| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Halfvalue Online Shopping > Shopping Blog
Shopping Blog All
 | Your guide to the latest deals and bargains Stay current with the latest in shopping trends and popular items. This shopping blog features the newest shopping stores, bargains and deals from across the web. Along with many helpful shopping guides and consumer reports about various products and services. |
Nov 2009 17
Cowon iAudio 9
Some people just can't stand the iPod and companies such as Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, Creative, and others are all jumping at the chance to be your iPod rebound for an mp3 player. Cowon has maintained a niche following with customers who value sound quality and extensive format compatibility above all other concerns. Cowon's latest portable media player, the iAudio 9, is the company's spin on the Apple iPod Nano. Sharing the Nano's same basic shape, with a 2-inch screen and 8GB ($129) and 16GB ($169) capacities. For those of you who were mesmerized by the iAudio 7, take a seat while we present the new Cowon iAudio 9. While the front face of the iAudio9 is rather different to its predecessor, the rear face of the player is bordering on indistinguishable. The big change is video support. It looks like not one but two of the company's snack-sized media players are finally hitting the big time.
First off, the iAudio 9 PMP is due to hit the states within a week. Available in 8GB and 16GB denominations, for some reason the domestic version will be available only in black. Aside from supporting the usual compliment of media files (MP3, FLAC, Ogg, WAV, APE, WME, XviD, and WMV videos) this guy sports composite video out. Get your hands on the 8GB version for $129, or go wild with 16GB for $169. If video isn't your bag, the enigmatic iAudio E2 (all 2.5-inches of it) is also available. Sporting a bevy of EQ presets, 4GB of storage and a not entirely terrible 11.5 hours of battery life, this is the keychain you've always wanted -- but never wanted to pay $65 for. The iAudio9 is equipped with a 2-inch screen display which is navigable via the smooth, tactile controls situated underneath the display. While the storage size is yet to be specified, the device supports MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, and WAV audio types and AVI, WMV, XviD, and ASF video types. Additional features incorporated into the device include an FM tuner, a microphone, JetEffect 3.0 effects, a TV output control, and a purported external speaker. With dimensions of 42 x 95 x 8.9 mm, the iAudio 9 is one slick and slender player.
Nov 2009 11
Moder Warfare 2 Breaks Records
Among a sea of November Video Game releases, Modern Warfare 2 manages to stay afloat with its thrilling storyline and addictive online multiplayer. Arguably the most anticipated game of the year, Modern Warfare 2 finally lands. Following a week of content controversy and broken street dates, Modern Warfare 2 promises to elevate the action and intensity beyond even the classic original game.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on November 10, 2009. It is the sixth installment of the Call of Duty series, and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, continuing along the same storyline.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released in conjunction with two other Call of Duty games: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized for the Nintendo DS, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex, a port of Call of Duty 4 adapted by Treyarch for the Wii console. In addition, a comic book series based on one of the game's characters will also be produced, entitled Modern Warfare 2: Ghost.
The game sold approximately 4.7 million copies at launch in North America and the United Kingdom, making it the biggest launch in history across all forms of entertainment and racked up 310 million dollars in sales in the United States and Britain alone when the eagerly anticipated title from Infinity Ward studio made its worldwide debut Tuesday, according to Activision. The videogame bested Batman superhero film "The Dark Knight," which holds the record for the top opening weekend ever by taking in 158.4 million dollars in July 2008.
Game Features:
- Epic single-player campaign picks up immediately following the thrilling events from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- The definitive multiplayer experience returns, with a host of new perks and enhancements
- New cooperative SpecOps mode, the perfect combination of Modern Warfare's single player intensity and the addictive replayability of its multiplayer
- Special Ops Mode allows two players, either alone or with a friend, to engage in unique mission play and features split-screen functionality.
- `Modern Warfare 2¿ contains new and updated weapons, new weapons attachments, and a variant of the multiplayer weapons customization system from `Call of Duty 4¿, now available in the single player campaign.
