I am a gamer through and through, and yet I still sometimes have a hard time wrapping my brain around how video games have become so authentic looking and engaging. Especially in terms of action/war games like the new Call of Duty World at War, how insane will intense fighting scenes of WWII be when you are playing the Nintendo Wii? The new Call of Duty for the Wii allows you to choose to be either a U.S Marine or a Russian soldier towards the end of war, and plunges you from places like war devastated Berlin, to the dense jungles of the Pacific. With unprecedented graphics and character awareness, you will need to use various weapons such as flamethrowers, grenades, vehicle based weapons, and of course your rifle, in order to rid the world of the last remaining enemy infantry. Call of Duty: World At War can be played in single mission version or in 2-player co-op mode and is available in all major gaming consoles. If you pre-order your copy of Call of Duty through Best Buy, you will be able to receive a special bonus package and a coupon for $5 dollars off any previously released Call of Duty video game.

In a navigational sense, I guess you could say that my sense of direction would not allow me to find the way out of a paper bag. I should be somewhat frustrated with this circumstance, however I keep telling myself that I come by my lack of directional skills honestly (achem MOM). In order for me to get to point A to B, I have to use the Magellan Maestro 3200 GPS System. Extremely affordable (with a current discount at Best Buy), the Magellan uses a 3.5” wide screen display that is touch screen and easily viewable. Using a highly intuitive interface, even people who are not the most technologically advanced are able to touch their way to maps spanning across the U.S, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. Using the “TrueView” option, the Magellan Maestro will even supply a pop up visual of an upcoming turn or a 3-D birds eye map view of your location. The backlight will even dim or grow in strength as day light increases/decreases in order to ensure a highly visible map. With many other cool GPS abilities, the Magellan Maestro includes mounting hardware, power adapter, and CD-ROM in order to get you moving in the right direction.

For those first time students going away to college, get ready to research, type, and print. More often then not, you are going to need a reliable Inkjet printer for research papers, photos, graphic designs, etc. But what happens when your ink starts to run dry? That is a really bad day for the professor who decides to dock you a full letter grade for everyday you are late with an assignment. For some serious backup, look to grab some discounted Inkjet Printer Cartridges online. O.k, so aside from the fact that HP Inkjet cartridges are cheaper online, have you ever tried to go to a store and buy printer ink? Whoa. It’s only isles and isles of black or tri color ink cartridges, in a variety of different sizes, shapes, and versions. When buying HP Inkjet cartridges online, you can easily identify which is the correct product to fit your specific printer requirements. The discounted HP ink will also support reliable and crisp results regardless of color photo or word doc, and can yeild up to about 750 pages without needing a replacement.

HP Inkjet and a variety of other Ink Cartridges can be found at great online locations. Check out the best discounted ink here.

Amazon

Circuit City

Best Buy

Staples

CompUSA

With all the GPS systems on the market, it is hard to differentiate between which product is the best for the buck, which may have the most options you are looking for, which is the sleekest, etc. Personally, I like the Magellan Maestro 3200 because it is extremely compact and easy to use. Nothing beats a highly intuitive interface with a crystal clear 3.5” QVGA color touch-screen display. The Magellan offers maps to cover the continental U.S as well as Puerto Rico and Hawaii and does so with either a 3-D birds eye view, standard map view, or turn by turn instructions. Clearly you may know where you want to go, but may not be able to spell it. This is really no problem considering the included QuickSpell technology which checks/corrects spellings of addresses and locations. The Maestro 3000 will also automatically adjust the back light brightness depending on the time of day, as well as give you 3 hours of run time when not plugged in. With various mounting accessories, computer software, and power adapter included, this is a great package for any person who needs an easy to use GPS for all multiple traveling needs.

Lightweight, Cordless, Bagless, what else do you need in terms of a perfect vacuum? The Dirt Devil Bagless Cordless Stick Vacuum is the ideal way to lift up dust, dirt (and who knows what else), off of that dingy dorm room floor. With 15.6V of power, this stick vac will easily attack bare floors and carpets and put all the grim into a simple to remove pour out container. This means no more bags to buy or replace! Another great feature of this Dirt Devil is that it has a folding handle for quick and easy storage. This is crucial for students who have less than adequate living spaces to begin with, plus the cordless nature of the vac makes tripping pretty much impossible. The Dirt Devil Bagless Cordless Stick Vac has passed ENERGY STAR compliances for energy efficiency, and will give you a 9.5” cleaning path for a great range of suction power. If and when the vac gets low on juice, it’s really no worries. Simply attach it to the included charging stand (on off), take a nap for a few hours, and use when necessary. Don’t let your dorm room become a haven for dead bugs, dirt, and grime!

