November 12, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Maybe Apple is reacting to yesterday’s launch of Hulu Plus, or maybe the Boxee Box is actually giving them a run for their money, or maybe even still, rumors of Netflix moving to a 100% streaming model may have them shaking in their pants.  Whatever the reasons may be, Apple just announced a huge price cut on Apple TV, bringing their 160GB box down from $229 to $149 just in time for the holidays.

So why the big shift?  Well, let’s read the fine print first.  The Apple TV that received the price slash is none other than the first generation.  This means that the newest version of the Apple TV is still priced accordingly at $99, but this smaller, sleeker version is streaming only.  The Gen1 Apple TV, on the other hand, allows you to actually buy movies and TV shows, which can be stored within the 160GB hard drive space included.  From there you can simply sync your Apple TV to your Mac, and all of the stored shows will move over to your computer hard drive for viewing anywhere.

While this seems appealing, many wonder if Apple TV will make it in a world with Hulu Plus, Netflix streaming, and the Boxee Box.  This is because the Apple TV doesn’t include a monthly subscription service just yet.  Instead, anyone using it will get the experience of going to a video store, with high rental fees included (but limited new releases, as AppleTV is often late to the game in this arena).  Apple TV users can rent HD movies starting at $3.99 and TV shows at 99 cents each.  Once you hit play, a countdown clock begins giving you 24 hours to the minute, to watch your rental.  While you can stream Netflix with the new AppleTV, this can’t be done with the newly priced Gen1 model.  And with Netflix streaming available on every common video game console, what’s the point of buying an Apple TV just for that anyway?

Apple is known for innovation and their ability to make everything easier, but critics feel they missed the mark with the Apple TV.  So, while the price is now reduced, many feel that a combination of Hulu Plus and Netflix are just fine, and purchasing a $149 Apple TV is akin to owning a really expensive paperweight.

November 11, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Former President, George W. Bush left the office nearly two years ago with the lowest domestic and approval rating in the history of United States’ presidents.  Whether the name George W. Bush leaves a bad taste in your mouth or not, the former President has a lot to say and people are actually interested. Penning his own 512-paged book, Decision Points is a memoir that marks the end of his silence since leaving the office. The memoir gives readers Bush’s personal insight into what he was experiencing and the conditions he was under as he made some of the most crucial decisions in American history. Readers will find exclusive details that may or may not be a surprise, how Cheney was to be dropped off the 2004 Ticket, how Rumsfeld could not be fired in 2006 because Bush couldn’t find a proper replacement, confirming his authorization for the military use of waterboarding, and his response to Kanye West’s racist accusation against him. The memoir is the account of all his eight years in office.

Bush says his memoir is geared for an American audience. It’s safe to say, a majority of the American population is still demanding to know, basically, what was the former President thinking. What was he thinking when entering Americans into war, reacting to Hurricane Katrina, discovering the horrific conditions at Abu Ghraib Prison, and of course, among the long list of many other things, working through the fiscal and political policies affecting the economy today.

Already reaching Amazon’s Top Sellers List and even climbing Amazon U.K.’s list at #11, the book has only been out since November 9th and continues to gain large press coverage as Bush will be making his way through the U.S. media circuit starting this week. Major networks have battled to gain personal interviews with the former President but it looks like FOX, CNN, NBC, and CBS will get coverage. Matt Lauer, who kicked off the big media tour on Monday’s Today show is at the top of the list of big name interviewers from Oprah, Jay Leno, Bill O’Reilly, and Rush Limbaugh. All the interviews have been tightly controlled (perhaps, to prevent another ‘shoegate’ incident) in order to maintain focus on his book, but those who watch, pro-Bush or not, will sit with a strange need to hear Bush. Those who do, will find themselves discussing what he says are the most interesting revelations during his Presidency as well as debate about how he answers the hard headed questions from his interviewers. It may be easy for some to dismiss Bush (and for others, really easy), some protesters have even gone as far as asking retailers to re-shelve the Bush memoir into the ‘criminal’ section; whereas, others receive the memoir with caution, the spectrum is wide as most are led by the curiosity to know how Bush retroactively looks at his Presidency, given the current state of the Country, what he would change, admitting his mistakes, and his biggest challenges and accomplishments during his two terms.