Nov 2009 6
Google Droid has Landed
Droid, considered by many early reviewers to be a worthy challenger to the Apples iPhone has landed on store shelves. Whether it will also challenge Apple's popular phone in terms of sales has yet to be seen, but there were some hardy shoppers lined up to be among the first to slip one into their pockets. With the DROID, Motorola has perhaps created its most attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet. Forging an alliance with both Verizon and Google, Motorola has come up with a second compelling reason to count the phone maker down, but certainly not out, while the other two giants have finally found a seemingly worthy device to position against the iPhone.
Verizon and Motorola finally lifted the curtain on their new Droid Android phone yesterday. Make no mistake, this is Android’s flagship product, and the first phone that will pose a significant threat to Apple’s iPhone. The phone is a three-way effort between Motorola, Verizon and Google. It looks a lot like the iPhone, and may even be as thin or thinner than the iPhone 3GS. It also has two key advantages over the iPhone – a slide out physical keyboard, and use of the Verizon network. Unlike previous Android phones, the Droid is rumored to be powered by the TI OMAP3430, the same core that the iPhone and Palm Pre use, and which significantly outperforms Qualcomm 528MHz ARM11 based Android phones that exist today Droid will also be running v.2.0 of Android, with a significantly upgraded user interface.
If you’re hankering for the Droid, the hot, new smartphone from Verizon, listen up: Flipswap, a mobile device recycling site, is offering Apple iPhone users up to $450 for their devices. Even the original iPhone, now two years old, will get you $100. That’s enough to help offset, or even cover, the cost of breaking your contract with AT&T, exclusive U.S. distributor of the iPhone, and buying a Droid. The device costs $99-$199 with a two-year contract.
Nov 2009 4
The New Apple TV
The redesigned Apple TV from Apple makes it even easier to rent or buy HD movies. Go behind the scenes with iTunes Extras. Buy HD TV shows. And enjoy your music and photos. All from the comfort of your couch. With the Apple TV, you'll have instant access to a whole world of entertainment. Whether you want to rent HD movies, buy HD TV show, listen to your iTunes music collection, or show off your photos, Apple TV will bring all of it into your living room and onto your television without any computer required.
Put more HD on your HDTV.
HD movies. HD TV shows. HD podcasts. HD YouTube videos. With Apple TV, they’re all available on demand. You get instant access to newly released Hollywood hits and popular classic and library titles, including a large selection of on-demand HD movies. And now you can also purchase and watch your favorite TV shows in brilliant HD one day after they air. Or enjoy thousands of free HD podcasts or YouTube videos from around the world.
Play your music through your home theater system.
With Apple TV, iTunes syncs wirelessly to your TV, so your entire music collection can now be played on the best speakers in your house. Use the Genius feature to create new playlists or Genius Mixes, or check out thousands of Internet radio stations that play every genre imaginable. You can also browse and buy music videos on the iTunes Store. And sync songs and videos purchased on Apple TV to your computer and iPod or iPhone.
Your photos. YouTube videos. And podcasts, too.
Your photos deserve a bigger stage. Apple TV puts them on your widescreen TV, where everybody can see them in stunning HD. Select My Photos to browse photos from your Mac or PC. If you use iPhoto, you can find photos organized by Events or Faces. You can also access your Flickr photos or MobileMe Gallery. And you no longer have to huddle around a computer screen to see YouTube videos and podcasts, even in HD — Apple TV plays them big and bold on your TV’s spectacular screen.
A large selection of on-demand HD movies.
Apple TV gives you instant access to a large selection of on-demand HD movies. Choose a movie, and in seconds, you’re watching the opening credits with theater-like Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. HD rentals start at $3.99, and you have 30 days to start watching. Hit Play, and it’s yours to watch as many times as you want in 24 hours.
Buy movies and experience iTunes Extras.
Make your favorite movies a permanent part of your digital collection. Movie purchases start at $9.99, and most titles are available the day they’re released on DVD. Buy select movies with iTunes Extras and take your entertainment beyond the credits and behind the scenes. Access special features, watch interviews and trailers, view photos, and more right from Apple TV.
