holidays

No violence in holiday's 'most wanted' games by teens, tweens?

Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band II are the two most wanted games for the 2008 holiday season for 8- to 17-year-old boys and girls, according to a holiday gift survey by gaming retailer Game Crazy (conducted by Weekly Reader Research). These are followed closely by Mario Kart and Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party II.

I'm having a hard time swallowing these results, mostly because these all seem too "family friendly." Game Crazy, after all, is owned by Hollywood Entertainment and could lose customers if the results were more "adult." The participants consisted of 965 qualifying respondents (owning at least one video gaming system), made up of 488 boys and 477 girls aged 8-17. The only difference between the genders: the boys want Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, while the girls don't.

With several shooter sequels coming this fall, including Gears of War 2 and Far Cry 2, and the massive global conflict fun of Tom Clancy's EndWar, where's all the blood and guts and destruction in these games? Surely kids still want to shoot and blow stuff up, right?

A more complete breakdown of the survey results are as follows:… Read more

Holiday sales: How low will HDTV prices go?

Is it too early to look forward to holiday price drops while you wait to buy a new HDTV? Not if you're in the market for a no-name model, according to DealNews.com. The site predicts that plasma TV prices on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that kicks off the holiday buying spree, will fall to as low as $499 for a 42-inch model and $699 for a 50-incher. Meanwhile a $149 Blu-ray player may be in the offing, again from a no-name brand, along with $10 Blu-ray discs.

The upcoming DTV transition will help contribute to the price drops, according to the article, and as usual, plasma is less-expensive than LCD on an inch-for-inch basis. "LCD prices will remain higher than plasma, but they'll still dip considerably, with generic 42-inch 720p LCD HDTVs going for $599. Additionally, look for name-brand 46-inch or 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs to hit $799, and larger 52-inch 1080p HDTVs to drop to $1,199."

The Real Deal 119: Travel resources

Tom and Rafe share some of the best websites and web resources for planning, booking, and enjoying your holiday. Listen now: Download today's podcast

--Picking and planning--TravelMusehttp://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9962541-2.htmlFarecasthttp://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9921811-2.htmlPriceline.comTrippit, BrightKite, DopplrGoogleWikiTravelhttp://wikitravel.org/en/Main_PageTripSayhttp://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9977210-2.htmlPlanetEyehttp://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9975242-2.htmlAirBed & Breakfasthttp://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9957126-2.html--Taking the trip--Yelp, OpenTable, Chow, TripAdvisorOffbeat Guideshttp://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9956255-2.htmlBeerMenushttp://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9927958-2.htmlPlazes - maps of your tripSmall GPS … Read more

'Story of Stuff' a must-see for material Scrooges

Do the halls of malls give you a case of the jingle hells? You could kick back for a 20-minute break from rampant consumerism to learn more about the toxic mess it makes of the planet.

Fun, right? Actually, it is with The Story of Stuff. It's a short, friendly movie covering the ABCs of consumer culture. The sky may be falling, but we can prop it up, the film suggests.

The Story of Stuff was produced by Free Range Studios, makers of the Meatrix. That entertaining, animated diatribe against factory farming has attracted more than 15 million viewers. … Read more

Insignia Pilot is priced to sell

You gotta love flash memory for MP3 players right now: it's dirt cheap. I'm in the midst of reviewing the Insignia Pilot, Best Buy's latest portable media device, and I discovered that the company's Web site is selling the 8GB version for just $150--that's a pretty freakin' sweet deal, if you ask me. The player features built-in stereo Bluetooth, an SD card expansion slot for adding more memory, an FM radio, recording features, dual headphone jacks, Rhapsody DNA integration, Windows and Mac compatibility...not to mention compatibility with MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, WMA DRM, … Read more

Relax with a winter break

It's that time of year in the U.S. when frenzied Christmas shoppers flood the malls, winter storms wreak havoc throughout the country, and singles fret about finding the perfect date for New Year's Eve.

Like you, the staffers at CNET Download.com aren't immune to our own year-end holiday distractions, but we hope to lighten your seasonal load with helpful gift ideas, winter desktop treats, and do-it-yourself tech projects perfect for family gatherings.

First off, there's only one week left until Christmas, but whatever you do, don't panic! If you've got someone on … Read more

Winter wonderland screensavers

In the lane, snow is definitely glistening. 'Tis the time of the year to make your PC look like a snow globe, or at least that's what my Great-Uncle Boomer used to say. (At least it's true for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.)

It's fine to add a little pizazz to your desktop with a seasonal screensavers, but be warned: Some of the holiday screensavers are oozing with cheese...and not the good kind. Those disco-dancing snowmen will haunt your dreams!

To avoid your computer (and you) looking like a corn dog in a cubicle … Read more

QuickVite takes Evite on the go

Evite added mobile capabilities yesterday to speed up the party-planning process. Its QuickVite features let you send invitations in one step from an e-mail account or mobile phone, and handle RSVPs the same way. Of course, you can also juggle the details at Evite.com.

This could help to make managing a party less exhausting. Even picking a design for an online invitation can waste time, especially for a last-minute get together. For instance, Evite offers 57 templates for cocktail parties alone, not to mention options for dozens of events from anniversaries to weddings.

The painless sign-up process requires adding … Read more

Gadgets for grandparents

It's getting down to the wire for holiday gift-giving. I am afraid I missed the boat for making recommendations in time for Hanukkah, and I am just starting on my Christmas list. With online shopping, I go right down to the deadline that regular shipping service can handle.

I've been looking for some cool gift ideas for the grandparents in our lives. The seniors I know are fairly tech-savvy in at least one area of their lives, if not totally enamored with gadgets. My Mom still doesn't like her cell phone but she is an eBay maven, … Read more

Box sets make good gifts

While some of us begin our holiday shopping while still full on Thanksgiving dinner, others wait until the last minute. If you're somewhere in the middle, you're probably looking for ideas right about...now. Well, nothing says "I love you" like a box set. We just added timeless collections by iconic artists such as Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, and Frank Sinatra. So, if you're looking for gifts for mom, dad, Aunt Peggy, Cousin Timmy, or simply a friend who's into the classics, check out these fine box sets. And and enjoy this free box set playlist while you browse.

Billie Holiday

This new 80-song collection focuses on Holiday's Columbia years (1933-1944), by most accounts her finest period. It's hard to argue with that. Lady Day's coyness and vulnerability rarely stand in sharper relief, and her stellar session musicians--including Benny Goodman--mourn right along.

Bob Dylan

The master's new three-disc box set meets you wherever you are: beginners will find an exhaustive introduction, old fans a taste of the stunning recent recordings, and casual listeners a chance for one-stop shopping. To all, it will show a truly American artiste constantly refining what that means.

Sufjan Stevens… Read more