Features Archives for 2012

Giz Wiz Dick DeBartolo is back with five more of his favorite gadgets. This week, he gives us the low-down on a must-have series of laptops, solar lights, and even a plush teddy bear speaker that dances as it plays music.

The rumored iPhone 5 will supposedly feature 4G LTE connectivity, and for many customers, this is an exciting upgrade. But will the faster service make that much of a difference in your experience? The answer might shock you!

Amazon announced the Kindle Fire HD last week, an update to its popular tablet. And while there's now several options to choose from, the $199 model now stands in direct competition with the Google Nexus 7. So how do the two 7" tablets compare? And which is worth your money?

If you're the kind of traveler who enjoys the act of traveling as much as the vacation portion of a trip, we encourage you to book a sea-bound voyage. Not only are cruise packages at some of the lowest prices we've ever seen, but the destinations are abundant.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5, the Xbox 720, and the iPhone 5? Well neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the Internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

The New York Times reported that you can save $1,000 by switching to a pay-as-you-go plan. We began to wonder, though, what the nationwide cell and data coverage is like for these super-cheap networks. Check out these coverage maps for Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Cricket and decide.

The Raspberry Pi: Not your father's build-it-in-the-basement computer. At the size of a credit card, and a digestable $35, will this mini PC change the way people compute at home?

The dealnews Podcast Episode 226 can, once again, be seen and heard this week. (The novelty is sure to wear off soon!) Talked about this week: Musicians make peanuts from streaming services; eBooks price-fixing settlement means money coming your way; Walmart hates cashiers; more Facebook ads coming soon; more movies on Amazon Prime Instant Video, and, well ... more!

Need to brush up on the latest LCD television technologies? Here's a crash course on the features you need to know before your next LCD TV purchase.

Despite the digital camera market shrinking 17% in 2011, Nikon's latest point-and-shoot, the S800c, aims to resurrect the market by offering the first Android-operated digital camera. Priced at $350, though, will it sway consumers?

With the change of the season comes one of America's most beloved activities: tailgating. Throwing a really great tailgate starts with finding the right spot and then involves gathering some of these tailgating essentials.

September marks the end of summer, and our countdown to November, Black Friday, and the holiday season. But September has its own deal virtues — including Labor Day sales — so we've mined the extensive dealnews archives of sales, coupons, and individual products from the past few summers to find out what are the best and worst things to buy in September.

With experience as both a journalist and a musician, dealnews' Lou Carlozo weighs in his favorite audio gear that won't shatter your wallet.

Are all No. 2 pencils created equal? Or does the name "Ticonderoga" merit its title as The World's Best Pencil? We hit the books and pressed record to find out, in this sharp-and-to-the-point video review.

To thoroughly enjoy the City That Never Sleep's vibrant and contagious kinetic energy, many folks think they've got to prep for big city expenses. But we've scoured the best travel and entertainment deals for you to make the most of a vacation to New York City.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about Apple, Apple, Grand Theft Auto, and Console Wars? Well neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the Internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

Consumers love to hate on Best Buy, and for some valid reasons. But new changes in the company's business model, in addition to new leadership, aim to change shoppers' views of the superstore.

For most Americans, Labor Day means the end of summer, but the first Monday in September also means big savings for bargain hunters. And even though Labor Day isn't considered a consumer holiday, retailers don't tend to miss any opportunity to offer sales. And Labor Day 2012 is no exception.

The dealnews Podcast Episode 225 can, again, be seen and heard this week (choose from the audio or video version, or collect them all!) The novelty is wearing off! Talked about by our living faces: Apple wins its patent lawsuit against Samsung and what that means to you, the consumer. Also: Pandora and Spotify have a terrible business model; something is coming from Amazon, and more.

Labor Day is on its way, and while it means we'll have to say so long to summer, it also means a healthy hello to end of season sales. We're seeing great bargains on home goods via Home Depot, travel from Hotels.com, plus these stand out Labor Day sales.

In a recent teardown by the disassembly wizards of iFixit, the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has a huge DIY reparability advantage over the third-generation iPad. But does easy home repair make for a better bargain tablet?

The Apple v. Samsung showdown continues, though their courtroom showdown has come to a costly close. Friday's verdict came with a hefty $2.5 billion dollar price tag payable to Apple. And though Apple walked away the victor in this suit, its influence on the tech world are potentially very far-reaching.

Have you ever come across seemingly space age-sounding bug repellent clothing? It sounds ideal; who wouldn't want to avoid dousing their entire body with harsh bug spray? But, does treated apparel actually keep the bugs away?

Stop paying for wasted energy and resources around the house by opting for eco-friendly alternatives. Here are seven ways to cut costs that slowly add up. Save money and the environment at the same time!

Most people are outdoors during summer holidays. Our traffic data suggests that even while out and about on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, folks are shopping on dealnews.com from their mobile devices.