Nov 2009 2
Christmas Trees and Decorations
The Christmas tree is an itegral part of all Christmas decor. A decorated artificial or living tree, a popular tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. Normally an evergreen coniferous tree that is brought into a home or used in the open, a Christmas tree is decorated with Christmas lights and colorful ornaments during the days around Christmas. An angel or star is often placed at the top of the tree, representing the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity story. Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until Christmas Eve (24 December), and then removed the day after twelfth night (6 January); to have a tree up before or after these dates was even considered bad luck.
Tinsel and several types of garland or ribbon are commonly used to decorate a Christmas tree. Lighting with candles or electric lights (fairy lights) is commonly done and a tree topper, traditionally either an angel or a star, completes the ensemble.
With so many places to buy artificial Christmas trees, it can be challenging to find the best tree for you. Before buying a Christmas tree, you should decide where you want to display the tree. This should help you determine the amount of space you need to fill and choose a tree with the ideal height. As a general rule, you should leave at least 6 inches space from your ceiling height to the top of the tree (example: for a foot ceiling, choose a 7.5 feet tree).
As you shop for a Christmas tree, look for the varieties that will fill your space. You should consider the diameter of the Christmas tree, not the shape name like full, narrow, slim etc, to help you pick your perfect tree. This measurement is taken at the very widest point of the tree. If you plan to have a few branches touching a wall or a piece of furniture, the true space occupied by the tree will be about six inches less than the stated diameter. Also, opt for a tree which looks as natural as possible so that it looks real.
Shop for decorations, ornaments, lights, holiday tableware and Christmas music at our Christmas Corner
| Christmas Trees & Trimmings | Ornaments | Christmas Lights |
Oct 2009 31
Learn a New Language
Learn a Language on the Go. Learn to speak a new language on the go with Rosetta Stone with Audio Companion, the device that lets you continue learning a language away from your computer. The Rosetta Stone software utilizes a combination of images, text, and sound, with difficulty levels increasing as the student progresses, in order to teach various vocabulary terms and grammatical functions intuitively, without drills or translation. They call this the "Dynamic Immersion method". The goal is to teach languages the way first languages are learned.
With Rosetta Stone you can:
Learn naturally: As a child, you learned to speak instinctively by experiencing the world around you. Rosetta Stone recreates this experience through a fully immersive environment right on your computer. No translation or memorization. It has eliminated the traditional approach of using translation and grammar rules, empowering you to think in your new language. There are no flash cards, dictionaries or memorization drills. A carefully designed sequence of activities. By surrounding you with words, images and the voices of native speakers, our method lets you progress naturally from words and phrases to sentences and conversations.
Engage interactively: Unlike tapes, videos or books that passively feed you language, you’ll constantly interact with the program. The Adaptive Recall feature brings back review exercises to help you transfer what you’ve learned into your long-term memory.
Speak confidently: Step-by-step, you will gain the confidence to speak on your own. You'll develop your intuitive ability to create sentences from scratch in a conversational setting. Before long, you'll be in the middle of conversations and you'll be doing the talking! The speech-recognition technology helps you pronounce syllables, words and sentences in your new language, and provides immediate, ongoing feedback.
Have Fun: As you learn —and solve one language-learning puzzle after another—you'll experience a series of "ah-ha" moments that keep you motivated so, you'll want to keep learning more. With every step, you'll move forward and feel a sense of accomplishment.
Oct 2009 29
Clocky Wakes You Up
Clocky is the alarm clock that runs away and hides to get you out of bed. Clocky gives you one chance to get up. But if you snooze, Clocky will jump off your nightstand and wheel around your room looking for a place to hide, beeping all the while. You'll have to get out of bed to silence his alarm. Clocky is kind of like a misbehaving pet, only he will get up at the right time.
Clocky clock is outfitted with wheels, allowing it to hide itself in order to force the owner awake in an attempt to find it. Invented for an industrial design class by Gauri Nanda, then a graduate student at MIT Media Lab, Clocky won the 2005 Ig Nobel Prize in Economics. After earning her Masters Degree from MIT, Nanda founded a company, Nanda Home, to commercialize Clocky clock radios and other home products.
