If you happen to be on Sprint or are eyeing a new Android phone, your motivation has just been given a push.  The HTC Hero running the beautiful version of htier Touch UI has just been lowered to a very reasonable $99.  The Samsung Moment, which sports a nice slide out keyboard, but lacks any special GUI for Android, also gets the price cut to $99.  The catch is you have to pick them up at Best Buy with a 2-year contract.  Not such a bad deal if you planned to take the plunge anyway.  There are also no annoying rebates to deal with when picking up these handsets from Best Buy. 

[via Businesswire]

  UPDATE:  Unfortunately this was an error on Best Buys part and has now been corrected to $199 again.

  Those who have been wanting a Pre, but thought the iPhone was a better value may need what they are looking for.  The Pre is now just $99 with a 2-year contract at Best Buy.  Thought the Pre cannot compare to the iPhone in sales number, this price cut makes it a very strong contender.  We would assume that this will be the new price and think it a wise move on the part of Palm.  The only other think we would like to see from Palm is a $200 16GB model or even better would be the originally promised SD slot.

[PreCentral]

  The US Apple Store is back with their Black Friday savings.  They are consistent with past Black Friday sales and are offering some decent deals.  You can find some better deals at Best Buy or Mac Mall however.

The savings are:

iMac -$51.00 off

New MacBook – $101 off

iPod Classic – $21.00 off

iPod Touch – $21.00 off

iPod Nano – $21.00 off

Apple TV – $21.00 off

Not great deals, but they are deals. 

[via Mac Rumors]

  A week or so ago we posted on the Fusion CA-IP1500 which incorporates an iPod dock behind the faceplate.  In browsing today’s best buy ad we noticed they had added this car stereo to their lineup of car audio products.  The Fusion incorporates a dock for almost any iPod, including iPod Touch and we would assume iPhone, but that is unconfirmed.  It also has an auxillary in, if you don’t have an iPod or your iPod will not fit in the dock.  The price is $250.00 plus installation if you are not apt to install it yourself.  Previously this stereo was only available overseas, so it is great to see something like this come to the US.  We would love to know how the sound quality is and if anyone has used this yet.  If so let us know…

[Buy Here]

  SanDisk has partnered with four major music labels, EMI Music, SONY BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group to rid us of CD’s.  The new micro SD memory cards, dubbed "Slot Music" are pre-loaded with DRM free MP3′s and will be available at retail stores including Best Buy and Wal-Mart, with Europe to follow.  

The cards can be used in your mp3 players or cell phones that accept MicroSD cards.  The real question is, how much will these be and will people want to buy "Slot Music" cards instead of just buying their music on iTunes, Amazon or other stores?

[SanDisk]

  The one thing that we can say Microsoft has been consistently good at over the years is their keyboards and mice.  The new set of mic use Microsoft’s "BlueTrack" Technology.  The light is now a blue hue which Microsoft claims that it can better pickup the frequency of blue light and by using this, you can use the mouse on almost any surface all while maintaining the accuracy of current laser mice.  The advantage of course is that the blue light is an LED which allows for longer battery light and extended life.  

There are currently only 2 models using this technology, the Explorer Mouse and the Explorer Mini Mouse.  No mention of price yet as they are currently only at best buy.  

[Microsoft]

  Microsoft is finally attempting to combat Apple with some of its own ads as we saw yesterday with Seinfeld.  Today we have news that Microsoft is gathering its own Geniuses to try and up the level of service they can provide.  While there is still nothing about a Microsoft Store, Microsoft is trying to provide in store services in Best Buy and Circuit City as Apple does.  The employees will not repair your PC, but they will answer questions and demonstrate features much like the Geniuses at the Genius Bar.

The new staff will be called Microsoft Gurus and 155 "Gurus" are said to be available at major stores by the end of the end of the year.

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and Microsoft this time is moving in the right direction with its realization that it cannot dominate simply because it is Microsoft anymore.

[via Apple Insider]