November 11, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Amazon has been a leader in the realm of books for years now, starting with a business model based entirely on them and expanding to a powerhouse in the burgeoning eBook/eReader market with its flagship Kindle. It’s no surprise then that readers of all kinds turn to Amazon for recommendations on books. They are only too happy to oblige. The aggressive marketing of top sellers, combined with expert and broader consumer input is a lesson in selling that all ecommerce outlets can learn from. Telling buyers what other people buy, and having those people say how they feel about it and why they bought it can make all the difference.

Below is a list of the top 10 best sellers on Amazon this holiday season:

Crime/Thriller:
Readers turn to literature for many things but chief among them is escapism. Books about crime, featuring criminals as main characters, or having them fight crime, all give the average person a look into a world that they rarely get to see. Amazon’s two top picks in the crime/thriller realm are both novels. Faithful Place by Tana French has detective Frank Mackey from the Dublin murder police returning to his childhood neighborhood to face down his demons and solve the mystery of his old girlfriend’s mysterious disappearance, about 25 years later. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest finds Lisbeth Salander (the titular “girl,” who has also “played with fire” and is adorned with “the dragon tattoo,” from Stieg Larsson’s previous two books) recovering in the hospital from a gunshot to the head (!!!) delivered to her at the end of the previous book, while Mikael Blomkvist works on the outside to get her cleared of murder charges. Somewhere in there they unravel the secrets of Lisbeth’s tortured past and evil father – probably with a gun.

War:
Reading about war allows the reader to experience the conflict without having to be in any kind of danger. Books about war also have the added benefit of historical hindsight, allowing the reader insights that the people living through the war in question might not have had. First up is Matterhorn, a novel that drops the reader into the jungles of Vietnam to follow a green lieutenant during his first tour and watch him grow and change. Unbroken is the true-life account of WWII survivor Louie Zamperini, who endured tragedies that might have crushed a lesser man.

Memoir/Historical:
Despite Matterhorn and Unbroken’s historical settings, the following Amazon picks are more geared towards historical perspectives or memoirs. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a harrowing tale of one woman’s death by cancer and how she lived on as the originator of human cells strong enough to survive in the laboratory. Her family’s struggle with the knowledge of her great contribution to science and the lives and health of the many who came after her, combined with the horror and shame of knowing the cells were collected without Henrietta’s knowledge or consent, drives the narrative and keeps readers enthralled. In The Warmth of Other Suns, author Isabel Wilkerson takes the reader on a journey of exploration and survival, tracking the African American “great migration” from the Deep South to other parts of the United States during the middle years of 20th century. Patti Smith’s memoir of Robert Maplethorpe, Just Kids, recounts their early relationship and adventures with a tender tone and an eye for observations that are both piercing and mundane. The last piece of “historical” looking back is much more recent, The Big Short is Michael Lewis’ attempt to untangle the complex web of financial trickery and deceit that led to the economic crisis of 2007-2008 (which kind of makes it a “whodunnit?” and a crime story too).

Last Two:
The last two entries defy an overarching category title, but “family drama” or “literary fiction” might do, especially considering that the first author is Jonathan Franzen, the much-lauded author of The Corrections, which came out nine years ago and has continued to be a source of praise and notoriety for him since then (deservedly). His new novel, Freedom, follows a Midwestern family from St. Paul through their trials, tribulations, love triangles, and moral tests, won him a place on Oprah’s book club list. Finally, To the End of the Land by David Grossman follows another kind of family in another land through its own challenges. Set in Israel, main character Ora chooses to deal with her son Ofer’s decision to take on a dangerous mission in the Israeli army by hiking in the Galilee, a secluded place where she can escape the horror of waiting for the possible news of his death. With her is her estranged former lover, Avram, who fathered Ofer but has never met him. The things they share on the trail bring them back in time and bring the reader on an anti-war journey of discovery.

