With our latest purchase of a mega sized duffel bag on wheels for Jim's travels, I have come to the realization that Jim has more bags than the average human being should have a right to own.

I guess that's because he's got more electronics and gear than the average human being. That, and he needs to have a compact, lightweight, and portable means of getting all of his gear from one place to another.

And when you put 2 gadget-friendly people in the same household... watch out! We have fun (and practical) bags coming out of our ears... and we use them all on a daily basis, too.

Woah!

It's not often that I talk about a new site or idea without having a lot of experience with it.

But this one doesn't require a lot of experience & know-how in order to wow and amaze you.

Check out Retrevo.com.

It's a site that contains reviews, ratings, details, and specs for virtually every product under the sun. Think: online shopping site... on steroids!

I like it best for the reviews & ratings.

For example, have a look at the prices, reviews & ratings for the Nikon D80 digital camera.

If you're anything like me, once you see Retrevo in action, you'll never go back to standard online shopping & review sites!

This will be the third year now that I've had my eye on Black Friday sales. Last year, we snatched a few good deals... but nothing big.

While Black Friday events in general guarantee that you'll hear things like "Prices slashed!"... "Rock-bottom prices!"... "Lowest prices of the season!"... and "Best sale ever!"

Each year, a handful of really "hot" items seem to make their way to the top and attract all of the media's attention... and the consumers'.

For example, last year it was the 42" Plasma HD TV. And the year before that it was the laptop for under $400! (We have friends that tried for both, and failed.)

Wondering what the hottest items are this year???

I recently got a new camera -- because Jim's always out of town using our beloved Canon Digital Rebel.

I decided not to get a Canon... despite the fact that we have never been happier with the digital photos shot with our Digital Rebel.

Check out these photos on Flickr taken with a Canon Digital Rebel.

I simply wanted to try something different for a change. And I wanted to be able to compare digital cameras to see if there really was a difference -- especially between manufacturers.

Well, there is...

Here's another fun idea from the folks at Photojojo (...the creative people who show us new ways to try DIY projects with photos).

Here's the scoop...

I read in Family Circle magazine that "digital camera users typically add 500 images to their computer's hard drive every year."

I like what they said next:

...which means we're fast creating the virtual equivalent of the picture-filled shoeboxes in our closets.

How many pictures do you take daily?... weekly?... yearly?

And what are you doing with all of those images?

I'm sure you've been in the same boat we are...

Where you find yourself constantly thinking up "brilliant" ideas. So brilliant, in fact, that the people your share your great idea with encourage you to patent it.

In mine & Jim's world...it seems like this happens all the time.

Oh sure, lots of our ideas are dumb. Or they've already been patented by someone else & we just don't know it yet (...like the date-back camera, or popcorn dental floss, or a Music City Walk of Fame). Or they might only seem appealing to a small group of people.

Nevertheless, here are some of the things that we wish someone would invent soon. Because they sure would make our lives easier!

Have a look...

Here are the biggest discounts, the best prices, and the most slashed prices that will be honored at this year's Black Friday sales events (the day after Thanksgiving).

This is based on what I'm hearing in the news, as well as our own personal experiences and knowledge about electronics & gadgets.

The prices have been SLASHED on these items!...

For 2007 Black Friday sales, go here.

Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving when retailers often have their biggest sales of the year) is right around the corner.

After the huge success of 2005 Black Friday sales events, it's looking like this year will be no different.

And, the best part? You can find out ahead of time exactly what's going to be on sale at your favorite stores!

Here's how...

Last week I was multi-tasking (like usual) and on one of my many trips downstairs to let the dogs out -- before I headed back upstairs -- I remembered to take the memory card out of our Canon Digital Rebel camera.

Bravo. I remembered.

My aim was to download all of the pictures to my computer once I returned upstairs -- so Jim would have plenty of space on the card (a 1 GB Compact Flash memory card) when he took the camera on his upcoming business trip.

That was the plan anyway.

Here's what really happened...