len_mullen

they are casing the joint

Most of my televisions are 720p plasmas. Among these is the very first HD TV I ever bought (50" Samsung). I have one 60" 1080p plasma and just bought a couple 55" 4k HDR LEDs. I don't see enough of a difference to replace any of the plasmas with a 4k HDR television.

I have no problem with stores closing on Thanksgiving, but I spent $1500 at Walmart, the place was very busy two hours after opening, and the employees all seemed very happy to be there.

No. Those are the 'wake up' words. You can call the devices anything you want. So far, I have four shows, an echo, and three dots each with it's own name.

I expect 1) a review, 2) a recipe, and 3) a picture. Bon chance mon ami! You are welcome. I learn new features every week. This morning, I uploaded some pictures to Prime and set my background to cycle through these (also for my mother).

Merry Christmas everyone. We had a robust conversation about home automation in the BF Discussions which touched on some of the uses of some of the Amazon Echo devices. I have been smitten with the Amazon show. More important, my MOTHER has been smitten by the show. My mother is nearly 80 years old and has managed to avoid technology for nearly a century. I have installed computers which boot to social media. I disguised a tablet as an electronic picture frame which jumped into social media at a touch of the screen. To date, I have had no success at all. A few months back, I invited my mother to dinner. She sat at the kitchen table as I prepared the meal and became curiouser and curiouser as I went about my business setting timers, asking for quantity conversions, and adding things to my grocery list. Then I asked Alexa to play a radio station and she had to ask what this thing was. Since then, Alexa has added calling and 'drop in' features and, after using these myself, I have decided to put a show in my mother's kitchen. I was very fortunate to get one from QVC for $155 the week of BF (which included a smart outlet and a couple free subscriptions). Now I am compiling a list of 'skills' my mother might find useful. I'll laminate the list and tuck it under the show. Here is what I have so far. Please feel free to add suggestions as a reply to this message or via PM... Communication... Alexa call [name of echo device]Alexa answerAlexa ignoreAlexa hangupTimers Alexa set a timer for ten minutesAlexa set a turkey timer for 90 minutesAlexa show timers Alexa how much time is left on my turkey timerAlexa cancel my turkey timerAlexa stopAlarms Alexa set an alarm for 5:45pmAlexa cancel alarmAlexa set an alarm for 6:00am weekdaysAlexa cancel weekdays alarm at 6:00amAlexa set an alarm for 10:00am weekendsAlexa cancel weekends alarm at 10:00amAlexa set an alarm for everyday at 9:00amAlexa cancel alarm for everyday at 8:00amAlexa show alarmsAlexa stopKitchen Help Alexa how many teaspoons in a table spoonAlexa show me a recipe for hard boiled eggsMusic Alexa play my Christmas listAlexa play my 50s listAlexa shuffleAlexa turn off shuffleAlexa play [call letters of radio station]Alexa louderAlexa softerAlexa stopUseful Alexa what is the weather for todayAlexa what is the seven day forecastAlexa what time is itAlexa what day of the week does Christmas fall onAlexa how many days until Jan. 20, 2021Alexa what is the phone number for Home DepotFun Alexa what happened on this dayAlexa whose birthday is itAlexa what is in the newsAlexa tell me about [anything]Alexa show photosMerry Christmas!

Lots of interest in this contest. Should be a LOT of posts by the end. May I suggest that, starting in December we all post something that would have broad interest? Just so people read the thread rather than tacking on an, "I'm here!" Maybe post about some good deal or some way you make/save money or review a product? Or tell a story.

Sounds like a contest

I'm in!

Lots of fun, as always. Shopped more than I expected (which is good). Thanks for hosting, Brad. Also, the shirts were very nice.

Unemployment is lower, wages are higher, and retailers are competitive. Love it! I bet B&M sales are up as well.

I was amazed at how well organized Walmart was. I was in and out of there in 30 minutes. I have to go back tomorrow to activate the phones, but it was really painless as hundreds of associates acted as hosts guiding people to product then out of the store as quickly as possible. There were no parking spots, but the register lines moved as well as any weekend shopping day. And there was PLENTY of merchandise. All iPhone models were available in some colors and most configurations even though we did not arrive until the store was already open 90 minutes.

