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How saving for retirement can lower your tax bill and knowing what colleges and majors offer the Price Compare return on investment. Dan Loney reports.
Discounts on shoes from Nike, Timberland and Steve Madden
Check out these latest discounts gathered up by Dealnews.com, including savings on Nike men's running shoes, Timberland women's boots and more.
By Marcy Bonebright, Guest blogger / March 22, 2014
Everyone needs a little retail therapy now and then, so you might as well buy something you'll get a lot of miles out of. But because we list a shockingly small amount of cars on DealNews, we decided to round up shoes instead! (Also, who buys cars on a whim? Don't do that.) The week's best shoe deals include five Editors' Choice offers from Steve Madden, Nike, Timberland, and more!
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Steve Madden Men's Ditmars Shoes
Store: Steve Madden
Price: $49.99 with free shipping via Discount "SMFREE50" with padding over $50
Lowest By: $80
Is It Worth It?: Leather driving shoes are so comfortable, so easy to slip on and off ... so incredibly hot on warmer days. That is, unless the leather is perforated for maximum breathability, as is the case with the Steve Madden Ditmars. Available in five colors for just $49.99, these drivers also feature a textured sole for stability. At $80 off, we're pretty sure you just found your go-to summer shoe. Be sure to pad your order over $50 and apply coupon code "SMFREE50" to dodge the $7.95 shipping.
Steve Madden's got your back when it comes to stocking your shoe closet on the cheap. The site has cut an extra 50% off select clearance shoes, with prices starting at around $10. (Prices are as marked.) That's tied as the best extra discount we've seen on clearance merch from Steve Madden, yielding some huge price lows. Shipping adds $7.95, or bag free shipping on orders of $50 or more via coupon code "SMFREE50".
Nike Men's Roshe Running Shoes
Store: 6pm
Price: $45.99 with free shipping
Lowest By: $6
Is It Worth It?: These days, running shoes seem to have an inversely proportional weight-to-price ratio: the lighter they are, the more they cost. But that's not the case with the Nike Roshe running shoes, which weigh in at just 10oz. and are available in six colors for $46. That's the best price we've seen for these trainers outside of our Black Friday mention, which was for one color only.
Delli Aldo Men's Dragon Print Pull-On Boots
Store: Meritline
Price: $10.75 via coupon code "MLCDNEWS1403B" with $8.09
Lowest By: $22
Expires: March 23
Is It Worth It?: You don't need wild colors or uncomfortable construction to make a statement with your shoes. These Delli Aldo pull-on boots feature a unique dragon design on the toe, ideal for dragon-slayers who can't wear their chain mail to the office. Coupon code "MLCDNEWS1403B" drops them to just $11, making this the cheapest pair of Delli Aldo men's boots we've ever seen.
Timberland Women's Earthkeepers Savin Hill Tall Boots
Store: Journeys
Price: $99.99 with free shipping
Lowest By: $32
Is It Worth It?: It may not be boot season anymore, but that doesn't mean you should turn down a great pair of tall boots on sale. Available in Black or Tobacco, the Timberland Earthkeepers Savin Hill boots have dropped $6 since our previous mention to the all-time-low price of $100. That's $32 under what you'd pay elsewhere and a very good price for these full-grain leather riding boots, which feature a removable anti-fatigue insole. They come in sizes 6 to 10.
Body Central Women's Flat Shoes
Store: Body Central
Price: From $5.24 via coupon code "SPRINGFREE" with free shipping Expires: March 24
Is It Worth It?: Always comfy regardless of whether they're dressy or casual, a great pair of flats can also cost a ton. Not so with the styles in this shoe sale at Body Central, where you can get select pairs for as little as $5.24 via coupon code "SPRINGFREE". The same coupon bags free shipping, making this tied as the best sale we've ever seen on these styles. For example, you can get the Body Central Women's Knot Front Ballet Flats in 12 colors for $7.48 after the coupon above, a $3 savings. Act fast though, because sizes are severely limited.
Marcy Bonebright is a features writer for Dealnews.com, where this article first appeared.
Out Of The Furnace (Blu-ray)
Filmed in North Braddock, Pennsylvania (just outside of Pittsburgh) Scott Cooper's out of the furnace trailer 2 of the Furnace (2013) examines a handful of characters in a town crippled by a failing economy, their own bad choices and/or quite a bit of bad luck. Our central characters are Russell (Christian Bale) and Rodney Baze (Casey Affleck), two brothers who have taken decidedly different paths in life. Russell, the older of the two, lives with his girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana) and works at the same steel mill that will eventually take the life of his father. Rodney, currently in the middle of multiple tours in Iraq, is knee-high in gambling debt owed to John Petty (Willem Defoe); in turn, Rodney resorts to rigged bare-knuckle fighting to help settle Petty's own debts to local drug dealer and abs olute monster Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson).
