I am pretty proud to say that this Black Friday, I picked up a load of brand new toys. As I was growing to be rapidly disenchanted by the amount of sold out items online on Thanksgiving, I realized that I would have to go into guerrilla attack mode if I wanted to get anything the following day. The original plan was to wake up at an ungodly hour to get to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. to acquire everything I needed. I hit snooze on that idea, and was lucky enough to still pick up mostly everything I wanted.

Here’s what I got, with anecdotes.

Gaming

• XBOX 360 Pro w/ Guitar Hero II Bundle {$350}: It was nearly noon, and I was pretty sure these bad boy bundles would be swept up clean from Best Buy. I was unsure if I wanted to stake my birthday gift on the console and decided I would leave it to fate. When I walked in, I instantly checked to see if any were left–there were 2. I put one on hold and as a result, I have now chosen a side in the console wars! The only catch is that I can’t open it till my birthday. Guitar Hero III? Ya, I know there is a bundle with the console now, but I just need the game. Santa better have that covered.

• Forza, Top Spin 2, Ninja Gaiden Black, Dead or Alive 3, SSX, Robotech Battlecry {+/-$60}: Gamestop/EB Games was having a “buy 2, get 1″ promotion, so I snagged up a bunch of titles that I have played in the past [and are backwards compatible], or got a pretty high rating on Gamespot or IGN. Needless to say, I am psyched to play all these games. I even saw the rare and legendary Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at my local EB, but I think that I’ll have to wait until I splurge on that $70 dollar gem.

GPS

• Tom Tom One LE GPS {$120}: Since I get lost often, I really feel that this may be the most time-saving purchase that I made. It’s compact, has a nice display screen, and I really enjoy the library of voices [stupid feature to discuss, but I love it.] The big problem that I had with Mr. Tom squared was that when I tried to update the map, I got an internal server error. According to a number of forums, it’s a common problem that’s been happening in light of the TT folks updating their site. Hopefully, the site will be ready to roll soon so the Tom Tom nation can get on with their travels.

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For most tech-heads, Christmas usually comes a little early. That’s right–while the rest of your family is polishing up the last bits of turkey and crans’, you are at the laptop looking up steals.

I follow this same ritual almost every year, yet I never really make any huge purchases. This year, that all changes!

For once, I actually have a lot of tech that I need to acquire. Ya, that’s right need. For starters, I need to buy my parents an inexpensive digital camera [for traveling], as well as a camcorder. I used to think that I would hold-out to see whether HD or DVD cams would come out on top, however, I feel that neither did. I basically think that when it comes to a video camera that is going to be used chiefly for home videos, Mini DV is the way to go. I’ve used Panasonic and JVC in the past, but have had the best experience with Sony.

I also need a kick-ass pair of headphones for the job. I know Patrick did a whole segment on inexpensive headphones, and I am thinking of finding some Sennheisers. I like Grado Labs as they give me the “purchasing from mom n’ pop” feel, but the pair I have seem to leak out a lot of noise when I use them. I highly doubt that Sarah and Heather are interested in hearing me edit, thus making Grado’s unsuitable for the work environment. I also am looking into an external hard drive, always love collecting USB flash drives, and may pick up a snazzy new backpack.

I am already planning my Modus Operandi as efficiently as possible, and have found great use of this link, sent to me by Patrick Norton. I’ll also be checking out FatWallet, GottaDeal, and BFads.net. Also, If you aren’t out shopping already, check out this weeks Tekzilla for more Black Friday tips.

There is something very appealing about a compact robot that cleans. Of course, iRobot tapped into this market long ago.

Today, they will be unleashing the smarter 500 series of the Mr.Clean of floor cleaners. The robots can now “problem-solve” or sense obstacles in their pathways, as well as know when to start the next room via a feature called “Virtual Wall Lighthouse.” They can also be controlled remotely through a Wireless Command Center.

The Roomba 500 has also become more rugged. The robo-vacuum can now move through more challenging terrains [floor to carpet] and also comes in array of mod colors from champagne to burnt orange. Overall, it seems that the iRobot people have outdone themselves yet again.

Plus, I think anything that works for Lucille Bluth is good enough for me. If only I had a Bluth family banana stand lined with money so I could afford the $400 machine. I’ll have to settle for a traditional vacuum/broom/mop for now, I suppose.