Smart Money has an article about ten things not to buy in 2010. It lists some outdated technologies such as DVDs, CDs, newspapers and energy inefficient appliances. DVDs are cheaper than Blu-ray discs and Blu-ray players can play DVDs so you they can still be useful although it is true they are no longer the best. Another item that should not have been on the do not buy list is an external hard drive. These are still useful devices and some of the newest ones make it very easy to back up your PC. The article suggests that online backup services might be better.
External hard drives are one option, but an up-and-coming alternative might be simpler and save you another transition down the road. Online backup services, like Carbonite.com or Mozy.com, allow users to back up data over the Internet.
These services are more expensive than purchasing an external hard drive, which typically starts at around $70. At Carbonite.com, a one-year subscription starts at $54.95, and at Mozy.com monthly subscription costs total $54.45 for a year.
You are completely trusting the online storage service when you let them back up your date. Many consumers might feel more secure with an external hard drive. There is nothing wrong with buying one.
Gas-guzzling cars are also on Smart Money's don't buy list for 2010. They might be on to something here as oil prices soared 78% last year and gas prices will be climbing this summer.
Prices for the hottest hardcover releases at Walmart, Amazon.com and Target have fallen to $9 as the retailers battle for customers. Now prices on pre-orders of hot upcoming DVDs - including Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Angels & Demons - have fallen to around $10. The Wall Street Journal says Wal-Mart extended the price war from books into DVDs and Amazon.com and Target quickly followed suit.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. extended its holiday price war into new territory Thursday by slashing online prices on 10 hotly anticipated DVDs, including the new Star Trek and Harry Potter releases, to $10.
Within hours, Amazon.com Inc. and Target Corp. matched some of Wal-Mart's online prices on pre-orders of the DVDs, and Wal-Mart lowered its price by a penny to $9.99, reprising the scuffle that broke out last month when Wal-Mart launched an aggressive $10 book promotion.
For example, the new Star Trek film on DVD can be pre-ordered for $10 at Amazon.com, Target.com and Walmart.com. Hardcovers and DVDs make great Christmas presents. We suspect lots of people will be giving these heavily discounted books and DVDs as gifts this year.
Data Doctor Ken Colburn says toothpaste can fix scratched CDs, DVDs and gaming discs. Ken Colburn says it is actually the label side you want to protect the most. He explains how you can fitch scratches with toothpaste.
Last year, Kim Kardashian challenged readers of her blog to workout with her. Now she a series of fitness DVDs out. There are three DVDs all with the title Fit In Your Jeans by Friday. The different videos include Ultimate Butt Body Sculpt, Amazing Abs Body Sculpt and Butt Blasting Cardio Step. Amazon.com's currently sells all three for $44.97 - see here.
Kim talks about her DVDs in the clip below. She also talks about some celebrities that have great figures. She says the Dancing With the Stars professional dancers have the best abs. The best butt she says goes to Jennifer Lopez.
Twilight Sells 3 Million DVDs on First Day of Release
Twilight sold over 3 million DVDs during its first day of release. The DVD went on sale Saturday and there were midnight parties held at some stores. The cast members attended some of these parties. You can see a video of Ashley Greene attending one of the midnight party at the Hot Topic in L.A. here.
EWsays the 3 million units sold figure puts Twilight in the top five first-day DVD releases in the last two years. The other films in the top five include Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, The Dark Night, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Transformers.
You can read a statement from Summit Entertainment about big sales numbers here on Twilighters.org.
DVDs are a great, inexpensive holiday gift. There are a wide range of movies that are recently out on DVD: there's something here for every taste. Some are blockbusters and some are movies or TV shows that may have slipped under your radar.
Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection DVD Box Set: Fans of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective who solves crimes using his little grey cells, will adore this new boxed set of the BBC series which starred the brilliant David Suchet.
The Bank Job: A compelling true story of a bank heist gone wrong. Jason Statham shines in this underrated gem.
Chuck - The Complete First Season: Chuck is one of our favorite tv shows. Catch up on this insanely funny, yet heartwarming series with the new DVD set. The nerd who's forced to become a spy has stolen our hearts.