Hard (or harder) times are right ahead. Russell is arrested for DUI-related vehicular manslaughter, while Rodney and John are confronted by Harlan for failing to make amends. Things go south and, before you know it, Rodney goes missing and Braddock police chief Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker) gets involved. Unable to deal with the police's slow response, the recently-freed Russell and his Uncle "Red" (Sam Shepard) attempt to seek out Harlan themselves at his well-guarded residence in New Jersey's Ramapo Mountains. It's a long trip, but things end back west in Braddock.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
As the film unfolds, it becomes painfully clear that Rodney will be killed...but unlike what the trailer suggests, it doesn't play out exactly like we'd expect. feels like the kind of revenge thriller where one of two things will happen: (1) Rodney is held by Harlan until Russell attempts a rescue, or (2) Rodney is killed, but Russell does not find out until discovering the body himself. Both to the film's credit and detriment, neither of these things happen; we're aware of Rodney's fate before our protagonist is, but not by much. From that point onward, Out of the Furnace keeps us at arm's length but still feels more than a little predictable. The circle of violence completes itself but nothing is solved, even though the film's only representation of pure evil is no longer alive.(END SPOILERS)Aside from this nagging complaint, my only quibble with Out of the Furnace is the fact that it's overstuffed by either a few scenes or at least one supporting character. Between Russell's wayward brother, his girlfriend, his thankless but steady job, his kindly uncle and his dying father, I'm not surprised that they didn't throw in a dead wife and single fatherhood. Early scenes also set the stage in blunt, unforgiving black and white: Harlan might as well be Satan in the flesh, while Russell valiantly attempts to remain "straight and narrow" despite the unfortunate hand he's dealt. With only one exception, almost every hurdle he overcomes is inflicted by others, and simply pitting this type of character against such a monster may be why Out of the Furnace feels slightly more predictable and generic than it really ought to.
In all honesty, Scott Cooper's follow-up to Crazy Heart is anything but a sophomore slump; at worst, it feels vaguely like a handful of movies you've seen before. The performances are uniformly excellent, it looks and sounds better than its budget implies, the action hits hard and, at times, it's emotionally affecting. So while a few trims here and there---or a more delicate treatment of the "good vs. evil" dynamic---would've potentially made Out of the Furnace a more satisfying film, there's still enough here to warrant a closer look (and even more so if you're a fan of the principal cast). Fox's Blu-ray serves up an excellent A/V presentation but, unfortunately, comes up short in the extras department.
Not surprisingly, the rough and rusty Out of the Furnace translates quite well to Blu-ray, boasting a strong amount of image detail and a striking, muted color palette. Presented in the film's original 2.40:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer displays strong black levels, excellent contrast and, most importantly, no flagrant digital problems like compression artifacts or heavy DNR. Despite some of its other shortcomings, Out of the Furnace is certainly a well-shot film and this Blu-ray absolutely delivers in every possible area. Fans and new viewers alike should be pleased with Fox's efforts.
DISCLAIMER: The promotional images featured in this review are strictly decorative and do not represent Blu-ray's 1080p image resolution.
Similarly, the film's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix isn't flashy but gets the job done. The imposing industrial backdrop of Braddock and the surrounding areas lends itself to plenty of excellent surround usage, whether it's a quiet personal exchange or a sudden burst of violent action. The fight scenes---and in several cases, the fallout from these brawls---is particularly enveloping at times. The dialogue is crisp and typically easy to understand, while Dickon Hinchliffe's appropriate score (and Eddie Vedder's contribution, which bookends the film) enjoys plenty of presence without fighting for attention. Optional English (SDH) and Spanish subtitles are included during the film and most of the supplements.
Menu Design, Presentation & Packaging The menu interface is clean and simple...though like most other Lionsgate releases, an ungodly amount of trailers and advertisements must be skipped individually before it loads. This one-disc package is housed in one of those annoying "eco-friendly" keepcases and includes a Digital Copy redemption insert. The disc is locked for Region A players only.
