Take advantage of 'Cyber Monday' deals

With Black Fridays deals coming to an end, online shoppers can get excited for "Cyber Monday!" Cyber Monday refers to the first Monday immediately following Black Friday that marks the start of holiday online shopping. The idea behind "Cyber Monday" is that consumers would return to their offices after the Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday weekend and make purchases online that they didn't make in stores. Though shopping at your cubicle might not be the best idea for everyone, you should find some time to take advantage of the great online deals!

So how do you find the Cyber Monday sales? Just like regular sale shopping, it's very important to do your research! Visit Cyber Monday sites by doing a Google search. These sites post "leaked" ads that let you know where the deals are, so keep checking back on Monday. I would suggest checking CyberMonday.com, which will post tons of deals, promo codes, and links. Some other great sites to visit are GottaDeal.com and Offers.com, which are already posting Cyber Monday deals. There are also some great sites you can visit for coupons and promo codes, try CouponWinner.com and PromotionalCodes.com.

Use social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook to find out where others are shopping. Search Twitter hashtags, such as #coupon, #promocode, or #cybermonday. Many retailers are using Twitter to let consumers know where and when the Cyber Monday deals are. Check and see if your favorite store has a Twitter feed by doing a search. The following is a list of retailers that might offer Cyber Monday deals on Twitter:

Sears
Walmart
Toys "R" Us
Amazon
Zappos
Best Buy
Express
KMart
Target

Facebook is also a great place to find Cyber Monday deals. Search for the fan page of a store or brand and join to see what they are offering. Some fan pages that help you with your holiday shopping are:
Best Buy
Sears
Macy's
Toys "R" Us

On Monday, don't be afraid to visit your favorite retailers or brand's websites and check for deals- chances are they will be offering them!

The following is a list of some posted Cyber Monday deals and links:

Overstock.com: Free shipping on your entire order.
Apple Store: Free shipping on orders over $50.
Ugg Australia: Free shipping on orders of $100+. Enter CYBERMONDAY promo code at checkout
Best Buy: Cyber Monday 2-Day Sale. Free shipping on orders $25+. Shop a huge selection of deals televisions, cameras, computers, movies, and tons of other items! For example, get a Mitsubishi 65" class 1080p DLP HDTV for only $999 plus free shipping online only! The TV was originally $1,499.99!
Toys "R" Us: Has a special page dedicated to online only deals.
Staples.com: Free shipping on orders of $50+ and special online deals Sunday-Monday.
Macy's: Free shipping on orders of $75+ using CYBER promo code. Online sale Monday, preview sale Sunday.
Walmart: Will be posting sales as part of their "Amazing Online Specials" campaign.
eToys: Cyber Monday sales that include 50% off select toys.
Barnes & Noble: Huge holiday savings on millions of books.
Target: Free shipping when you spent $50+ on select items.

Happy shopping and please comment with Cyber Monday deals you found!

How to use social media to find Black Friday shopping deals

Why fight the crowds at 4 am on Black Friday when you can do all your shopping from the comfort of your couch? Want to find out about the best deals before others? Many online retailers are offering Black Friday deals and you can use Facebook, Twitter, and the internet to easily find them.

The following is a to-do list of ways to find the best Black Friday shopping deals online:

1. Become a fan on Facebook: Have a favorite brand or store? Find them on Facebook! Chances are they have a fan page! Many retailers give exclusive offers to their Facebook fans. For example, Sears is letting their Facebook fans shop some Black Friday deals early and giving out coupon codes and deals you can't get anywhere else.

Here are some other places to find Black Friday deals on Facebook:

Toys "R" Us: Become a fan to see Black Friday deals before anyone else.
Staples: Take a picture of yourself shopping at their store on Friday and post it on their wall for a chance to win a $50 Staples gift card.
BestBuy: BestBuy is giving tons of holiday deals on their Facebook page! Also, they have an application called the Best Buy Idea Giftr that helps you with holiday shopping dilemmas.
Macy's: Get a sneak peek at Black Friday deals!
BlackFriday.info: The Facebook fan page for the website BlackFriday.info lets you know where the deals are!

