My name is Asher, and I'm a recovering iPod junkie. Last fall I kicked my three-year habit when the earphone jack on my black, 30-gigabyte iPod Classic came loose, leaving me with fuzzy sound on the right side. I didn't have time to get it fixed--and funny enough, after a few days I didn't much miss it.

Even so, when an editor asked me to compare Microsoft's Zune to Apple's iPod Touch, I was sure my affinity for any and all hardware incubated in Cupertino, Calif., (I've been a Mac user since age 5) would destroy my objectivity.

Having given my disclosures, here's my verdict: The Zune is pretty nifty. The Touch, however, is a superfluous addition to Apple's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) iPod roster.

Cheaper than the highest-gigabyte Touches and about the same price as a Classic, the Zune has a bigger screen than the latter and graphics quality as strong as the former. The 120 GB Zune goes for $250, just $21 more than an 8 GB Touch. The 32 GB Touch goes for a savings-busting $399.

In Pictures: Top 10 Most-Sought-After Gifts

And what do you get with a Touch? As anyone who's ever used one knows, it's an iPhone...without the phone. The Touch has Web applications in case you're in a wi-fi area, but who wants to go hunting for a hotspot when you're out and about?

Most people who buy the Touch are hankering for its iPhone-sized screen, which provides a better video-watching experience than any other iPod. But the storage room just isn't enough: Even if you've got the 32 GB, good luck squeezing in all your favorite music, photos and movies.

It was a bleak Friday after all for the consumer technology industry. Post Thanksgiving Day spending on Nov. 28 fell 8.4% to $2.03 billion at retail stores compared to the same day a year ago, the NPD Group said Tuesday. It was also the first electronics spending slump in Black Friday's history.

Maybe it was the food coma. Or perhaps it was the prevalence of online shopping deals. NPD has yet to release its sales data from Cyber Monday, but comScore said online spending on consumer electronics during the week of Dec. 1 increased 24% compared with the corresponding period in 2007. Overall spending increased 9% to $3.7 billion at online retailers. (See "Cyber Monday's Electronics Bonanza.")

And who wouldn't want to take their dollars online? Many Web storefronts were promoting free shipping, and there is no threat of being trampled to death by a turkey-fueled mob.

"Clearly there was--during Black Friday week--some shifting from people buying in brick-and-mortar to online," says NPD analyst Stephen Baker. "Black Friday deals were much more available online than they ever were before."

Baker also notes that there was a shift in how retailers approached Black Friday. For instance, there were no "blowout sales." Retailers figured that if consumers decided they weren't going to spend, bigger discounts likely wouldn't entice them. "All [sales] do is give people who were going to shop anyway a bigger discount," Baker says.

NPD noted, however, that sales of LCD TVs larger than 30 inches and notebook PCs rose 18% and 19%, respectively, compared with Black Friday last year. GPS units and digital picture frames also sold well.

Baker says he was most disappointed by poor sales of cameras and camcorders, but notes that many consumers are no longer compelled to upgrade their electronics.

The current recession is unlike any other in the last couple of generations. Usually recessions happen because monetary policy gets tight or tax rates go up. Or, sometimes, like in the Great Depression, both of these plus rising trade barriers lead to a contraction in economic growth.

This time around, the recession is not due to tight monetary policy, higher tax rates or protectionism. It's due to a sudden and sharp plunge in the velocity of money--what we have been calling "risk aversion hysteria." This is where the speed with which money moves its way through the economy slows down as both consumers and businesses decide they want to increase their cash holdings.

Idiotic mortgage loans started the financial fire and overly stringent mark-to-market accounting rules acted as an accelerant, forcing financial firms to write down the value of their assets even when underlying mortgage cash flows were likely to grossly exceed fire-sale prices for mortgage securities.

When it appeared that money in banks and money market funds was no longer safe, consumers decided they would rather have money under mattresses instead of in bank accounts. This panic caused a sharp decline in consumer spending. Retail sales (excluding autos) grew 6% during the year ended in June, but just 1% during the year ended in November. With auto sales included, retail sales fell 4.1% in the year ended in November.

