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Black Friday (shopping)

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Google shows you when you want to avoid the stores – with stock searches coming soon

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We’re guessing most of us here do as much shopping as possible online, but for those unavoidable store visits, Google has published some infographics showing you the dates and times you want to be a long, long way from them.

Unsurprisingly, consumer electronics stores are busiest on Black Friday, but if you’re determined to snag that bargain despite the crowds, the time you really want to avoid is 2-4pm … 
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Over $130 worth of paid Android apps for free: Sonic Jump, Bejeweled 2, Angry Birds Seasons, Quell, many more

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Today, the Amazon App Store is celebrating Thanksgiving by offering a bundle of paid apps for nothing, on top of its Free App of the Day. There are 40 apps worth around $115 available to download for free on Android and Kindle devices. One standout from the bunch is Sonic Jump which is regular $2.99 and has received 4+ star ratings from over 8,000 reviews across Amazon and Google Play.

The original platform jumper is back as Sonic leaps up an all new vertically challenging adventure in stunning HD graphics! Play as Sonic or his friends leaping through familiar and new Sonic worlds to battle Dr. Eggman, as you tilt and tap your way through fixed Story levels and Arcade infinite modes.

Other notable apps in today’s Thanksgiving bundle include Bejeweled 2 (Reg. $2.99, 4 stars from 3,000+), Angry Birds Seasons (Ad -Free), Quell Memento (Reg. $2.99) and many others.

Head over to the Black Friday coverage on 9to5Toys for more holiday deals, including the daily roundup for all the best game/app deals.

Top 10 kids’ toys of 2014 per Google Search rankings

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Google is giving Ol’ St. Nicholas a run for his money this holiday season because it ALSO knows what people want for the holidays. Rather than getting mail in the North Pole however, Google gets its data via its popular search engine. In data from its Trends platform, it has determined the top trending toys, devices and apparel searches on Google Shopping. An overview from the Commerce blog:

  • Game consoles and tablets continue to be the top gifts trending on Google Shopping, but wearable technology such as the “fitbit” is also on the rise this month.
  • Certain retro toys are making a comeback this season. Thanks to the new movie “Ouija,” searches for “Ouija boards” are up 300% since October. And queries for “Barbie Dream House” and “My Little Pony” are up as well compared to last month. 6
  • Cold-weather staples, such as “Hunter boots” and “Canada Goose jackets,” are among the most popular apparel searches, up 46% and 140%, respectively, since October. But “jogger pants” are the newcomer gift this season, up 39% from October. 7

But the most important data they pulled, especially if you are a clueless father like myself, is the top 10 Kids’ gifts list. Without further ado, in order:

Top-10-Christmas-presents-20141. American Girl

2. My Little Pony

3. Paw Patrol

4. Lego Friends

5. Ouija Board

6. Peppa Pig

7. Shopkins

8. Nerf Guns

9. Barbie Dream House

10. Zoomer Dino

Any of this hitting home?
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