Cloverfield: J.J. Abram's heart-thumping monster movie is a non-stop thrill ride. Guaranteed to scare – but in a good way – even the most jaded teen. When the giant head of the Statue of Liberty rolls down the street, you know something bad is coming. Be sure to pay close attention to the right of the screen in the last shot for a clue as to what's really going on.
The Dark Knight: Christian Bale is perfectly cast in this very dark entry in the Batman series. This was one of the best films of the year, as well as one of the best best superhero films to date. Heath Ledger gave a brilliant final performance in the film.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: If you love comics, musicals or you were a fan of Buffy then you will absolutely love this original musical starring Neil Patrick Harris. It's funny, brilliant and the music is just fantastic. Dr. Horrible just wants to take over the world and find true love, not necessarily in that order. This one's family friendly.
Enchanted: Released on DVD in March, 2008, this one's an instant classic. It's must-watch for any fan of Disney movies. Everyman Patrick Dempsey is the perfect foil for a Disney princess (Amy Adams) transported out of cartoon land into New York City. This is one of our favorite Disney movies.
The Forbidden Kingdom: The film starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan is a whole lot of fun. It's a good family film with plenty of martial arts action for parents as well. Stars Jet Li and Jackie Chan seemed to enjoy sharing the stage.
Horton Hears a Who: Jim Carrey (Horton) and Steve Carrell (Mayor of Whoville) help bring this lovable Dr. Seuss book to life without losing the magic of the children's classic.
The House Bunny: Plenty of fun to be had here as an ex-Playboy Bunny (Anna Faris) ends up as the house mother for a struggling sorority. Anna Faris is a scream and the dialogue is snappy and smart.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: We loved seeing Harrison Ford back again as Indiana Jones. Karen Allen is back and Shia LaBeouf does a surprisingly decent turn, as well despite his awful 50s biker hairstyle. Let's hope Indy and crew will ride again, soon.
Iron Man: Robert Downey, Jr. sent his career into the stratosphere with his brilliant portrayal of Tony Stark, the weapons dealer turned superhero. Iron Man was another one of the great films of 2008.
Journey to the Center of the Earth: This movie was a pleasant surprise. There's plenty of action and some of the scenes from the center of the Earth are really unbelievable. This one's family friendly: no steamy love scenes to embarrass everyone as you watch a movie with Grandma and the pre-teens.
Mad Men - Season One: The Award-winning show about advertising executives in the early 1960s is a compelling drama which also shows how much progress we have made since the 1960s. The period clothing, sets and brilliant acting -- especially by Jon Hamm as the tortured Don Draper -- make this one of the best shows on tv now.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: Maria Bello steps in for Rachel Weiss as Evelyn O'Connell, wife to swashbuckling Rick O'Connell. They head off to China where their little boy – who's all grown up – gets in big trouble. Fantastic scenery and CGI bring thousands of terra cotta Chinese warriors to life. Brendan Fraser has a gift for comical adventure films. Be sure to also see Fraser in Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Narnia: Prince Caspian: This second in the filmed versions of the C.S. Lewis Narnia classics takes a few liberties with the plot of the book, but generally stays true to the story. Fantastic scenery, lots of action, the likeable Pevensie children and dashing Ben Barnes as Caspian make this a must-own for Narnia fans. The three disc collector's edition in Blu-ray also offers a digital download so you can burn your own copy on a disc. The DVD has lots of extras, such as deleted scenes, interviews, commentary and lots of fun Easter Eggs.
National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets: Helen Mirren, Nicolas Cage and Mount Rushmore combine to make a lighthearted sequel to the incredibly popular first film. It's over the top, family fun. We look forward to another adventure chasing mysteries from America's past.
Primeval: The Complete Series 1 and 2: This BBC sf adventure series simply cannot be missed. Prehistoric creatures come through breaches in time and enter our world. The acting and writing in Primeval are terrific.