2. Follow brands and stores on Twitter: Just like Facebook fan pages, many brands and stores have Twitter feeds. Look them up and follow them to find deals! Also, take advantage of Twitter hashtags. People are tweeting about the sales they hope to take advantage of and tagging their tweets with the hashtag #blackfriday. There have been thousands of Black Friday tweets and it's currently a Trending Topic on Twitter. Also, a great way to find coupon codes for online shopping is to search for the #coupon hashtag. Help your friends and followers out by tweeting the deals you find!

Another great Twitter tool to use is the website Shopalize. The website allows you to "share and discover what people are shopping right now, anywhere in the world." The site lets you search for specific items you might want to buy. There is also a Black Friday Deals page in which you can see all Black Friday tweets.

3. Use the internet: Most stores have an online website where you can shop, so visit them! Find items you would find at stores online and use coupon codes to save money. Use search engines like Google to find deals by simply searching "Black Friday deals."

Here are some websites you can find great Black Friday deals at:

Amazon.com: Amazon is having Black Friday week and offering new deals everyday!
Walmart: Huge markdowns on countless products.
KMart: $5 off purchases of $50 or more using the coupon code KMART5OFF50.
Sears: $5 off purchases of $50 or more using the coupon code SEARS5OFF50.
Target: Free shipping when you spend over $50.

With a little time, and Google's help, you can find some great online deals this Black Friday!

Pittsburghers react to Ravenstahl’s separation via Twitter

Pittsburghers used Twitter on Tuesday night to joke about Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who announced his separation from his wife of five-years, Erin, on Monday in an exclusive interview with KDKA-TV’s Marty Griffin.

The hashtag #ravenstahlrumors flooded the homepage of local Twitter users. Pittsburghers were using the hashtag to create totally outlandish, fake Ravenstahl rumors. For example, “Luke is Steely McBeam” and “Luke calls pop soda.”

According to the trend tracking website “What the Trend,” the hashtag was started by @Pensblog.

Updates will follow if #ravenstahlrumors becomes a Trending Topic on Twitter. This would mean the hashtag was one of the top ten things being tweeted.

Photo: Pittsburghers make hashtag huge. Source: Trendsmap.com

'Steelers' a Trending Topic on Twitter

The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) bounced around Twitter's Trending Topics today after a 24-27 overtime loss to the (3-7) Kansas City Chiefs.

What does this mean? Trending Topics are the top ten things Twitter users are tweeting about at the time. The Steeler Nation took to the internet to show both their disappointment and shock with the game. Trendsmap, a free service that tracks real-time Twitter trends, show "steelers" and "#steelers" trending all around the United States and parts of Canada. The photo below shows where "steelers" was trending.

As I clicked on the Steelers hashtag and checked your updates, Pittsburghers, one thing was pretty obvious: you were not happy with the way the six-time Super Bowl Champions played.

If you are a sports' fan and haven't gotten Twitter yet, you should sign up. It's a great place to go for game discussion. You can see what your fellow Pittsburghers, as well as the nation, are saying about your Steelers in real time and share your thoughts.

You can sign up for Twitter here.

You can follow me on Twitter here.

EXCLUSIVE: Motorola Droid Review

Verizon is set to release its latest smartphone, the Motorola Droid, on November 6th. I was lucky enough to get a two-day preview of the Droid a week early. Many have been calling the Droid the "iPhone killer," especially after a series of iPhone attack ads launched by the Droid went viral on the web. Though I wouldn't go that far, I would definitely say it's going to give the iPhone some competition. Motorola hasn't had any hits since the RAZR craze, but I believe the Droid will put them back into the game as a major player.

I picked up the Droid yesterday morning, and returned it later this afternoon. I was very impressed from what I saw during the time I tested it out. The Droid is the world's first smartphone that runs the Android 2.0 operating system.