If you are a portable gaming guru, you must get your hands on the limited edition Madden 09’ PSP Entertainment Pack. This great buy includes a metallic blue PSP-2000 system (with 64GB of internal memory) which is the slimmest and lightest version of all PSP’s, Madden NF 09’, NFL: In Just One Play UMD Video, 1 GB memory Stick, and more. The newest addition to the PSP console incorporates a 180 degree defensive camera, out of game practice settings, 3 playbooks (depending on skill), and the option of wirelessly connecting up to 16 consoles for some serious NFL game play. If you an amateur looking for some pro level skills, you can always enlist the help of Intelligent Coach Tips for some instant feedback on your strategy. Through the use of Hi-Fi sound, you can also get a true appreciation for bone crushing tackles and cheers, not to mention an inside look at the NFL when watching In Just One Play. Various featured players in the Sony PSP limited edition Madden 09’ version include L.T, Adrian Peterson, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne and other monsters in the NFL! Prepare yourself for an all out grid iron experience on a crystal clear 4.3” LCD display… it may help you students get through some of those boring classes.

Who hasn’t been desperately waiting for the new Madden 09 game, lord knows I have. Sports enthusiasts or just regular gamers, all can agree there is something extremely special about Madden Football. After all, it is hard to argue the fact that EA’s Madden has never been rivaled by any other console football game in the history of games (techno bowl yeah yea). Hold your breadth for about 15 more hours, and you too can get the new Madden shipped out to you. The 09’ version is offered for XBOX 360, PS2, PS3, Nintendo Wii and DS, and it even comes in both regular and collectors editions. All the hype is pretty much well worth it considering this is the first time John Madden Football 09 will actually adapt to you! The game itself will begin to understand the level of your game play, and modify itself in order to produce the most thrilling games yet. Not to mention you will be enjoying jaw dropping graphics, updated buttons and moves, the integration of your very own plays, and much much more. Both Madden Football 09’ and the Collectors Edition will without a doubt be the most sought after game of the new year. 

Every day, more and more high end TV’s are being sold at affordable rates. Currently Best Buy is offering a great Dynex 42″ 720p Plasma HDTV for only $749.99. I would not expect for these plasma TV’s to be in stock much longer, after all it only has a 30,000:1 contrast ratio for picture quality that will blow your mind away! The 16:9 wide screen aspect ratio is able to be viewed in 4 different modes while the 20 Watts of SRS TruSurround/Dolby Digital sound will deliver crisp audio regardless of volume level. There is also a very specific 3:2 cinema processor which helps compensate for any variance(i.e differences in frames shot per second), in order to always get the smoothest quality picture. The Dynex plasma incorporates 3 HDMI inputs for an unsurpassed HD audio/visual experience AND a PC video input in order to view your fav pics in high def quality. For family purposes, the Dynex 42″ Plasma TV also includes a V chip to prevent children from watching adult material. However if you are single and going back to college, this is a very affordable plasma TV to make the perfect touch for any new apartment.

7 days 15 hours and counting, before I get my hands on the new XBOX (360) version of Madden 09. To celebrate its now 20th year as the most comprehensive and visually stunning football game, EA Sports is going to release 2 versions of the game. The first being the newest edition, crossing Xbox 360, Playstation 2-3, and Wii platforms, and the second is a Madden 09 Collectors Edition including NFL Head Coach 09. The collectors package means you get to create, and integrate your own play book right into the game! EA Sports video game designers have been calling this the best Madden to date and have created even more upgrades than ever before in a Madden. Take for example, the game automatically adapts to your skill level. A difficulty engine will literally assess your basic and advanced game play skills, in order to create a more thrilling game setting. There have also been upgrades to various aspects of real football, such as missed field goal returns, bobble catches, hard tackles, better stadium views, and field clarity. The new Madden 09 also incorporates online leagues in order to test your skill against some of the sickest players worldwide. With many other new features, I suggest you pre order your Madden 09 game before its too late.

Every year newer and newer technologies are being introduced to college level students. Most of all assignments given will require an upgraded laptop, and some even necessitate a very high powered machine in order to be done properly. If you are in the market for a new computer, check out the excellent variety of Laptops for College Best Buy is currently offering. Regardless if you are a Microsoft user or Mac, these are going to be some of the best prices on high performance operating systems and hard drives in one location. It all depends on budget, however a laptop like ACER will start (as of 8/1) at only $499.99 and that is stocked with 2GB of RAM (upgradeable to 4 GB), 160 GB hard drive space, and a DVD±RW/CD-RW drive. Or you can gop to the opposite end of the playing field with the ever popular Macbook Pro 17″ display with the Intel Core2 Duo mobile processor, 250 GB of hard drive space, and a 2.5GHz speed. No matter what you have to spend, Best Buy knows that you will need a great selection of laptops for college, and all at a great price.