You’ve only got a little over a week to shop for Mother’s Day folks. And hint! Moms like gadgets too. Don’t be boring and just hand her a card or a bunch of flowers, get Mom something cool this year.

Stay away from a sweeper or anything that cleans. Ditto on anything that implies she doesn’t look good and needs help in that department. So, what to buy? What to buy? Here are some suggestions that might work for all different budgets.

1. The Tom Tom One 140 GPS
Face it, a GPS is quick becoming a “must have” for many and this is the latest by Tom Tom. It has a 3.5-inch 320×240 QVGA touchscreen display. There are spoken turn-by-turn directions along with 3D graphics to help you find where you are going anywhere in the US, Canada or Mexico. It also features “IQ Routes” technology, which means it tells you the fastest route to take each time you drive, using your actual average speeds of travel on the route to figure out your trip instead of just going by the posted speed limit.

There’s also Advanced Lane Guidance. This guidance uses photorealistic images on multi-lane exits so you can actually clearly figure out where you are supposed to be going. MSRP $180, but right now, the official Tom Tom site is offering $30 back for Mother’s Day along with free shipping.

2. USB Tulip Hub
Ok, not exactly my personal cup of tea, but I know some Moms out there would probably really dig this sort of thing. You know, to make her desk all flowery-pretty and all. It has four USB high-speed ports. (Each one has its own flower). It works with both Mac and Windows, and is compatible with most USB plugs. $22

3. Kaloric Wine Cooler
Now we’re talking! Heck with throwing it on the door of the fridge! This baby is nice. It uses two wireless temperature probes which are inserted into uncorked wine bottles, and it reads the temperature of the actual wine, not the chamber. You can chill one or two bottles at a time (separate temperatures too by the way). You can either use the programmed settings for red, white, or rose wines, or champagne, or set your own. It has LEDs that let you know when your wine is either too warm or too cool, or when the temp is just right. $199

4. My Life Digital Photo Key Chain
Now, there are lots of digital photo key chains out there, but this one seemed to get the best overall reviews from the ones I’ve checked out. It has a 1.5-inch OLED which also features wide angle viewing. It carries up to 100 photos, which makes it a lot easier on Mom’s wallet…no more stuffing all those favorite photos in there! It automatically resizes your pictures to fit the screen, and offers side mount navigation buttons. Even non-tech savvy moms can work this one…it’s plug-and-play. The rechargeable batteries give up to two hours of viewing with each charge, so plenty of time to show off those favorite shots. Compatible with both Windows Vista and Mac. $34.95

5. Kindle 2
Well, you KNEW it was going to be on here, didn’t you? I couldn’t help myself. Just about every mom I know loves to read, so, what easier way to do it than with the Kindle 2? Take it anywhere, it’s thin, it’s light, it’s wireless…nice. Plus, that very large bonus of not having to pay $25 bucks a pop for a book is quite nice as well. They have over 270,000 available books, with almost all (including NY Times Bestsellers and New Releases) going for $9.99. You don’t need a PC to get your books, and they arrive in less than 60 seconds. It will hold over 1,500 of Mom’s favorite titles. $359.

So there ya have it! Five gift suggestions for Mom for this Mother’s Day. Just remember to stay away from the sweeper aisle.

Black Friday, the day when consumers can generally expect to find some good deals, is thankfully just about upon us. With a few weeks before Thanksgiving here in the US, it seems now is about the right time for the deals to begin making their way into the public eye. Sadly, although Dell has plenty of deals listed for Black Friday, it seems that some are not as exciting as one would hope for.

To begin with, Dell is planning to offer the Inspiron Mini 9 for $299, which offers a $50 savings from the regular $349. The specs for that model include a 1.6GHz Atom processor, a 4GB SSD, 512MB RAM an 8.9-inch display and running Ubuntu 8.04.

Other notebooks that are on sale (and some that will offer a much greater savings) will be the Inspiron 13 for $699 (a $329 savings), the Studio 15 for $699 (a $245 savings), the Studio 17 for $799 (a $349 savings), the XPS M1330 for $1,029 (a $319 savings) and the XPS M1530 also for $1,029 (a $319 savings).

Other items listed include a nice deal on a Sharp 42-inch 1080p LCD, which is going to set you back $779 and showing a regular retail of $1,399. Additionally, Dell will also be offering an Xbox 360 Arcade bundle with seven games for $199.