The first thing I noticed about the Droid is that it doesn't seem cheap or flimsy- though it is a little on the heavy side. The device has some gold accents-which I wasn't too fond of. There is a power on/off button on the top, right-hand corner of the phone. On the opposite side is a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Along the right edge there is volume rocker-which got in my way a lot. There is also a camera button on the opposite end. On the left edge is a MicroUSB port. When you turn the phone on its back there is a 5-megapixel camera along with a flash. A gold, stiched plate hides the Droid's speaker. On the front of the screen are 4-keys: back, menu, home, and search. The phone also comes with a 16GB SD card.

The basic structure of the phone is made of two pieces: a touch screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The screen is amazing- it's 3.7 inches of touchscreen bliss. It has excellent resolution, a full glass display with a bright and crisp 480x854 resolution. The screen is customizable and visually appealing with bright icons. The keys on the QWERTY keyboard are flat, and, like most keyboards, take some getting used to. The touchscreen also offers a keyboard. The QWERTY keyboard has an individual "@" key, perfect for Twitter. Next to the keyboard is a gold navigation button.

The battery life seemed long, and I only had to re-charge it once after using it it for a pretty long time. The Droid comes equipped with a 1400mAH removable battery. A big complaint of the iPhone- no removable battery.

The Droid allows you to run multiple applications at once- so you can toggle back and forth. However, though Android 2.0 allows for multi-touch, that functionality isn't implemented here.

The phone already comes equipped with Facebook, YouTube, and G-mail preloaded. Users can visit the Android Marketplace for countless apps as well as widgets. The phone also comes with Google Maps Navigation and acts as a GPS. You can also download the latest tracks from the Amazon MP3 store.

The Droid offers Verizon Wireless Visual Voicemail, a cool feature that allows you to reply and forward voicemail messages without having to listen to prior messages or instructions.

The Motorola Droid starts at $199 with a $100 mail-in rebate and a 2-year contract. Users will need to purchase a voice plan starting at $39 a month as well as a web and e-mail plan starting at $29 a month. I was surprised with the cost, and actually thought it would be more for the device.

There are so many good things about the Droid. It has high-speed web browsing, a customizable and sharp touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, a 5MP camera with a flash, and access to thousands of Android applications and widgets. The icing on the cake, in my opinion, it's offered by the best 3G mobile network in the country.

Final Thought: The Motorola Droid is heaven-sent if you are a Verizon user like me looking for an upgrade. However, I don't recommend canceling service with another provider and incurring tons of fees just to get it.

For more information: Check out KDKA-TV's Jim Lokay's preview of the Motorola Droid and whether or not Pittsburghers think it will give the iPhone competition.

To view my slideshow of Droid photos, click here.

Did I mention I love the Motorola Droid?

My Motorola Droid Unboxing Video!

OMG! Testing out the Motorola Droid!

OMG! Testing out the Motorola Droid! on 12seconds.tv

I WANT the Motorola Droid

Ok, I thought I was iPhone obsessed, but this is way worse. I absolutely love the Motorola Droid.

I am on the Verizon network, and really happy with my service. However, I have never been happy with any of the smartphones Verizon has offered. And I am just not a Blackberry type of girl. I have been longing for the iPhone, but just didn't make want to make the switch to AT&T. I was really hoping that the iPhone would one day be offered with Verizon, but it was pretty obvious that it would never happen.

So far, all the reviews I have read have been GREAT. The phone is fast- no lagging touch screen, slide out keyboard, only $199, I could go on and on.

John Biggs, writer for Tech Crunch, described the phone as "sexy." A girl like me defiantly wants a hot phone.

The Motorola Droid comes out on November 6th. Expect me to have a review and unboxing video then! I can't wait!

Here is a video of the Droid taken by CNET:


So what do you think? Go ahead, tell me how much you love it...

Facebook "Password Reset Confirmation E-mail" may contain virus

If you received a "Password Reset Confirmation E-mail" from Facebook DO NOT open the e-mail unless, in fact, you did request a password change- and be wary even then.