But fresh data on what's been happening on Main Street the past few days suggest the plunge in velocity may be either coming to an earlier end than most analysts expected, or that velocity may even be accelerating.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) says the number of shoppers either in stores or accessing online retailers, from Black Friday through Sunday, was up 17% versus last year and that the average amount spent was up 7.2%. According to the NRF, shoppers were busy buying clothes and electronics. Meanwhile, ShopperTrak, which monitors sales at shopping centers and malls around the country, says Black Friday sales were up 3% versus last year.

Obviously, these figures should be greeted with caution. The NRF numbers are based on a poll of consumers, not actual sales volumes, and the ShopperTrak data is for Black Friday only. It is plausible that, with relatively few shopping days this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, consumers are buying more on a per day basis but will not buy more during the holiday season as a whole.

Shoppers, who had snapped their wallets shut since September, turned out in force Friday to grab deals on the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, but it was clear worries about the economy tempered buying.

Preliminary reports from several major retailers including Macy's and Toys "R" Us said that crowds were at least as large as last year's, but many shoppers sounded notes of caution and concern.

Retailers extended their hours, some opening at midnight, and offered deals that were deeper and wider than the deep discounts that shoppers found throughout November.

Best Buy, which threw its doors open at 5 a.m. offered such specials as a 49-inch Panasonic plasma HDTV for $899.99 and a $189.99 GPS device by Garmin. Toys "R" Us was offering up to 60 percent discounts from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.

But the excitement over the early morning specials proved fatal for at least one store. Police from Nassau County, N.Y. say a Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers shortly after the Long Island store opened Friday. Wal-Mart offiicals would not confirm reports of stampede, but said a "medical emergency" caused them to close the store.

Ellen Davis, a spokeswoman at the National Retail Federation, the industry's largest retail group, said that she was "not aware of any other circumstances where a retail employee has died working on the day after Thanksgiving."

Many consumers, clutching the store circulars, were focused on a few bargains Friday and said they were slashing their overall holiday budgets from a year ago as they juggle paying their rent and other bills while putting food on the table amid layoffs, tightening credit and dwindling retirement accounts.

Even for the growing number of parents who were limiting their gift buying to just their children this year, financial troubles were forcing them to be stingy.

"I have never slept here before to save a few bucks, but with the economy so bad I thought that even a few dollars helps," said Analita Garcia of Falls Church, Va., who arrived at a local Best Buy store at 7 a.m. Thursday with 10 family members. She bought a 32-inch LCD TV for $400, slashed from $500, along with an iPod and several DVDs.

"This year a lot of people I know won't be getting Christmas presents. I have to pay the rent and bills, and I have two little ones at home to think of," Garcia added.

At the Best Buy store in Syracuse, N.Y., a line snaked past stores and around walkways on the second floor of Carousel Center a few moments before the store's 5 a.m. opening -- about eight hours after some people near the front of the line had arrived. Rob Schoeneck, the mall's manager, estimated about 1,000 people were waiting for the electronics store to open and said the crowd was about the same size as a year ago.

Inside, Kira Carinci, 33, a teacher from Cicero, N.Y., searched for the $80 "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" video game and guitar controller bundle for her son but said she is more concerned about money than she was last holiday season. She said she had set aside a certain amount for Christmas spending.

"I don't usually save, so this year is a little different," she said.

By 3:43 a.m., about 50 people had lined up in preparation for the 5 a.m. opening at a Wal-Mart store in Cary, N.C. Shannon Keane, 38, of Cary, who arrived with her son, Miles, 13, at midnight, said she was buying only one item today: an iPod for her son.

"He really wanted this one thing," Keane said. "So we're here for this one thing."

Keane, who was recently laid off from her job at an insurance company, said she was on a budget this year because her unemployment checks were also helping support family in Colorado.

"I really can't focus on gifts," she said. "I have to focus more on helping them pay their bills. It's hard," she said of being a single mom on a small income. "I've always filled the tree. But you have to be honest. This year, I'll do the best I can."

Joyce and Kevin Kirk of Georgetown in southwest Ohio, who arrived at Kohl's at Eastgate Mall in suburban Cincinnati, at 4 a.m Friday, bought toys for the baby and clothing for her older children, mostly at 50 percent to 60 percent off.

She said they decided to focus more on the kids this year and cut down on gifts for other people. Her husband, a construction worker, wasn't getting enough work at his company and recently switched to another company.