One friendly word of advice when dealing with any Black Friday sales is to always shop around. Just because the item is on sale, it does not always mean you will be getting the best deal around. Take for example the Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray player that Dell will have for $249, that same player will also be found at K-Mart for $179.99 on Thanksgiving Day.

Via [Black Friday 2008]

As many companies generally lower their prices on their goods in time for the holiday season, iriver has already got a head start on this as they have reduced prices on three of their hottest players. Thanks to a tip, we know that the three players are the iriver SPINN, the Lplayer, and the E100. All of these deals will start on November 1st and end on December 31st, more than enough time to complete all of your holiday shopping.

Let’s first begin with iriver’s SPINN. In case you don’t remember the exact specs here is a recap. First off, it comes with a 3.3-inch AMOLED touch screen, FM tuner, audio and video playback, picture display, and Bluetooth connectivity. One of the unique featuers about the SPINN is the way you navigate through the device – using the spindle tool on the side of the device. Previously, the 4GB version sold for $250 and the 8GB for $290. However, under iriver’s new deal, you can get the 4GB for $189.99 and the 8GB player for $229.99.

Next, we have the 2-inch iriver Lplayer. It comes with FM Radio, FM Recording, photo display, music and video playback, 4 hours of audio, and 12 hours of video all on a single charge. Before, the 4GB model sold for $110 and the 8GB model sold for $160. However, the 4GB model will currently sell for $69.99 and the 8GB will sell for $99.99.

Last, but not least, we have the iriver E100. This MP3 player comes with a 2.4-inch TFT LCD screen, built-in stereo speakers, FM Radio, micro SD expansion, photo display, music and video playback, and plays 5 hours of straight video and 17 hours of audio. Before, the 4GB sold for $110 and the 8GB sold for $160. Starting November 1st, the 4GB will sell for $69.99 and the 8GB for $99.99.

Personally, I think this is a great deal from iriver, but their success with it will depend on what other PMP companies decide to do for their products.

The Nintendo DS Platform has a number of great games out and just in time for the holidays! By the end of the year, there will have been more than 400 games released for the DS, which can make shopping for the DS a little difficult. If you are shopping for a DS gamer and need some suggestions on what to purchase, here are some of the top games you might want to consider!

Some of the classic games, which are those that were released as far back as November 2004 (when the DS was launched) but still offer loads of entertainment for those who might have missed getting any of them, include NEW Super Mario Bros., Pokemon: Diamond Version and Animal Crossing Wild World.

Here are some options for DS games that are targeted specifically for children who own the DS. These include Chibbi Robo: Park Patrol, Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck (featuring Daffy Duck), and the adventure game Touch Detective 2 ½.

Meanwhile, when shopping for individuals that are specifically interested in adventure or role playing games, gift-buyers might want to consider Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Luminous Arc or Rune Factory. Some of the most likely RPG games to drawn gamers in, each of these has a different and separate type of RPG world to display.

And since DS games are not just appreciated by younger audiences, Dementium: The Ward, Ultimate Mortal Kombat and LifeSigns: Surgical Unit are some great options for mature players who are interested in adventure, fighting or simulation games, respectively.

For some more in depth information regarding the games mentioned above check out our sister site Gamertell.

As the PSP gaming console is determined to be a big hit this year, it will be equally important to provide the gamers on your holiday gift list with games that are just as exciting as the Sony console.

When it comes to strategy and RPG games, Jeanne D’Arc is a top contender. Prior to the release of this game, there was a notable lack of strategy games for the PSP. With a unique fantasy twist, Jeanne D’Arc is based loosely on the heroine of the past, Joan of Arc. Another great strategy RPG game to consider would be Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions.

If the gamer on your list is more into horror or thriller games, Silent Hill: Origins may be just what you are after. The first Silent Hill game made for the PSP, it is a comfort to know that all the characteristics which made the Silent Hill franchise such a success on other consoles are still present and accounted for in the PSP version. Manhunt 2 is another action game that may interest PSP owners and gamers.

For those players focused on Action, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is a can’t-miss. Loaded with fun and wild weapons, Ratchet and Clank travel around the galaxy, mini-games and solid mechanics help to ensure that this game will appeal to virtually any PSP player. Sid Meier’s Pirates is another Action themed PSP game that may be a great selection for the Action obsessed on your holiday list.

With such diverse options for the selection of PSP games this holiday season, it is possible – and enjoyable – to find the ideal PSP game choice for any PSP owner.

For some more in depth information regarding the games mentioned above check out our sister site Gamertell.