The social media blog Mashable is reporting the e-mail contains a malicious trojan horse, a virus, known as "Bredolab." Bredolab masks itself as the Facebook e-mail and downloads files from the web that will infect your computer. The e-mail contains an attachment that claims to contain your new password.

To avoid getting the virus, do not open a "Password Reset Confirmation E-mail" if you didn't request a password from Facebook. Also, Mashable points out that if you did in fact change your password, Facebook would not send a "Password Reset Confirmation E-mail" that contains an attachment. If you are still not sure if it's safe to open, Mashable suggests to "look at the full details of the e-mail- if the mails server [doesn't] belong to Facebook" don't open the e-mail.

ESPN announces firing of analyst via Twitter

ESPN fired baseball analyst Steve Phillips Sunday night and announced it on Twitter- not via a press conference or an ESPN blog. The tweet came from Mike Soltys, who handles public relations for the network, and read: "Steve Phillips is no longer working for ESPN. His ability to be an effective rep of ESPN has been significantly & irreparably damaged." The former General Manager of the New York Mets was dismissed in a 140-character brush off.

Phillips was fired a week after having admitted he had an affair with 22-year-old ESPN production assistant Brooke Hundley. The Associated Press is reporting Hundley was fired as well.

Facebook introduces News Feed and Live Feed

Facebook began a roll out this weekend of a modified version of its homepage that allows users to jump between two different versions of the feed: the Live Feed and the News Feed. Users will be able to view a summary feed of the most interesting activity that has happened in the last day as well as a real-time feed that displays what is happening right now. The changes were announced in Facebook's blog.

The Live Feed displays your friends' updates in real-time- similar to a Twitter-like feed. As long as you remain logged into Facebook and select this tab, you will continue to see activity from your friends in real-time. You are able to change what is posted to this feed by clicking the "Edit Options" tab at the bottom of the homepage.

The News Feed displays the top items your friends have posted over the last day. The stories that appear in the News Feed are known as "Highlights" and are generally the most commented and "liked" stories. Since this year's redesign, Facebook has used the "Highlights" section at the right hand side of the homepage to display items you may have missed. However, you couldn't see posted comments on these posts and the space was so small it was easy to miss! Now, when you select the "News Feed" tab you will see the top stories based on a few factors, including how many of your friends commented and how likely you are to respond to that post. This is all based on your past history interacting with the site.

Users are able to move from feed-to-feed by selecting the appropriate tab at the top of the homepage.

Why the changes? According to Facebook's blog, "while seeing real-time activities is extremely valuable, we also want to be sure you don't miss other interesting content. . .we decided with today's changes to move what you used to see in Highlights from the right-hand side to the News Feed view in the main column so you can more easily engage with both views." Basically, Facebook doesn't want you to miss interesting content.

Though many people seem to like being able to use both feeds, the changes are causing some backlash on Facebook. Many anti-change groups are starting to pop up. It's inevitable- people hate change, and when they see it happen on Facebook, they want it to change back!

The largest growing group against the changes to the feed is the "I AUTOMATICALLY HATE THE NEW FACEBOOK HOME PAGE" group, which has over 17,500 members at press time.

The group's description speaks for itself- people hate change:

"I HATE CHANGE AND EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH IT

I WANT EVERYTHING TO REMAIN STATIC THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE LIFE

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I WANT FROM THINGS I CANNOT CONTROL

BY LOGICAL DEDUCTION I AUTOMATICALLY OPPOSE THE NEW FACEBOOK STREAMING HOME PAGE

IF I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS GROUP IT IS NO LONGER FUNNY."

TechCrunch reports that "Facebook employees like Ivan Kirigin and Ari Steinberg have already joined it. . .so has Mark Zuckerberg ." Though the group is meant to be taken as a joke, many people are writing on the group's wall about how much they hate the new Facebook.

What do you think of the new Facebook News Feed and Live Feed?

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