November 11, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

There’s no group option for this deal – only one buyer can come out the winner as Yahoo (and others) bid for collective savings provider Groupon. Apparently Yahoo has made Groupon an offer — somewhere between three and four billion dollars — in an attempt to stay relevant in a constantly changing marketplace.

Yahoo’s stock has been stagnant for a while, and with more competition in search engines, e-mail, and shopping, it’s easy to see why Yahoo would be eager to grab up Groupon before the social shopping giant gets any bigger. Social shopping sites like LivingSocial have garnered a lot of media attention lately as consumers and retailers alike realize the power of group buying, opinion, and relationships when it comes to consumer habits. Sites like Amazon and eBay have long given buyers a way to weigh in on their past purchases and rate ecommerce retailers and specific interactions, but lately a new crop of social shopping sites like ShopSocially and JoeShop have sprung up with interfaces specifically designed to allow users to discuss their purchases, favorite brands, and retailers. Interaction between consumers within the network drives future sales.

So why is Groupon so hot? Well, their business model is uniquely positioned for both businesses wishing to drive traffic and consumers wishing to save money. Consumers get a great deal on a product or service – but only if enough people decide to take advantage of the deal. This drives users to spread the word to other people within their network to make sure that the minimum number is reached. This all counts as free advertising for the businesses in question, as the e-mails that get circulated about the deal offer a unique opportunity to target a buying group with detailed information about their specific business. Add to this the fact that 60% of Groupon participants spend more than the value of the coupon that they bought through Groupon, and that’s a recipe for success. Groupon’s model is so successful that it has even spawned a green counterpart.

Reported here, a source at Business Insider says that Groupon is holding steady for right now, conducting a semi-annual review of its long-term options, which include buyouts, investors, an IPO, and more. Right now, though, it seems like Groupon is the prettiest girl at the dance, with Amazon, eBay (they have kind of a thing going on right now), and even that hunky Google all making eyes from across the dance floor.

November 10, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

2010 has been a big year for the daily deal group buying industry, with sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, and Tippr taking this new ecommerce niche by storm.  Group buying sites offer a unique opportunity for members to get their hands on the best local deals.  This is done by displaying a daily deal with a purchase threshold.  Once enough sales of the deal have been made, the deal becomes active and working.  If you buy into a daily deal, but not enough people jump on board to buy the deal as well, you won’t be charged.  This system creates that win-win-win scenario that Michael Scott once worked so hard to achieve.  Companies win because they get hundreds of new customers, consumers win because they get great deals, and the group buying site wins because it takes a cut off the top for all the sales.

As competition has heated up among the top group buying sites out there, the major companies have rushed to provide their own unique innovations to make them stand out in the crowd.  Groupon, for instance, launched personalized deals and teamed with eBay to keep their brand growing. Specialty daily deal sites like Ethical Deal have also popped up, which take the group buying idea and spin it in a new direction.  Now, LivingSocial is taking group buying to a whole new level with their launch of weekly travel deals, called LivingSocial Escapes.

Once a week, members of LivingSocial will receive an email with the latest and greatest travel deal, featuring weekend getaways at discounts up to 90% off.  This is somewhat similar to Travelocity’s last-minute packages, but with a group buying spin.  The LivingSocial travel packages include both local getaways and destinations around the world.  This keeps with the theme of daily deals for local establishments, but lets users find a nice weekend getaway that’s right around the corner.  Unlike group buying though, these deals do not require a minimum number of purchases before the package is “active,” which makes some wonder if these are really the best possible travel deals out there.

LivingSocial has always had one perk that makes them unique in the space, which is the option to get the deal for free.  If you buy the deal, and then suggest it to your friends and 3 of them also buy the deal, you get yours for free.  This works great for local fair, but LivingSocial is carrying the same theme over to their travel section, giving you a chance to hit up your rich friends and get a free vacation out of your hard work.