"We just can't do as much this year because of the economy," said Joyce Kirk, who aims to cut her holiday budget to $1,000. She usually spent $3,000 to $4,000 on Christmas gifts

Black Friday received its name because it historically was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability for the full year. But this year, with rampant promotions of up to 70 percent throughout the month including even at luxury stores like Saks Fifth Avenue amid a deteriorating economy, the power of this landmark day for the retail industry could be fading.

Still, while it isn't a predictor of holiday sales, the day after Thanksgiving is an important barometer of people's willingness to spend for the rest of the season. And particularly this year, analysts will dissect how the economy is shaping buying habits in a season that many analysts predict could see a contraction in spending from a year ago.

Last year, the Thanksgiving shopping weekend of Friday through Sunday accounted for about 10 percent of overall holiday sales, according to ShopperTrak RCT Corp.

The group hasn't released estimates for Black Friday sales this year, but experts believe it will remain one of the season's biggest selling days, even as shoppers remain deliberate in their spending.

"This is definitely a hit-and-run mentality," said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group. "They are running in, grabbing the deal and running out. This is what I am seeing this morning."

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AP Retail Writer Ashley M. Heher in Chicago; AP Technology Writer Rachel Metz in Syracuse, N.Y.; and Associated Press Writers Barbara Rodriguez in Raleigh, N.C.; Kelly P. Kissel in Lake Charles, La.; Lisa Cornwell in Cincinnati; Tamara Lush in Pembroke, Pines, Fla., and Jacquelyn Martin in Falls Church, Va. and Colleen Long in New York, contributed to this report.

We Try It: Black Lip Gloss

November 20, 2008  4:47 pm

In a first for Beauty Counter, we’ve solicited three different Style.com’ers to test-run one of fall’s biggest trends: black lip gloss—the more subtle and sheer (read: wearable) alternative to the goth-y, opaque lipsticks spotted on the runway this season. To give you a good idea of what you can expect if you can get a hold of one of these products, which seem to sell out just as quickly as they are restocked, we’ve selected a diverse sampling of participants and three of the best glosses on the market. Below, meet your guides to gloss, and click here to read their reviews.











Kat Thomsen, Associate Managing Editor, men.style.com

Pale and very blonde with green eyes and a light dusting of freckles, Kat describes her personal style leanings as Southern preppy with a hefty dose of Stepford Wife. “I’m the opposite of trendy,” she insists—and of black lip color, one might presume. “As a general rule, I only wear a neutral eye shadow and mascara on a day-to-day basis, no foundation or anything else on my face. And I certainly don’t venture into statement lip color territory.”

Nicola Kast, Photo/Art Associate

With a pale olive skin type, some freckles, medium brown hair, and brown eyes, Nicola admits to having an alternative style. “I like to wear loose vintage-esque tops in plaid or gray with baggy cardigans, skinny jeans, and bootie heels that are not too high.” A big proponent of foundation, which she wears every day, Nicola never wears mascara, occasionally dabbles in red lipstick, and is “completely unopposed” to the idea of incorporating a black gloss into her daily life.

Meenal Mistry, Fashion Editor

Indian with dark skin, almost-black eyes, heavy brows, and black hair, Meenal’s general aversion to anything peachy, pink, or pretty made her an ideal black lip gloss candidate. “I must admit to a penchant for dark lip colors,” she says. “Although I was pretty surprised to hear that black lip glosses are selling out in stores. I get that it’s a trend, but black? Really?”

“Beauty Trend of the Week Full on Black Eyeliner”

Beauty trend of the week full on black eyeliner. The full on black eyeliner look was super hot on the runway and was seen everywhere in smoky, cat and dramatic looks. Its hard to go wrong with black eyeliner since it can be created with pencil, liquid, gel, or pen.

Here’s how to get this hot fall look. Start off subtle and line the bottom of your lashes first.
Then stand back and build until you find the look you like. This is the best way to get the perfect full on black eyeliner look since you’re building on your look instead of drawing a thick flawless line in one attempt. Which is basically impossible to do. Always start thin and then trace over it for more intensity. Make sure that with a bold liner that you are keeping the rest of your makeup neutral. Unless you don’t mind adding more eyeliner to balance out the drama.