We’re calling Black Friday 2011 the year of the Xbox. After taking a quick look at the various Black Friday ads that have leaked, there’s no doubt that retailers are trying to lure holiday shoppers in with fabulously priced Xbox consoles, and Kinect bundle packs.

I've heard of people getting some great deals on hotels around the world thanks to Priceline. The site lets you place a bid for a hotel based on the location, date of travel, number of stars, and a few other factors. The catch is that if you place your bid too low it likely won't be accepted, and you won't be able to place another bid for 24-hours unless you change some of the criteria.

I'm sure many of you have bought at least one thing from Amazon, and some of you are probably frequent shoppers. Maybe it's their competitive pricing, the fact that you don't get charged tax on the items you buy (for most states, at least), or maybe you fork over the $70 a year so that you get free 2nd shipping on most of your purchases.

Microsoft has always offered pretty good deals on their software for students as a way for them to encourage the use of their products, which the students will hopefully carry over into their jobs. That's why a lot of universities have MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDNAA) subscriptions for students, and that provides access to hundreds of Microsoft products free of charge. That includes Windows 7.

A lot of people have been anxiously waiting to see what kind of electronics deals stores were going to offer this year, and one of the most sought-after ads has finally been posted to the Internet. That's right, the Best Buy Black Friday 2008 ad is available (click here to compare it with Best Buy's Black Friday ad from 2007).

Microsoft has brought back the Office 2007 Ultimate for students at a geekilicous price. When you visit TheUltimateSteal.com students will be able to receive Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate for just $60. That's a whopping 91% off of the retail cost.

Last year we talked about a new product called ZoneAlarm ForceField who's goal is to protect users from the dangerous attacks on the web that could leave their computer vulnerable. It does this by creating a virtualized environment much like the free alternatives we've covered before: BufferZone, LivePC, and Sandboxie.

I don't know about you, but I've gotten some really tremendous deals on eBay before. The general consensus that I've found when talking with people, however, is that they normally make impulse purchases before they take the time to see if they are getting a real bargain. Today we're going to walk you through a 5 step process that can save you a lot of money in the end.

--WinRAR--

Over in our forum Max noticed that it was possible to get a free version of WinRAR compliments of PC Welt (the German edition of PC World Magazine). It's been nearly two years since a free version of WinRAR was being handed out, and it's coming back around once again. This time, however, you don't get the absolutely latest version of the app.

If you've bought anything from Amazon before, you know that many of the products they sell are eligible for "Free Super Saver Shipping." With the offer, if you spend at least $25 dollars on eligible products, you'll get free shipping. It's as simple as that.

Each day Amazon has a new Deal of the Day, but today's deal is an extra good deal if you're in the market for a new cell phone and you're already an AT&T subscriber or you plan to switch to them.

We will get right to the point. Here is the Best Buy coupon for 10% off items in the categories listed below. You can print it off or just show it to them on your mobile phone. You can also keep it around because it doesn't expire until January 31st, 2012. We'll update this article as more recent coupons become available. Note that the code on the coupon is not unique so everyone can use it.

Have you been hunting around for a great all-in-one solution for converting your DVD movies into a format that can be used on other devices, such as an iPod? FairUse Wizard 2.8 might be just what the doctor ordered, and lucky for you it's free for a limited time (normally $20).

ThinkGeek is holding a big clearance sale right now that will put a smile on the face of all the diehard nerds out there. Prices on some items are over 50% off, and can save you big bucks on all of the .

For those of you (in the U.S.) who've been holding off on making the upgrade to Vista there's never been a better time than right now. Vista SP1 is scheduled for release in the early part of 2008, and now there is an exceptional deal on the Vista Home Premium Upgrade over at Best Buy.

If you've missed out on one of our other security software deals, then this is one you may want to take advantage of. I'll forewarn you that this does require a mail in rebate, but in the end you can actually make money from it! Oh yeah, and you must purchase this today if you want to cash in on the rebate.

Google has setup a special page where Checkout users can donate money to their favorite charities. There are 11 charities in total that are supported, including UNICEF, Make a Wish Foundation, and the American Red Cross.

As you witnessed earlier today with the iPod Touch, Amazon is a great source of deals. The real question is how do you find all of the deals that you're looking for without spending hours browsing through their products each day. Deal Locker has setup a great search tool for Amazon that will help you hunt down some of the cheapest stuff being sold.

We've previously written about the relatively good deal that Newegg offers on ESET security software, but it just got a little bit better. Until Monday, December 17th you can get the standalone antivirus software for $20 out-the-door. A 1-year subscription typically runs $40 straight from ESET for NOD32, so you're getting 50% off plus a physical CD rather than just a download link.

Now I'm not the biggest fan of McAfee software, but I know plenty of people who are running it because it's what came with their computer. Most of them have opted not to pay for subscription renewals because they don't believe that it is worth the money, which leaves them running out-of-date security software.