Shopping for gamers can always be a bit difficult if the shopper is not familiar with the available platform games and the specific tastes of the individual. However, with this helpful guide, shoppers can manage to wrangle up a great holiday gift for any Xbox 360 gamer on their list, getting by knowing only the basics about the types of games the individual gift recipient enjoys.

When shopping for Xbox 360 players, it is important to look at what has happened this year (2007) with Microsoft, since this will help to determine what games are available, how sought after specific games are or have been, and what games are exclusive to the Xbox 360.

After 2 years, Microsoft has made a number of strides with the Xbox 360 console. Not only outselling PS3 games in Japan, but also managing to make a profit for the first time, gamers of the Xbox 360 platform are likely to love game gifts this season.

Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV are some great action games that are doing well with the Xbox 360. Not only that, but Microsoft has managed to nab exclusive rights to the latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series. If your gift recipient is one who appreciates tactical maneuvers or car chases and action, these are going to be some potential gifts to consider.

Other games that left Sony to partner up with the Xbox team include Ace Combat 6, Final Fantasy XI and the to-be-released games Resident Evil 5 and Devil May Cry 4. If you are looking to purchase any of these games, it is important to be aware that the only platform they will be available on is the Xbox 360.

For some more in depth information regarding the games mentioned above check out our sister site Gamertell.

Best Buy currently has a nice offer for those looking for a video game, you can save $10 on purchases of $30 or more. This is very nice deal from Best Buy and I’m sure many will use this coupon. All you have to do is print out the online coupon and bring it with you when you go to the store. This deal is good up until November 28, so you better hurry. Also, there does not appear to be any restrictions as to what games you can buy, unfortunately it is not valid for consoles, special order, or clearance items.

Read [Best Buy] Via [Gizmodo]

The first work day after Thanksgiving has become known as Cyber Monday, (the online equivalent of Black Friday) and online retailers are ready. This year they’ll offer one day sales and special offers to rival the ones traditionally found in stores. Last year Cyber Monday web sales reached $608 million. With the price of gas skyrocketing and more and more people turning to the convenience of online shopping, retailers hope to break that mark this holiday season. According to a survey of 116 online merchants, 72% plan to offer Cyber Monday specials. For example. Timberland Co. will offer a discount code good for $25 off and free shipping, and Ebags.com will offer a 20% rebate on all purchases made via Paypal.

Read [Wall Street Journal]

It should not be any secret that Vizio makes some great TV’s with great pricing year round, now they have upped the value just a little bit with some Black Friday savings. A few of these will be Friday only sales and some are for Saturday only, either way there are some great savings.

Friday deals:

• 50-inch Vizio Plasma VP50: $999 at Costco (a $200 savings)
• 37-inch Vizio VX37L HDTV: $599 at BJ’s Wholesale (a $200 savings)
• 52-inch Vizio GV52LF 1080p LCD HDTV: $1,889 at Sam’s Club (a $300 savings)
• 42-inch Vizio GV42LF 1080p LCD HDTV: $999 at Sears (a $200 savings)

Saturday deals:

• 20-inch Vizio VX20L wide LCD HDTV: $199 at Circuit City (a $200 savings)

Via [I4U News]

Circuit City has also released a bunch of information as to what they have planned for us come Black Friday regarding GPS units. We have already seen a lot of stores release their Black Friday information, so take a good look at the other stores and prepare to plan out your Friday morning shopping.

Unfortunately, Circuit City won’t be selling any uber cheap GPS units, but they will be selling two models from Garmin. The first being the Garmin StreetPilot c340 for $200, which is about $28 bucks lower than the normal retail.

The StreetPilot c340 leads the portable, affordable c300 series with text to speech capability and optional traffic alerts. Whether you choose the c340 or c330 with preloaded maps or the c320 or c310 with SD card, their intuitive touch screen operation and big displays make them easy to use.

The second model is the Garmin Nuvi 350, which is selling for $300, down from a normal retail of around $340.

Menus are well laid out and plotting a route is simple. Just enter a postcode or street name and house number, press Navigate and you’re off. Picking up satellites takes about two minutes, route calculation a few seconds and unlike similar satnavs, a text-to-speech function calls out street names.

Maps are clear in 2D and 3D, although having to go back into the menu to switch between the two is a pain. As well as the 700MB of space for MP3s, Points of Interest and the like, there’s also an SD card slot for adding extra memory.

Circuit City may not be offering the best deals on GPS’, but overall they still have some pretty nice Black Friday savings.

Via [NaviGadget]