Interesting week for me. I purchased a $300 (after cash back) 55" TCL ROKU HDR TV from Amazon, then I got a $175 Amazon Show from QVC with $25 back for opening an account with them and a free electric outlet alexa controlled plugin. Then I got an email from QVC inviting me to get a Bose radio/cd player for $299.99. Then I hopped in my car and got some drapes and a rod for my slider using the BB&B 20% off your entire order plus three Discover Cash Back gift cards. I got an Xbox Live card from Groupon yesterday. This morning, I used a $40 Staples Rewards plus Visa Checkout $25 off $100 to snag a $230 chair for $55. Today I bought a couple iPhones from Walmart and got $300 gift cards. I was amazed at how well organized Walmart was. I was in and out of there in 30 minutes. I have to go back tomorrow to activate the phones, but it was really painless as hundreds of associates acted as hosts guiding people to product then out of the store as quickly as possible. There were no parking spots, but the register lines moved as well as any weekend shopping day. And there was PLENTY of merchandise. All iPhone models were available in some colors and most configurations even though we did not arrive until the store was already open 90 minutes. I will check in with TiVo Monday and I'll be in town most of tomorrow, but my BF shopping has already been a success. 55" TCL ROKU HDR TV from Amazon Amazon Show from QVC Bose Wave Music System IV with CD from QVC Drapes and a rod for my slider from BB&B Xbox Live 12 Month Gold Card from Groupon Hykentrade Technical Mesh Task Chair Red from Staples 2xiPhones from WalmartTomorrow, we do the cyber thing in the morning then head to the stores after lunch and finish up at Walmart in time for dinner at home.

Staples has $25 off $100 with Visa Checkout and the Show on sale for $179.99, so get your $155 Amazon Show! https://www.staples.com/Amazon-Echo-Show-Black/product_2720233 https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/what-is-visa-checkout Happy Shopping!

I got a call from a friend seeking a recommendation for a laptop for an intern who is going to Hollywood to make videos. I don't know much about editing videos, but last I checked, this was done best and easiest on a Mac. Can anyone who has done or supported someone who has done something like this please look through the blackfriday charts and help me pick an appropriate mac for this kid? thanks...len!

Could not agree more. Remember that Walmart takes TVs back up to 90 days for any/no reason. The best deal I ever got on a TV was the weekend OF the Superbowl. I was tenting with the Boy Scouts when I got notified of a 60" 1080p LG set for <$600. I would not have a chance to see it before the purchase, but bought with confidence knowing Walmart would take the set back. The first HDTV I bought was also sight unseen. The price (BestBuy) was so good, I just bought it, but I scheduled delivery so far out that I could cancel if I changed my mind. Still have that 720p 55" Samsung from 2008 and it still looks great.

https://www.stage.com/p/Keurig-K55-Coffee-Brewer/313456/ Keurig K55 Coffee Brewer WEB ID #:313456 Read 210 Reviews $69.98 SALE reg. $119.98

Does QVC do Black Friday? You betcha! http://www.qvc.com/content/holiday/black-friday.html Wanted to give QVC a little love. I just purchased a Bose Wave Music System IV for $300 shipped free. No one else touches that. A couple days ago, I got an Amazon Show for $175 with a wifi plug controller also shipped free. Happy shopping! http://www.qvc.com/Ships-1124-Bose-Wave-Music-System-IV-with-CD-Slot-%26-Dual-Alarm-Clock.product.E231175.html?cm_ite=MAIN_E231175_7D5%3ATSVPresales&sc=MAIL&cm_ven=APTSV&cm_cat=TSVsfortheWeekend_Week4817EM_20171122_ALLPLAY_CAMP5399&cm_pla=1MBS_QVCActive_2106168810&p1=ECD50A00-337F-4E94-8EDC-387B33CF5934&p2=7E66384A-F5F4-4F83-A96D-4BD63F34890A&TZ=EST

In the case of the Echo, it's not just the speaker quality -- though it is definitely better. The Echo features an array of microphones which definitely picks up commands better. The Dot has aux out, so you can use your own speakers or a stereo for playback -- which means more than one speaker. (The new Echos have aux out as well.) https://www.howtogeek.com/327622/which-amazon-echo-should-i-buy/

Alexa can call anyone in your contacts list.