Rambo: It's ultra-violent, so you've been warned. John Rambo is back in the jungle and he's helping rescue American missionaries in war-torn Burma. Julie Benz plays the most attractive of the missionaries; Angel fans will remember her as the vampire Darla. If you have someone on your list who loves this kind of movie, this is just the ticket.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: The adaptation of the book by the same name was a hit. The CGI monsters are much too terrifying for younger children, but older kids and teens will love it.
10,000 B.C.: This one's worth seeing for the scenery and cgi alone. Woolly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers abound, not to mention the giant sloths. Primitive man didn't have it easy, that's for sure.
Tropic Thunder: One of the best comedies of 2008. Robert Downey Jr.'s intense thespian refuses to break character no matter what happens and Tom Cruise is insanely funny as a dancing and swearing studio head. Both Cruise and Downey are up for Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor. Lots of swearing, not family friendly.
Wanted: Wanted should be on your want list if you like action and/or you are stuck in a cubicle all day and hate your job. Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and lots and lots of violence make this perfect for thriller fans.
For more DVD gift ideas check our lists from 2007 and 2006.
The Dark Knight was one of the few great must-see films of 2008. It also contains a brilliant final finished performance from actor Heath Ledger as the Joker. The DVD and Blu-ray editions of the blockbuster were released today. The film should easily be the biggest selling dvd and blu-ray release this month. Just how big of a bestseller the new Batman discs are could indicate how well the industry is fairing during this economic crisis. The Wall Street Journalsays the release is a bellwether for Hollywood.
When the Warner Bros. film "The Dark Knight" shattered box-office records this summer, it was hailed as a sign that Hollywood can repel an economic downturn. But as that latest Batman installment is released on DVD Tuesday, it could show that Hollywood's defenses against a recession are crumbling.
Batman's fate in a declining DVD market will be just one way the movie industry's claim of being recession-proof will be tested.
It should defintely be a big hit but it's not like Batman can carry the whole entertainment industry on his back. One of the features on the release is 6 episodes of Gotham Cable's premier news program, Gotham Tonight. The Chicago Tribune, courant.com, Mercury News and IGN take a closer look at the Dark Knight dvd/blu-ray offerings. Some reviewers were dissapointed with the DVD's extras. You can order the Dark Knight at most retailers. Some electronics retailers even remained open until late last night for the Dark Knight's release. Amazon.com is discounting the DVD and Blu-ray. Warner Brothers has also set up a special site for the DVD.
A Snowglobe Christmas is a DVD that turns your tv into a giant snowglobe for the holidays. The snowy Christmas tree scene above is one of over 30 handcrafted Austrian snowglobes used in the production. The snowglobe scenes include a variety of angels, snowmen and santas accompanied by Christmas music. You can see a one minute preview of the DVD on the snowglobechristmas.com website. The DVD can also be purchased here from Amazon.com for $19.95.
Trading Markets reports that JVC will no longer be making standalone VCRs. They note that Panasonic no longer makes them either. This is primarily because no one wants them anymore.
Panasonic Corp. and others no longer make the once-ubiquitous machines, so JVC's exit rings the curtain down on major Japanese manufacturers' presence in the VCR market.
JVC will continue to meet the needs of consumers with videotape libraries by manufacturing and selling machines that combine a DVD recorder with a VHS player. And since July, it has been offering two models of the so-called 3-in-1 machines, which combine DVD and VHS players with a hard drive.
The company's production subsidiary in China that makes VCRs will be converted to a production base for camcorders, primarily for the Chinese market.
Many of the gadget blogs are saying this news marks the end of the VCR - see here, here, here, here, here and here. It probably does mark the end of the VCR as a standalone unit. Manufacturers are still making DVD-VCR combo devices that have both a DVD player and a VCR player. The VCR has been on a downward spiral for a while now and has rapidly lost ground to DVDs and Blu-ray. It's quite a fall for what was once a revolution in home movie watching but JVC's decision is definitely one of the final nails in the coffin for the VCR.
DVDs are a great holiday gift. Here are our gift picks for DVDs released in 2007:
Angel - Complete Series Collector's Set - A great gift for Buffy fans and a terrific surprise for any soul who was unfortunate enough to have never seen the series.