Overall, this is a nice new twist to the world of group buying and daily deals, but one wonders how likely it is to succeed.  Consumers frequent group buying sites for the incredible deals that require little planning and allow for a quick, no-guilt purchase.  The no guilt comes from the prices resting around two digits.  LivingSocial is about to test whether people are willing to dig deeper into their pocket books, which requires more commitment and some possible regret when monthly bills come due.  The timing is also questionable, as not many consumers plan on spending beyond their holiday shopping budgets this time of year, so that extra self splurge may not come as readily as it will in 2011.  Time will tell whether this new system will work or not, but if Groupon jumps on the bandwagon, then we’ll all know that there’s even more money to be made in the space.

November 10, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Avoid the Regift - get it right the first time!

A new patent which Amazon just received for it’s “gift converter” system deals with a problem that is so unbelievably common, it seems almost impossible that someone hasn’t already addressed this situation – how to prevent bad gifts in today’s ecommerce marketplace.

Bad gifts are as old as gift-giving itself (I mean seriously, frankincense?), but until now, no one has come up with a system to deal with these well-intentioned misfires short of a strained smile and a half-hearted “Thanks?” while you silently pray that the receipt is included somewhere (or that you can stealthily “regift” it – give it away to someone else).

Amazon’s gift converter system or “system and method for converting gifts” (as their patent documentation puts it) has come up with a way to prevent bad gifts from happening in the first place. Users set up “rules” to govern the gifts which others are attempting to buy for them. Some aspects clearly should be known by the buyer upfront, but can be hard to find out without awkward direct questions (prime example: clothing size!). Depending on your relationship with the person and how long you have known him or her, other things like favorite styles and colors, or more appropriately, colors to avoid, could also be uncertain.

The Amazon gift converter system deals with all these issues. When a gift is selected by a a buyer that goes against the preset rules that the user has opted into, the system responds by declining the sale and instead pointing the buyer to a similarly-priced item that is pre-approved by the user.

The etiquette of gift giving (and what to do with a less-than-perfect gift) has always been extremely delicate because feelings are involved. Gift-givers don’t want to risk a bad gift and the message that could send to the recipient, while at the same time, the recipient is under an equal amount of pressure to not hurt the feelings of the giver, leading to feigned enthusiasm. Amazon posits in its patent documents for the gift converter, that this etiquette dynamic may lead gift givers to purchase “safer” gifts, that is, gifts less likely to cause a highly negative reaction in the recipient. The double-edge to this sword is that these “low risk” gifts also tend to have a lower chance of inducing extreme satisfaction in the recipient.

The modern custom of including the receipt with the gift, and possibly adding the caveat “Feel free to exchange it if you don’t like it,” to the accompanying card doesn’t do much to mitigate this situation, as it can be perceived as an inconvenience to the recipient, and a snub to the giver. The controls for the gift converter allow recipients to silently weigh-in on the buyer’s choices, and shift the gift-giving conversation more towards things they would actually like to receive, as well as completely avoiding things that they don’t want, all without saying a word and without hurt feelings.

Just because Amazon is first to market with their gift exchange system and has a massive team of programmers and developers to plan and implement it, doesn’t mean that a burgeoning ecommerce startup can’t offer similar tools to help their customers get the best experience from their systems. For instance, many ecommerce solutions are working on providing account functions for 2011 ecommerce trends that will allow users to list information like clothing sizes, favorite colors, and desired styles/designers, which can go a long way towards helping clueless gift-givers come out alright. A past history of each user’s purchases combined with a wish list, item registry, or recommendations based on surveys / user feedback are all great options. The best ecommerce software provides simple wish list technology, but it’s likely that this new Amazon patent will force the traditional wish list to evolve into something more powerful.

The privacy of account/social elements would necessarily have to be under the control of the user, allowing them to choose if all other users can see all this information, or if only certain information is public for all users. Another alternative is adding a social element like ShopSocially and JoeShopping, where most of this information is tracked, users have the chance to discuss different products, and bring select other users into their network, while keeping their information private from others.