California Dreaming? Stop dreaming and start planning. We've sourced a variety of very real flights, hotels, and food and entertainment deals for you, in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Anaheim — the home of Disneyland. There's no time to lose in setting sail (proverbially) for the Pacific coast.

Dick DeBartolo is a regular pop culture Renaissance Man: he's MAD magazine's "Maddest Writer"; he's written for the legendary Match Game; and he's appeared on Live with Regis and Kathy Lee more than 100 times. But he's best known as the Giz Wiz, the man behind the website and netcast of the same name. We asked the gadgets expert himself to name five of his recent favorite finds.

In anticipation of the iPhone 5 release in September, electronics trade-in site Gazelle has extended its lock-in period to October 1. This allows customers to can take advantage of August rates, while keeping their iPhone until the new one is launched. This is a great offer for some, but is it the best deal for your needs?

The dealnews Podcast Episode 224 can, like an unruly child, be seen and heard this week. (Choose from the audio or video version, or collect them all!) Talked about by our faces: OnLive's restructuring, Apple's place as the biggest company in history, Groupon's woes, restaurant cell phone etiquette, direct-to-DVD movies, and more. We even have a taste-test video extra!

There are certain back to school items, like inexpensive supplies, that you may be inclined to buy in store rather than online. But just because you're stepping away from your computer doesn't mean you can't still be a budget savvy shopper. Here are some couponing tips for saving the most in-store during back to school shopping.

Ready for a fun family excursion? Head to the great outdoors, but make sure you've got everything on this shopping list to make the most of your camping excursion.

Even if the latest Apple rumors are correct and the iPhone 5 makes its debut next month, the real star of the show for bargain hunters will be the iPhone 4S. If Apple follows its own tradition, the 4S will see a pretty significant discount. But just how low can its price go?

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and other small, independent companies? Well neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the Internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

The Dollar Strings Club is a new subscription service for musicians that delivers fresh guitar strings to your front door once a month. But is it a cost-effective option for all musically-inclined consumers?

It's time to take your kids to the "most magical place on earth." Yup, we mean Disney World, or one of the other famed theme parks in the Orlando area. And aside aside from making your brood squeal with joy, we've got deals on Orlando hotels and vacation packages that'll excite you too — and assuage your wallet all in one go.

Rumor spread this week that the Microsoft Surface RT could debut at a startlingly low price of $199 when its released on October 26. Is it possible we'll see a sub-$200 Windows 8 slate? And would you be more likely to buy it at this very low price?

The debut of the Google Nexus 7 to the 7" tablet market last month caused quite a stir, as the spiffy slate was positioned to aggressively compete with the ever-popular Amazon Kindle Fire. Now that the dust has settled from that announcement, here's how the Nexus 7 stacks up.

Every one of our top software deals today is an Editors' Choice offer — which is understandable sincethree of the titles cost nothing at all, andone even puts you ahead by $20~!. For cheap foreign language software, payroll programs, or virus protection, look no further.

The dealnews Podcast Episode 223 is a delight for ears and eyes this week, as we're offering the show as a video as well! Talked about by our faces: the Olympics, NOOK price cuts, Microsoft Surface tablet rumors, the iPhone's impact on the cell phone marketplace, and more.

Keeping up with an athletic regime is a lot easier (and more fun) when you can keep track of your progress. With a smartphone, this sort of data is in the palm of everyone's hand. We've rounded up the seven best fitness tracking apps that have some serious muscle. So grab your phone and get goin'!

Sprint has cut $50 from its line of iPhone 4Ss just weeks before Apple's highly anticipated press event. And now some Apple Stores will match the lower price tags.

A bit of basic math shows that many consumers would spend drastically less money over two years with a prepaid cell phone plan than they would being locked into a 2-year carrier plan. But despite this, prepaid plans remain unpopular in the U.S. So why haven't more budget-conscious consumers been swayed to make the switch?

Several items on the market purport to waterproof your gadgets against ... well, water. But how well do they really work? And do you have to spend a lot to get acceptable water protection? Our latest video tests four such items to see what's worth your time and money.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about Samsung, Plants vs. Zombies, and BioShock Infinite? Well neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the Internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

Want to know what Apple has been up to? We talked with The Unofficial Apple Weblog's senior editor Michael Rose to find out.

If you want to escape to a quaint tropical paradise (sans the crowds and beachfront resort high-rises), look no further than the Dominican Republic. Enjoy the luxury of all-inclusive vacations without breaking the bank.

Does your old digital camera have you down? Does it lag? Do the batteries die too quickly? If you're ready for a new camera, then look no further than these camera deals.

We've all been there. It's pouring rain, and your umbrella has gone with the wind. Next time don't settle for a drug store, cheap-o umbrella. Look in to investing in one of these quality umbrellas and stay dry!

Samsung has recently joined the company of trade-in programs Gazelle, NextWorth, and the like with their aptly titled Samsung Upgrade program. So how does their service stack up to the other electronics recyclers?