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series - This fantastic series has breathtaking cinematography of our planet and the creatures that inhabit it. Many species have never been photographed before: this one is a must-have.
Ratatouille - Pixar goes gourmet and lets a rat into a top chef's kitchen. Don't worry -- he's a cute French rat and boy, can he cook!
Shooter - Mark Walberg is a sniper who takes an assignment he shouldn't have.
Spider-Man 3 - The web slinger battles Venom. It's a good story and everyone loves Spider-Man.
Stardust - One of the very best films of 2007 was overlooked at the box office because of an inept marketing campaign. This film adaptation of the bestselling adult fairy tale by Neil Gaiman is an absolute gem. The script is witty and fun; Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro give fantastic performances. This is a film that will make you feel happy after seeing it.
Transformers - Not the best film ever made, but entertaining enough. Kids love it so much that the Optimus Prime voice-changing helmet is selling on Ebay for four times retail.
Ugly Betty - We've grown to love Ugly Betty more and more with episode. A hilarious show that spoofs the fashion world.
If you need more DVD ideas you can see our list from last year year.
DVDs make an wonderful and affordable gift, but if you give someone a boring film it will reflect poorly on you and your taste. And we can't have that, now can we? Here are some DVDs we think will make interesting and entertaining choices for a wide variety of tastes.
Thank You For Smoking - Aaron Eckhart is absolutely brilliant as Nick Naylor, Big Tabacco's chief salesman and a master of spin. Watch for the love scene between Aaron and Katie Holmes, who plays as a conniving journalist. This was the scene that "mysteriously" disappeared from the screening at Sundance, allegedly at the behest of a grumpy Tom Cruise. Katie didn't even get to go to the premiere -- she had to go to a soccer game. In any event, the movie is incisive, sarcastic and unbelievably cynical. Naturally, we loved it.
Rome - one of the most enjoyable series on television today. Rome is absolutely captivating and worth the higher price tag. The series is on HBO and the DVD of the first season is now available. The show is jam-packed with passion, intrigue, violence, fabulous sets and a nice history lesson about ancient Rome. Warning: Rome can get a little naughty. We actually refer to it around here as "Naked Rome." Do not watch this one when the grandparents are over. And no kids, no way.
Superman Returns - a great movie that stays true to the Superman films starring Christopher Reeves. Brandon Routh does a great job and the special effects are excellent. Kate Bosworth holds her own and has great hair.
An Inconvenient Truth - Al Gore does a great job explaining global warming. He's funny, he's warm, he's likable. The science behind the facts is pretty disturbing. Only for those in the reality-based community.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - this year's blockbuster was very entertaining, if a trifle overlong. Orlando Bloom needed more screen time and Keira Knightly needed a tad less (we could have done without her screaming on the beach scene). But she looks good covered in sand.
Akeelah and the Bee - a great story about a child from a tough urban neighborhood trying to win the super competitive spelling bee championship.
Proof - Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins and Jake Gyllenhaal are terrific in this moving drama about advanced mathematics and Alzheimer's. Don't be turned off by the math. Trust us. You will love Gwynnie after this movie, if you don't already.
The Da Vinci Code - both the book and the film are great fun. A a must-read and a must-watch. Ian McKellen steals every scene he's in as Sir Teabing.
The Devil Wears Prada - Meryl Streep is beyond fabulous in this film that offers an inside-look at the fashion industry
You, Me and Dupree - Dupree's hilarious struggle to find his "-ness" -- or something he is really good at really touched us. Also, you get to see Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson fall in love in real life. A passing helicopter nearly crashed when the pilot was watching Kate Hudson prance around on a yacht in a swimsuit and stiletto heels during filming (no one was seriously injured).
Click - An obnoxious man (played by Adam Sandler) finds his heart in this surprisingly fun and moving fairy tale. Ok, we were dragged to see it kicking and screaming, but were pleasantly surprised. And Kate Beckinsale looks amazing. We could have done without the numerous flatulence jokes, but what do you expect with an Adam Sandler film?
