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shopping

Get a free 1-year membership to ShopRunner

Talk about good timing!

From now through Dec. 31, you can get a free 1-year membership to ShopRunner -- the service that affords, among other things, free 2-day shipping from dozens of big-name stores. (Use offer code runner when filling out the registration form.) That may come in awfully handy for you last-minute gift shoppers.

Before I go any further, and to help prevent another SiriusXM Internet Radio-style debacle, I must point out that this offer is ostensibly for American Express Platinum Card members only. Consequently, it could disappear at any time, and it's even possible that ShopRunner will … Read more

Christmas 2012 online shopping deadlines

If you're reading this, it probably means you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet. There's still time, however. We've put together a list of some popular online retailers and their deadlines for getting those last-minute tech gifts delivered by Christmas.

These deadlines apply to the 48 contiguous U.S. states only and on items that are in stock. Some retailers with physical stores may have last-minute in-store pickup options as well. Check out the links to each store's deadlines for more details.

Amazon.com Choose these shipping options by the listed cutoff date to receive … Read more

Browse Amazon's wares in an entirely new way with Yasiv

If you're like me, you spend a considerable portion of your holiday shopping poking around Amazon, hoping to zero in on the perfect gift for each person on your list. If you find jumping from one product to another via Amazon's "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" list isn't getting you anywhere, I suggest you give Yasiv a try.

Yasiv calls itself a "visual recommendation service." What it does is show you a web of related products in response to a search query. At the top of the page is a pull-down … Read more

Get $5 off your next $25 Amazon purchase

Having posted a smattering of Facebook-oriented deals in the past, let me preface this one by saying I'm aware many of you don't use Facebook. Or don't like Facebook. You're sick and tired of companies trying to market to you on Facebook. You don't think companies should require a Facebook account in exchange for a coupon or credit or giveaway. Facebook? Barf!

So, yeah, I get that. Just thought I'd save you a little comment-section grouse time.

If, on the other hand, you like easy savings and don't hold Facebook in the same … Read more

Coupons at Checkout finds coupon codes so you don't have to

For years I've been advising readers to search the Web for coupon codes before you complete your online purchase. It's one of my all-time favorite money-saving tips, as it's an easy way to score extra discounts.

Well, not always easy. You have to do some googling, peruse the various sites that aggregate coupon codes, sift through the listings to see if there's one that applies, copy and paste the code, and so on.

Browser plug-in Coupons at Checkout eliminates nearly all this hassle. Once you get to a store's checkout page, it automatically lists any … Read more

Find someone's Amazon Wish List by his or her e-mail address

There has been an increasing number of holiday decorations appearing in my neighborhood recently, not to mention the many photos of Christmas trees I've seen posted on Facebook this week. I'm am left with only one conclusion: the holidays are upon us.

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Better question: do you know what you are getting that certain someone who is particularly hard to buy for each year? If that person uses Amazon, then you might want to sneak a peek to see if he or she has an Amazon Wish List.

Your gift recipient will … Read more

How to spot fake user reviews while shopping online

It's Cyber Monday, and while you're busy shopping online, chances are you'll see lots of user reviews on various products. While the majority of those reviews do come from real users like yourself, who are passionate enough to share their opinions on a product, many of them could be fake, left by the vendors themselves to either promote their product or, in some cases, smear competitors.

While it's exceedingly difficult to absolutely prove that a review is faked, here are a few tips on spotting those that aren't from real users. These will come in … Read more

Cyber Monday becomes Cyber Week

Monday's CNET Update comes with free shipping:

With a surge in online shopping on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, why call it Cyber Monday anymore? Online sales for Internet retailers surpassed $1 billion for the first time on Black Friday. With early online deals, next year you can avoid a Walmart store battle over phones.

Also in today's roundup, we're keeping an eye on top online retailers and sales this week. Amazon is always the top destination for online deals, but shoppers are also heading to eBay and Shopify. And there's more shopping being done on mobile … Read more

Shopping Cart Hero 3 will keep you glued to your phone

Some of our favorite iOS games are the ones that focus on simplicity when it comes to gameplay and design. Shopping Cart Hero 3 is such a game. It involves sending a little stick-figure-like guy down a hill in a shopping cart and scoring points for making successful jumps and landings. Despite the simple premise, it was surprisingly challenging and super addictive.

Before jumping into Shopping Cart Hero 3, you can click on the question mark to find out which motions to use to play the game. You can practice as much as you like to get the hang of … Read more

Shoppers spent record $1B online on Black Friday

Black Friday was a bright day for Internet retailers, as online sales for the key shopping day surpassed $1 billion for the first time.

Bargain hunters spent $1.042 billion online the day after Thanksgiving, a 26 percent increase of last year's Black Friday, according to new figures released today by market analyst ComScore. Online shopping on Thanksgiving Day also increased, totaling $633 million in receipts, a 32 percent increase over Thanksgiving 2011.

"Despite the frenzy of media coverage surrounding the importance of Black Friday in the brick-and-mortar world, we continue to see this shopping day become more … Read more