And it’s in your pocket.  It’s your phone.  Wired.com has a number of suggestions for comparison shopping but I found that being able to do it on the fly from your phone as you run from store to store on Black Friday is the most helpful.  One service they didn’t mention is Digby and it’s for your BlackBerry.  While it doesn’t allow for comparison shopping it offers specials at merchants like Godiva, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble among others.  If you’ve done your homework on a product and can recognize a great deal you’ll be able to purchase right from your BlackBerry and avoid the whole Black Friday crush all together.  If rush out you must:

1. Use your phone’s mojo
Have an iPhone? Now’s the time to put it to good use. Download SnapTell [iTunes], a free app that can automatically identify a CD, DVD, book or video game and look up pricing and ratings online simply by snapping a photo. No, it doesn’t scan the bar code; it just recognizes the image of the product and shoots you the information. So before throwing that $15 copy of Iron Man into your shopping cart, stop and think for a second about whether or not that’s really a good deal. Better yet, snap a photo of it just to make sure.

Don’t have an iPhone? Most smartphones, such as the Android-powered G1, have barcode-reading software that can look up even more products on the web.

Don’t have a smartphone? Chances are your handset at least has a crappy internet browser that can look up PriceGrabber to see how cheap the product runs for online. Or you can use Google SMS to look up product prices by sending a text message. Just send a text message to 466453 (GOOGLE on your phone’s keypad) and put the word “price” plus a product name in the message. For example: price ipod 40gb. Google will reply with one or two text messages containing pricing info it’s found on the web.

Watch Black Friday Deals |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

EyeClops Night Vision Goggles

Boogie SuperStar for Wii

BlackBerry Bold Smartphone

Philips Norelco arcitec

Hasbro Family Game Night

D-Rex

Odds are, you have at least one impossible-to-buy-for person on your gift-giving list: the person who has everything they could possibly want (and more), the person who has no known hobbies or the person whose so fussy about their stuff that you just don’t know if you’ll be able to muster up something that suits them. And yet, you still have to find them something.

Here are a few ideas to help you in your hunt:

• Search for something like something they have—only better. If that stylish girl on your list has a thing for slouchy bags, browse for a photo of one on like.com (or upload a shot of her favorite bag), then use their visual search engine to look for something in a similar shape, but maybe in a hot reptile print. The search engine works with clothing and accessories, and has even branched out into stuff for the home.

• Consider something custom-made. If you’re still having a hard time finding the perfect, one-of-a-kind gift for that perfect, one-of-a-kind person, try something handmade (and perhaps, made just for them). Etsy.com is an online bazaar offering handmade wares from around the globe—everything from funky paintings to custom stationery to homemade goodies. In addition to browsing or shopping by keywords, you can look for items by color or by location (a great way to help out artisans in your neighborhood). You can even put in a request for something specific—a mother’s ring, for example—and let artisans suggest ideas for your cool, creative gift.

• Give them some real goodness. A donation to a charity in their name may be just the kind of gift they’ll go gaga for—and many charities will give you a beautiful card or a small gift that you can give your giftee.

• If all else fails, go with the gift card. Just be sure you choose one for a store that you absolutely know they love, so they’ll be sure to find their something fabulous if you can’t.

-L. Milbrand

How soon is too soon?

The Christmas creep began long before trick-or-treating: There were dazzling trees set up among the Halloween costumes at my local Target, and Christmas specials flooding my inbox from dozens of retailers before the Halloween candy went on sale. And as far as my daughter’s concerned, the tree could go up any time after her birthday (in July). But traditionally, we’ve waited until after we gave our thanks to deck our halls—until this year. We’re starting tonight, getting our glitz on as we watch the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special. Maybe this year, we just need a little more cheer in our lives, with the economic worries looming right outside our door. If a few extra days of sparkle and shimmer can help lift our spirits, I think we should go for it.

-L. Milbrand

Watch Smart shopping in Entertainment Videos and Game Videos |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Being a smart shopper doesn’t mean just buying on the cheap.  Great deals can also mean high quality and great brands for the money, or giving the gift that’s sure to please and then finding it at the right price point.  Here are a few items that offer good values:

Motorola MOTOZINE ZN5

Guitar Hero World Tour

Computrace LoJack for Laptops

Norton PC Tune-up

Sears Layaway