I hate Verizon. We used to be with them, but they were terrible to do business with so we switched to AT&T. It's time to upgrade phones, so I checked in to see what they would do for us. The answer? Nothing. T-Mobile and AT&T offer BOGO.

Not a big Smart home guy, but I DO love Amazon's Alexa products. The Show is my preferred device and Quill is offering one for $179 with a free smart plug and other crap plus $5 off with code FIVE4U. If you usea Quill card to purchase the Show, you will get a $20 gift card... http://www.qvc.com/Amazon-Echo-Show-with-Smart-Plug%2C-Music-Offer%2C-%26-Audible-Books.product.E231445.html?productNumber=E231445&cm_ven=CJ&ref=CJ1&cm_cat=5325996&cm_pla=11827882&cm_ite=2617611&cvosrc=affiliate.cj.5325996 Happy shopping!

Given these recommended specs... Here are the League of Legends system requirements (minimum) CPU: InfoCPU SPEED: 2 GHz processor (supporting SSE2 instruction set or higher)RAM: 1 GB RAM (2 GB of RAM for Windows Vista and newer)OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 3 ONLY), Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10VIDEO CARD: Shader version 2.0 capable video cardFREE DISK SPACE: 8 GBLeague of Legends Recommended Requirements CPU: InfoCPU SPEED: 3 GHz processorRAM: 2 GB of RAM (4 GB of RAM for Windows Vista and higher)OS: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 with the latest service pack installedVIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce 8800/AMD Radeon HD 5670 or equivalent video card (Dedicated GPU with 512MB or higher Video Memory(VRAM))FREE DISK SPACE: 12 GB Top 5 list of best budget laptops for League of Legends (2017). All laptops should be under $500 and exceed the recommended system requirements for LoL. For example, the first ASUS will play League of Legends with 60+ fps on high settings. All of those will also run Minecraft very well, and games like DOTA 2 and Sims 4 on medium settings. 1. ASUS X555DA-AS11: http://amzn.to/2fBW75W (Amazon) Quad Core 1.8 GHz A10-8700P 8 GB DDR3 256 GB SSD AMD Radeon R6 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 2. HP 15.6 Inch Touchscreen Notebook: http://amzn.to/2fCXmBE (Amazon) Intel Core i3-7100U Dual-Core 2.4GHz, 3M Cache 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 1TB 5400 RPM HDD Intel HD Graphics 620 15.6" HD WLED Backlit Touchscreen (1366 x 768) 3. Dell Inspiron 15 5000: http://amzn.to/2fCnw7G (Amazon) Intel Core i3-7100U Dual-Core 2.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache 6 GB DDR4 RAM 1TB 5400 RPM HDD Intel HD Graphics 620 15.6" HD LED Backlight Touchscreen (1366 x 768) 4. Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM: http://amzn.to/2fBvRse (Amazon) Intel Core i3-7100U Dual-Core 2.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache 4GB DDR4 RAM 1TB 5400RPM HDD Intel HD Graphics 620 15.6" Full HD LED-Backlit Widescreen 5. Lenovo Ideapad 310: http://amzn.to/2uzYdtw (Amazon) Intel Core i3-7100U Dual-Core 2.4GHz, 3M Cache 4GB RAM 1TB 5400 RPM HDD Intel HD Graphics 620 15.6" Display (1366 x 768) I would think any gen 7/8 i5 with 8g of ram would do the trick. Staples $369.99 HP Pavilion laptop w/ Intel Core i5 processor HP Pavilion 14-bk09st -2802787 Windows 10 Home 2 to 2.9GHz 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-7200U 8 GB DDR4 RAM 1 TB 5400 RPM SATA ? Intel® HD Graphics 620 14.0 SVA WLED 1x USB Type-C™; 2x USB 3.1; 1x RJ-45;combo jack Yes Up to 9 hours (mixed usage) 802.11 a/c WLAN & Bluetooth® 4.2 ? 3.63 ?

Amazon has matched the Target price on the 55" Roku TV, so no need to put pants on PLUS 5% back! https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B01MTGM5I9/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all (yes I did buy another one)