Clocky is a clock for people who have trouble getting out of bed. When the snooze bar is pressed, Clocky rolls off the table and finds a hiding spot, a new one every day. It leaps off of your night stand, and drives around your room, making random turns and racing away from your grasp. Now you have to get out of bed and hunt the little bugger down to turn it off.
- Jumps from your nightstand up to 3 feet high
- Runs away beeping
- Sounds like R2D2
- Snooze once or disable snooze
- Option to disable wheels
Oct 2009 26
Samsung Instinct HD
After the disappointment of the Samsung Instinct S30, Samsung has redeemed itself with the Samsung Instinct HD for Sprint. Both an upgrade and an improvement over the original Instinct, the Instinct HD offers a sleeker design, a brighter display, and more features. However, be prepared to pay a price for this cell phone. Samsung Instinct HD offers a sleek design with an attractive user interface and a brilliant display. Its HD-capable camera is one of the best around, photo and video quality are sharp, and the loaded feature set includes Wi-Fi.
One of the key HD features about the Instinct HD it’s mentioned multiple times on the box is the ability to play your photos and videos back on auxiliary HD devices. The phone even has a mini-HDMI video out port on its side. The Samsung Instinct HD does take advantage of some of Sprint’s cool video services, like Sprint TV (which offers a mix of live and pre-packaged TV and video clips) and the NFL Mobile Live service, which lets you watch live football games. Both of these services are included with the voice and data plans that Sprint offers for the Instinct HD, which start at $69.99 a month.
The Instinct HD went on sale Sunday, September 27 for $249 with a service contract. As much as the phone offers, we find the price rather hard to swallow. After all, you can get a full smartphone like the HTC Hero for $70 cheaper, but if high-end multimedia is your main interest, the Instinct HD should deliver them. The major selling point on the Samsung Instinct HD, however, is in the name; the smartphone offers a 5-megapixel autofocus camera that shoots video in 720p HD – a first for mainstream devices in the U.S. The capacitive touchscreen is highly responsive and the haptic feedback on the virtual QWERTY is excellent. Also excellent is the SMS/MMS/Exchange messaging. With that in place, owners can use the Instinct HD to watch content from their phone, the microSD card inside, or from the internet on their big-screen TV. Samsung have also preloaded Opera Mobile 9.7, Twitter and Facebook access and Visual Voicemail, to which Sprint add Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation (with 2D and 3D mapping) and various sports-related apps.
Full Touchscreen with Accelerometer : The Samsung Instinct HD is perfectly in sync with you. The advanced touchscreen is extraordinarily responsive to your touch, a fact made quite clear with haptic feedback. The orientation of the screen instinctively rotates from portrait mode to landscape mode when you turn the device, thanks to the built-in accelerometer.
Full HTML Web Browser : See your favorite websites on the Instinct HD the way you see them on your computer. The built-in full HTML web browser even lets you bookmark them to spare you from having to re-enter those URL addresses. To enjoy a wider view, simply rotate the phone into landscape view
Advanced GPS Navigation (2D & 3D Maps) : Running on empty? Search for the nearest gas station by proximity to your exact location. Check out prices beforehand, too. Looking for a Wi-Fi hotspot? With the Samsung Instinct HD you can search for Wi-Fi spots and find out which ones are free. Keep your eyes on the road with audible, turn-by-turn directions to your destination. If it’s a friend of yours that is lost, send them directions in a message
Visual Voicemail : Whose call did you just miss? Now it takes even less time to figure out which messages to listen to and which ones to delete. With the Visual Voicemail display, you can now see who called out of the corner of your eye.