Mission Impossible 3 - Even if you didn't approve of Tom Cruise's couch jumping and other bizarre antics in 2006, you'll still love this action-packed movie. It's J.J. Abrams, for pete's sake. He created Alias. The whole movie is like an episode of Alias -- and Keri Russell is quite good as a young agent. The opening scene is a love note to Alias fans like us who are grumpy that the show is over.
Ever since the first season of The X-Files was released on DVD almost five years ago, TV shows have become an important
revenue category for studios and retailers alike.
NPD’s VideoWatch tracking service reports that TV-on-DVD unit
sales increased by 24 percent in the six months ending March 2005
compared with the same time period in 2003/2004.
TV-on-DVD now accounts for six percent of unit and 10 percent of
dollar sales for the industry. There are currently more than 4,000
TV-on-DVD titles available for purchase, in addition to the over
5,000 available on VHS.
Many more TV-on-DVD titles line the shelves of Blockbuster today
than just a few months ago. And if you scan the bestsellers on
Amazon.com's DVD bestseller list you will see many TV titles. As
of today, four of the top ten DVD bestsellers at Amazon are TV
shows including The Sopranos - The Complete Fifth Season,
Chappelle's Show - Season 2, Seinfeld - The Complete Fourth Season and
The 4400 - The Complete First Season. In the Top 25 you will also
find Moonlighting, Firefly and Lost.
The NPD Groups says consumers are buying TV-on-DVD despite the higher cost of the tv show collections. The average price of TV-on-DVD titles was $28.32, while the average price of all titles was $16.49. The good news is that NPD reports that prices for TV-on-DVD titles have been falling
at double digit rates. The average selling price declined 14 percent
in the six month period ending March 2005 versus the same timeframe in 2004.
MaineToday.com has a news story about some of the items being purchased locally and they appear to follow national trends. High ticket items like expensive $3,000 50-inch big screen televisions are selling well. But cheaper items like games, dvds, cds and fleece pullovers from Old Navy are also selling very well. DVDs are popular this year, especially sets
of television shows like the new Seinfeld DVDs or trilogies like the
Lord of the Rings set of
three DVDs. MSNBC.com reports that DVDs of hit films like The Bourne Supremacy, Anchorman, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and classics like Gone With the Wind are also a hit this year.
New products enhanced with new technology are now available for pet owners. Some of the devices, like automatic pet feeders, are practical for vacationing owners, while others like webcams that watch your pets eat, are obviously of the pampering variety. There are many new devices that are amusing but not really required for proper pet care including talking collars, talking bowls, websites for pets, automatic door openers, dvds for pets and devices that translate what your dog or cat is saying. Fortunately, more helpful devices like Bio-Therm chips that watch your pet's blood bressure and the PetTrax Transmitter Collar that keeps track of your pet with a radio transmitter are also available thanks to new technology.
Music sales climbed over 9% in the first quarter of 2004 after a long sales dip that music companies blamed on illegal music downloading over the Internet. Strong sales of CDs and music DVDs were helped by new albums from artists Norah Jones and Usher which each had weekly sales of over one million copies.
DVDs are a great, inexpensive holiday gift. There are a wide range of movies that are recently out on DVD: there's something here for every taste. Some are blockbusters and some are movies or TV shows that may have slipped under your radar.
The Dark Knight was one of the few great must-see films of 2008. It also contains a brilliant final finished performance from actor Heath Ledger as the Joker. The DVD and Blu-ray editions of the blockbuster were released today. The film should easily be the biggest selling dvd and blu-ray release this month. Just how big of a bestseller the new Batman discs are 
Trading Markets 
DVDs are a great holiday gift. Here are our gift picks for DVDs released in 2007:
MaineToday.com has a news story about some of the items being purchased locally and they appear to follow national trends. High ticket items like expensive $3,000 50-inch big screen televisions are selling well. But cheaper items like games, dvds, cds and fleece pullovers from Old Navy are also selling very well. DVDs are popular this year, especially sets
of television shows like the new 