It will only be a matter of time before we see how successful the new Amazon patent will be for the 2010 holiday shopping season. While the technology is patented, it is likely that merchants will want similar tools in their online stores, so ecommerce software companies will have to work hard in 2011 to beef up their wish list features and help merchants provide their customers with the personalized experience that online shopping keeps trending towards.

November 8, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Apple is set to release the latest operating system update to the iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone, which is expected to secure their dominance in the mobile marketplace and ereader space.  iOS 4.2 will be available for download shortly, and Apple fans are already starting to simmer and stir about the 100+ new features and innovations promised to them.  Of the anticipated features, the most notable include multitasking, folders (that can hold up to 20 apps), printing, wireless streaming, and improved functionality for already existing apps and tools.  But the question remains, will these new features actually be a game changer for ereaders, mobile commerce, and more?

To answer this question, consider the impact of the following feature changes:

1. Multitasking – The ability to multitask takes the iPad to an entirely new playing field by making it more like a laptop than ever.  With iOS 4.2, users will be able to browse the Internet while taking notes in notepad and more.  Consider how this will impact mobile commerce alone.  A user can visit an online store to find a product they are interested in, open up the Save Benjis app to compare prices at both local and online stores, calculate the totals, all while writing up a shopping list using their notepad app.  While it’s true that all of this can also be done using a computer, more and more people are turning to the convenience of a light-weight mobile device that doesn’t take eons to boot up.  Because of this, multitasking can kick mobile commerce up a notch, so ecommerce merchants should be prepared and start setting up their online stores for easy use on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, sooner rather than later.

2. Find text on web pages – This is such a simple addition to the iOS, that some may not believe it has an impact, but it could mean more than you think.  When browsing the web on an iPhone or iPad, one of the most frustrating things for a user could be the inability to utilize the find function available on a computer browser.  The find function lets you type in the word or phrase you are looking for and then navigate to it immediately, thus getting you through a web page faster.  While this change is great for the average person browsing the web or reading an article, it could have a negative impact on website owners.  This is because the find function allows a user to get through a site at twice the speed and keeps them from possibly discovering something new and unexpected on that site.  With a change like this, you can expect time on site to go down slightly for any visits from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, and your bounce rate will increase as well.

3. The iPad screen lock switch changing to a volume switch – While Apple didn’t announce this as one of their big changes, those who have beta tested the new iOS 4.2 have found this to be one of the most frustrating new features.  The iPhone and iPad both have a switch on the side which, until iOS 4.2, have done two very different things.  On the iPhone, this switch takes the ring volume from mute/vibrate to 100% volume.  For a phone, this is a very convenient function, as you can quickly put your phone on silent without taking a lot of time.  On the iPad, this switch has worked as a screen lock, which keeps the screen from changing views if you move the iPad around.  This simple lock has been something that avid readers have really enjoyed on the iPad, as it lets them use the iPad as an ereader without having to worry about the words suddenly jumping from horizontal to vertical from a simple shift in balance.  While users will still be able to lock the screen on an iPad, they will no longer be able to do so with the switch on the side, because the new iOS 4.2 will turn that switch into a volume control just like an iPhone.  Going forward, users with the iOS 4.2 upgrade will need to navigate to a screen lock button in the multitask panel.  This small change has sent a lot of users into upheaval, as it takes away from the convenience of the iPad and has some questioning whether Apple is moving the iPad away from the ereader audience that many had hoped it would focus on.

4. AirPlay – One of the most exciting additions coming from the iOS 4.2 update is the iPad’s ability to wirelessly stream videos, music, and photos from the iPad to the new Apple TV or AirPlay speakers and AirPort Express.  This sets the iPad apart in many ways, as it is so much more than a tablet, it is an entertainment center.  This type of shift will likely increase iTunes purchases and help the Apple TV compete with the Boxee Box and Netflix.