5.0MP Camera & TV Out Capable : Capture stunning pictures and video with the built-in 5.0MP camera. You can either check it out in all its high-res glory on the 3.2" HVGA screen, or view it on the HDTV in your living room with the TV Out feature
- Award-winning phone featuring 3.1-inch touchscreen with vibrating feedback, GPS navigation, visual voicemail
- Access Sprint Mobile Broadband Network via EV-DO Rev. A connectivity; Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store enabled; access personal and corporate email
- 2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming; MicroSD expansion up to 8 GB
- Up to 5.75 hours of talk time; measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches and weighs 4.4 ounces
- Includes: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with microphone, carrying case with stylus, quick start guide
Oct 2009 26
New and Improved Windows 7
Although the look of Windows 7 may seem to be nothing more than some polish applied liberally to the Vista Aero theme, make no mistake: this is a full replacement operating system, and more than just "Vista done right." From driver support to multitouch groundwork for the future, from better battery management to the most user-friendly interface Microsoft has ever had. Many say this is the Windows that Vista was supposed to be. Also, Windows 7 is the first major redevelopment to the GUI since Windows 95. Besides the GUI there have been major changes under the hood, and added technology. Plus, Win 7 can run on older computers unlike its predecessor Windows Vista.
The Windows 7 GUI (Graphical User Interface) has been changed in a few ways from previous versions of Windows. Instead of rectangles with the name of the program running on the taskbar, square icons are used. Below are more new features of Windows 7.
Pin - Pin programs to the taskbar. Pin files to Jump Lists. Just like tacking notes on a bulletin board, you can use pin to keep the things you need close at hand.
Snap - Size and arrange windows by simply dragging their borders to the edges of your screen. Instantly expand to full screen and back, or arrange two windows side by side or compare two files side by side with a quick drag to the edge of the screen.
Play - To Play music, photos, and videos from your PC to media devices connected to your home network. You can send media from your PC to other compatible devices in your home.
Windows Touch - Ever wish you could just point at what you want and move things around with your hand? With a touch-sensitive screen and Windows 7, you can. You can use your fingers to do more with your touch screen PC.
HomeGroup - Easily share the photos, music, and files on each of the PCs running Windows 7 on your home network. It's especially handy when you want to share a printer. This takes the headache out of sharing files, devices, and printers on a home network.
On top of all that Windows 7 is the most secure version of Windows to date. Yes there is still the UAC (User Account Control), but it isn’t as annoying and you control the level of security you want from it.
- Windows 7 lets you run Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode, recover data easily with automatic backups to your home or business network, connect to company networks effortlessly and more securely
- Make the things you do every day easier with improved desktop navigation; start programs faster and more easily, and quickly find the documents you use most often
- Make your web experience faster, easier and safer than ever with Internet Explorer 8
- Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV on your PC
- Easily create a home network and connect your PCs to a printer with HomeGroup
Oct 2009 22
Compare Textbook Prices to find Cheap Textbooks
Introducing Lookbookstores. At lookbookstores.com, we help you find the lowest book prices on new and used books by comparing prices to find you the cheapest new and used textbooks. Are you a college student looking for discount prices on new or used college textbooks? We can save you tons of money on this semesters textbooks. Lookbookstores.com does not sell books, we only compare the price and then provide a convenient link for you to make your purchase from the merchant of your choice. Lookbookstores compares all the best textbook stores at once finding the sweetest, cheapest textbook deals on the planet.
When You’re ready to compare textbook prices to find the right deal for you, Lookbookstores puts that power just a few clicks away. The best and easiest way to purchase all of your books is to compare college textbooks from all over to determine the best fit. Our textbook price comparison tool finds the lowest prices on the Internet for new and used textbooks. We provide custom textbook links to dozens of college textbook stores. The compare price robot updates in real time, allowing you to get the very latest information when you’re ready to compare textbook prices. In addition, we’re always looking for new vendors to bolster our offerings, all in an effort to become the one-stop shopping source for all of your textbook needs. Starving students need relief from outrageous textbook costs. Get that relief when you compare college textbooks online to find cheap textbooks.
New & Used Textbooks
Apparel | DVD | PetSupplies | Music | Photo | Software | Watches | Automotive | MusicalInstruments | OfficeProducts |
Home | About | Help | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Top Searches | Top Products | Featured Deals | Shopping Guides | Answers | Brands | All Departments | Shopping Directory
Copyright 2003-2009 halfvalue.com - Find Cheap Deals & Save @ halfvalue
 | Einkaufen Germany |  | Online Shopping UK |  | Shopping en ligne France |  | Online Shopping USA |
Cheap Textbooks | Information and Articles | Cheap Designer Shoes & Handbags