor, Magellan Maestro GPS
An Asus 24-inch monitor, a Lenovo ThinkPad 14-inch notebook, a Magellan Maestro GPS receiver, and a sale on Star Wars bobble heads. Here are your daily deals for Thursday, July 2, straight from the Gadget Gal:
1. Get the Asus VH242H 24-inch LCD monitor at Newegg for $169.99 shipped. The monitor is normally $279.99, but you can get it for $100 off, plus a $10 mail-in rebate. It also comes with a three-year warranty on parts and labor. The monitor has 1920×1080 resolution, a 5ms response time, and built-in speakers.
[read the review] [find the deal]
2. Get the Lenovo ThinkPad SL400 Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 14-inch notebook computer for $466.65, plus free shipping after coupon code USPNOTEBOOKS. The computer has a 1280 x 800 LED-backlit display, 160GB HDD, a DVD burner, and 1GB of RAM. This offer expires after July 6.
[read the review] [find the deal]
3. Just for kicks, we’re throwing this deal in the mix. Head over to Buy.com to pick up a six pack of Funko Star Wars bobble heads. Regularly $69.99, you can get the little guys for $39.99.
July 2nd, 2009
Analyst: Cheap ultrathin laptops push design limits; cracked plastic
Been eyeing a thin-and-light laptop recently? You know, the kind that usually comes prefixed with the “Macbook Air killer” tag?
Be careful what you wish for.
Broadpoint AmTech analyst Doug Freedman said Wednesday to CNET contributor Brooke Crothers that some PC manufacturers are discovering the limits to how thin a cheap laptop can really be.
July 1st, 2009
Walkman turns 30, introduces OLED X Series: Can it compete with the iPod?

This week marks the 30-year anniversary of the Sony Walkman. But if this is such a milestone birthday, why hasn’t Sony been working the 30-years angle? Could it have something to do with Apple’s quick success in the area of portable media players?
According to the Associated Press, Sony suffered its first annual loss in 14 years: $1.02 billion this past fiscal year ending in March. During the Walkman’s 30-year lifespan, Sony has sold 385 million Walkman machines worldwide. Apple, on the other hand, has sold more than 210 million iPods worldwide in eight years. That means, Apple has a whole 22 years left to catch up to where Sony is, which is only 175 million more iPods.
But, Sony is not planning on throwing in the towel any time soon. Just because the iPod craze is blowing up, and has been doing so for quite some time, doesn’t mean that Sony can’t come out with a new high-tech Walkman to compete with Apple. And lo and behold, a new Walkman is available tomorrow, July 2 — and it looks like a pretty good iPod competitor.
July 1st, 2009
21.5" Alienware OptX HD widescreen flat panel display, $299
It’s come to our attention that Alienware has begun taking orders for the accessibly-priced (for Alienware) 21.5-in. OptX AW2210 widescreen flat panel display, and that’s good news for folks needing lots of display for less cash.
The AW2210 manages Full HD 1920 by 1080 resolution, 2 ms response time, 16.7 million colors, an 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and low-input lag (after all, Alienware primarily serves gamers).
Add on the tilt and swivel adjustable stand, the touch capacitive buttons and the 4 USB ports and you’ve got yourself a nice little unit. And since Dell displays are rather liked by reviewers, it’s worth consideration. (Then again, so is the Dell SX2210.)
July 1st, 2009
eMachines introduces trio of ET mini-tower desktop PCs; $299 to $449
eMachines on Wednesday introduced three new mini-tower PCs priced from $299 to $449, reminding budget-conscious consumers everywhere that bargains on desktops are greater than ever.
The eMachines ET1300-02, ET1810-01 and ET1810-03 desktop PCs stand in gleaming white regalia accented by green LED lighting, and can be bundled with a matching keyboard and widescreen display with built-in speakers.
July 1st, 2009
Gadget Gal's daily deals: Sony digital voice recorder, Canon PowerShot, Logitech Bluetooth headset
A Sony digital voice recorder, a Canon PowerShot digital camera, and a Logitech Bluetooth headset. Here are your daily deals for Wednesday, July 1, straight from the Gadget Gal:
1. J&R’s deal of the day today is the Sony ICD-UX70 Digital Voice Recorder. Previously $129.95, you can get it for $79.99 today. The recorder has 1 GB of built-in memory, five record modes, and allows you to transfer files with PC and Macs. It has MP3 stereo recording and playback, and allows you to playback and record up to 18 hours of MP3 files. LP mode allows up to 290 hours of recording time. It also has Voice Operated Recording — a cool feature that stops the recording during long pauses, saving valuable recording time, and then starts the recording again without missing anything.
[read the review] [find the deal]
2. Get the Canon PowerShot A1100 IS 12.1-megapixel digital camera at Newegg for $169.99, down from $199.99. The gray PowerShot A1100 has a 2.5-inch 115K LCD screen, and a 4X optical zoom.
July 1st, 2009
Toybox Ten: 10 full-featured laptops for less than $750
It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times — at least when it comes to shopping for a laptop.
Prices are lower than ever before, yet a dizzying amount of options are available for your next machine. And with diminutive, Intel Atom-powered netbooks creeping up on the traditional notebook segment, it’s hard to discern which system will give you enough bang for your buck.
To aid back-to-school shoppers out there looking to spend less than the $700 to $1200 range I used for my “Top 10 laptops for college students” list, here’s a list of 10 fully-featured laptops for under $750.
(And no, you won’t find any netbooks on this list.)
June 30th, 2009
Gateway NV series offers dual-core, 320GB HDD, 4GB RAM; $499
Gateway on Thursday debuted its new Gateway NV Series notebook, an entertainment-minded laptop that packs a dual-core processor, 320GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM starting at $499.
The 15.6-in. NV series touts a 16:9, 1366 by 768 resolution display for HD video and Dolby Sound Room for audio. An HDMI port rounds out the portable home theater appeal.
June 30th, 2009
BlackBerry Tour lands at Verizon on July 12; $199.99

RIM’s BlackBerry Tour, the world phone that looks and feels equal parts BlackBerry Bold and Storm, is officially landing at Verizon Wireless stores on July 12.
You’ll be able to flog this globetrotting QWERTY powerhouse for $199.99 with two-year service contract.
More on the BlackBerry Tour 9630 on ZDNet:
- Jennifer Bergen: Hands on: RIM BlackBerry Tour
- Jason Hiner: BlackBerry Tour offers solid features, but adds to branding confusion
- Matthew Miller: RIM announces BlackBerry Tour with CDMA/GSM support, no WiFi
- Andrew Nusca: RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced for Verizon, Sprint
- ZDNet Reviews: RIM BlackBerry Tour
Andrew J. Nusca is an assistant editor for ZDNet.com.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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Recent Entries
- Gadget Gal’s daily deals: 60 GB Apple iPod, 250 GB Archos 5, Logitech keyboard and mouse combo
- Gadget Gal’s daily deals: Star Wars bobble heads, Lenovo ThinkPad, Asus monitor, Magellan Maestro GPS
- Analyst: Cheap ultrathin laptops push design limits; cracked plastic
- Walkman turns 30, introduces OLED X Series: Can it compete with the iPod?
- 21.5″ Alienware OptX HD widescreen flat panel display, $299
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