5. AirPrint – While the iOS 4.2 update will take away the ease of screen lock, Apple is including the ability to print anything from the web, an ebook, and more.  This convenient addition to the iPad will let many avid readers take their ebook from screen to print, which excites traditionalists who have adopted an ereader out of necessity rather than actual want.  It is unlikely that this change will impact the iPad’s standing as an ereader too much, but it could tip the scales for some who are trying to choose between a Kindle vs. the iPad.

November 8, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

After a price war fought in the changing rooms, it appears that Amazon has finally worn down Diapers.com owner Quidsi. Amazon acquired Quidsi for $500 million dollars, plus assuming $45 million dollars in debt on Quidsi’s part. The new addition to the Amazon family brings with it an increased range of baby products and the experience that Diapers.com has in successfully marketing and delivering those products to busy families.

Diapers.com debuted in 2005, a full year before Amazon started offering diapers and related products. They built up a solid following, even with the competition, until Amazon began massively undercutting them (offering a case of Pampers for $39 to Diapers.com’s $45). Incentive programs and targeted promotions like “Amazon Mom,” may have contributed to Amazon’s success.

In the face of overwhelming adversity, Diapers.com owner Quidsi made the sensible choice of selling out. After last year’s $1.2 billion dollar Amazon buyout of Zappos.com in an attempt to expand their fashion offerings, and then Woot.com. Amazon apparently knows a good thing when they see it.

Even with the massive market share over which Amazon exerts it control, and the considerable savings and range of products it has to offer, Amazon still recognizes and incorporates different companies and models to support its core mission. Much like the recent union of Groupon and eBay, and their new initiative to allow consumers to join forces for an item, Amazon’s acquisitions add new depth. Woot.com focused on daily deals, and Zappos.com devoted itself to providing above average customer service. Time will tell what Diapers.com’s integration yields for Amazon.

November 8, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Everyone wants to take on Apple. Aside from the satisfaction of making Steve Jobs sweat in his turtleneck, creating a device or application that can even be said to possibly rival an Apple product is the quickest way to earn internet notoriety – at least for however long you can hang on before Apple completely crushes you.

The ebook saga currently revolving around Apple, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble is a curious inversion. Amazon’s bold move to get back to its roots in the world of books with their seminal Kindle device turned out to be a great decision for them. They poured a ton of time, money, and media at it, and people are still buying them up, selling them on eBay, and using them to buy ebooks. Ebooks are a whole different angle for Amazon to exploit, sticking their toes into the publishing pool and seeking to create an entirely new profit model based on their own invention.

Barnes and Noble’s recent shot across the bow, the Nook (and now, Nook Color!) seemed at first to make this into a three-way battle, but consumers are telling a different story. Despite the Nook’s numerous innovations and improvements, it seems to be a two-horse race between the iPad and the Kindle.

As it stands right now, Kindle users are sticking with their choice for several reasons. First off, the Kindle is smaller and slimmer, closer to the dimensions of an actual book; it slips more easily into a coat pocket or purse. The e-ink page composition, some say, is also easier on the eyes when reading for long periods of time. E-ink can also withstand direct light, instead of the washout that can occur on LCD screens. Speaking of long periods of time, the Kindle’s almost unheard of length of battery life – 30 days between charges – is super convenient. Again, the Kindle is more like a book (when was the last time you needed to recharge that copy of War and Peace before you could continue reading?).

The iPad may have been stepping into the Kindle’s ring second, but it is still the device to beat for many consumers. Building on the success of the iPod touch and iPhone and all their app-craziness, the iPad is way more than just an eBook. The prevalence of apps, games, and other functions on the iPad somewhat erodes its claim to ebook-ness (which it doesn’t even fully aspire to, seeming more to be a sort of alternative internet gateway, not quite a full-on computer or workstation). In fact, all the other things that your iPad can do might just distract you from the actual book you want to read (Kindle has that problem too, now). The iPads mondo storage space might also be a point in its favor, as the Kindle’s sprightly shape has curtailed its hard drive.

Early adopters have thrown in with Kindle, and when it comes to consumer electronics, whatever you go for first is usually what you stick with. Even if the iPad or Nook was capable of chewing up a Kindle and spitting it out, Kindle owners would still be likely to stand by their choice. Likewise, the loyal, Apple-loving denizens of “generation i” will be hard-pressed to say an ill word against the iPad – you never know if Steve is listening.

November 3, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

First Netflix announced that it might go with a streaming-only option for US customers, now Vudu announced that, starting this month, it will be streaming independent and Hollywood movies direct to users with Vudu software on their Macs or Windows machines, or to the new Boxee Box from D-Link, which ships on November 10.

This partnership will bring “nearly 40,000 TV episodes” and a “vast range” of movies for rent to Boxee Box, according to a shared statement from D-Link and Vudu. But Boxee Box will do more than just connect to Vudu, it will also stream content directly from hard drives connected to it via a network connection (such as from a PC in the same home) and from websites like Hulu, YouTube, and Pandora.

The unit, originally scheduled to come out in the second quarter, was pushed back due to changes in its processor. The current release puts it directly head-to-head with Apple TV and the Revue (by Logitech), the first Google TV-based standalone device to become commercially available. All this competition may have driven D-Link to offer the Boxee Box at $199, despite the MSRP of $229 that all future consumers will pay.

Boxee CEO Avner Ronen is confident in his product’s ability to go toe to toe with these other services, stating:

“We walked away feeling confident about the space…left for Boxee to compete. We have a different view of what users want in their living rooms.”

Of course, this is to say nothing of the streaming and media playback potentials of already-established home entertainment platforms like the Playstation 3 and XBox 360.

At any rate, the way in which the common user consumes and interacts with media of all types is changing. The pairing of Vudu and Boxee is a win-win, resulting in a new distribution path for Vudu and a quick, convenient way for new Boxee users to get access to high-quality, reliable movie and TV content at a good price ($2 per night for movies), adding value to the device.

The battle over streaming content could come down to a race to the marketplace: whoever has the newest and biggest movies first could be the big winner, and that’s going to take money and connections to score the best deals with top studios. That’s to come in future rounds.

October 28, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Isn’t Black Friday supposed to be the day after Thanksgiving?  Any normal consumer would say yes, but things are changing for Black Friday 2010.  Starting tomorrow, Black Friday deals will go into effect at well known retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Sears (to name a few).  Over the past few years, Black Friday has been in heavy competition with Cyber Monday in the same way that retail stores are losing customers to online stores.  Last year, we saw this competition heat up as both online and offline retailers announced Black Friday deals a week early.  This year, retailers are going one step further by launching deals weeks in advance, turning everyday in November into Black Friday.

The deals begin with Sears, who is launching their first Sears Black Friday Now sales weekend.  Special deals will be available both Friday and Saturday between 8am and 12pm at Sears stores nationwide as well as on their revamped Sears.com.  Amazon and Best Buy are getting into the mix too, with two different events.  Amazon is having a big Electronics Sale on Friday and Best Buy is having a Black Friday Phone Sale tomorrow.  Other major retailers are also stepping up their game with special offers and promotions that they are relating to Halloween weekend.

Some of tomorrow’s Black Friday Now deals include:

• 20% off all Craftsman Power Lawn & Garden and Outdoor Storage
• Over 30% off Frigidaire appliances
• Huge savings on LCD TVs
• Clothing discounts
• Huge discounts on diamond and sapphire rings

Sears also plans to continue their “Now” sales events with Real Deals Now (Dec. 1-2 and Dec. 8-9), Wow Now (Dec. 3-4 and Dec. 10-11), and Christmas Now (Dec 17-18 and Dec. 22-24).

Given all of the expanded deals and the month of Black Friday, Time Magazine asks a good question: How do you know which Friday is the blackest?  The answer is that the day after Thanksgiving will still likely have the best deals, but for people who don’t want to wait in long lines, there’s plenty of comparable deals both online and offline, starting tomorrow.