Out of the Furnace is too well-shot and acted to be considered a throwaway revenge tale, but it rarely feels like much more than the sum of its parts. The story does manage to take a few interesting turns along the way, especially if you saw the trailer and assumed it spoiled all the surprises. There's also at least one too many characters on board, which tends to cripple the momentum at times. Fox's Blu-ray offers a terrific A/V presentation but only the bare minimum of extras, which may disappoint those looking for a deeper look behind the scenes. So while Out of the Furnace doesn't always fire on all cylinders, it's still an underrated production that should please fans of the cast. Recommended.
Randy Miller III is an affable office monkey by day and film reviewer by night. He also does freelance design work, teaches art classes and runs a website or two. In his limited free time, Randy also enjoys slacking off, juggling HD DVDs and writing in third person.
The TouchArcade Show - 146 -
With GDC on the horizon, we recorded a extra long podcast as the environment surrounding GDC isn't the best for podcastin' so I've got no idea what next week's episode is going to be like. This one has it all: Rants on controls, free to play discussion, Flappy Bird, Wrestling, you name it. Two hours and sixteen minutes of it. You better not miss it. Don't forget to shoot us emails with any questions, feedback, or anything else relevant or irrelevant to podcast@toucharcade.com. We read 'em all, even if they don't make it into the p odcast. As always, you can listen to us with the links below... And if you like what you hear, please subscribe and/or drop us a review in iTunes. Much appreciated!
iTunes Link: The TouchArcade Show
Zune Marketplace: TouchArcade.com Podcasts
RSS Feed: The TouchArcade Show
Direct Link: TouchArcadeShow-146.mp3, 116.2MB
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This week's episode of The TouchArcade Show is sponsored by...
CuteEat!, Free - In Two Hit Six's new tower defense game, CuteEat!, your goal is to use up to 7 heroes with unique abilities to eat food and prevent the Waste Legion from wasting any of it. You must leverage the special skills of your heroes across 7 lands, each with their own varieties of food, and 35 tasty levels to defeat the Waste Legion. CuteEat! is available now for iPhone or iPad. What are you waiting for? Go download CuteEat! now for free!
Reed to Congress: OK unemployment benefits deal
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island's senior U.S. senator is calling on Congress to approve a compromise that would extend federal jobless benefits to the long-term unemployed.
Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Jack Reed and Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller said Thursday a bipartisan group of senators has reached a compromise to extend the emergency jobless benefit program for five months.
The Super Sale would be retroactive to the end of last year. Reed says the expiration of the benefits on Dec. 28 has affected 2 million people in the U.S., including 8,000 in Rhode Island. He says Congress should pass ''this essential, common sense legislation.''
The federal program had since 2008 provided extra help to those who exhausted their regular state benefits.
Rhode Island's January unemployment rate was 9.2 percent.
Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review: Android flagship are closely matched
Mobile World Congress is over and two of the biggest smartphones are the Sony Xperia Z2 and Samsung Galaxy S5. Here's our Sony Xperia Z2 vs Discount-rumours-leaked-images/">Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review so you can see how these two Android flagship smartphones stack up against each other.
See also: Sony Xperia Z2 hands-on review: New flagship only brings minor changes.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S5 hands-on review: No leap for Samsung in smartphone innovation.
Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Price
If you're looking to get one of these smartphones on a contract then you're going to have to pay through the nose. Carphone Warehouse is offering the Xperia Z2 for free on contracts starting at £47 per month. The Galaxy S5 is likely to be in the same ballpark. See also: Sony Xperia Z2: Release date, price and specs.
It's easier to compare the SIM-free prices which are much more static. Sony's official price for the Z2 is £599 but retailers such as Clove have the device listed at £550. Samsung hasn't announced the price for the Galaxy S5 but retailers have it pegged at around the same £550 mark. Read: Galaxy S5 price and where to buy in the UK.
With pricing looking pretty well matched, read on to find out how the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 differ.
Read: 18 best smartphones: The best phone you can buy in 2014.
Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Design
Sony has been producing dust- and waterproof phones (and tablets) for a while now, almost exclusively and the Xperia Z2 is no exception. However, Samsung has gone down that route with the Galaxy S5 to rival Sony. They have ratings of IP58 and IP67 respectively and although it might seem like the Galaxy is better since it has a higher number, this isn't how it works.
The first number relates to dust protection and the second to water. So the Galaxy S5 is better at keeping out dust (completely dust tight), but the Z2 can be submerged deeper in water (over a meter). So there is no clear winner here.
One thing we do worry about is the fact that the Galaxy S5's rear cover is still removable so if it's not clipped into place properly a seal won't be made and water will easily get in. The Z2 only has port covers which are easy to see when not clipped in.
Check out: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S5 comparison review: New flagship only adds a few features.
Size-wise, the two devices are very similar with both just over 8mm thick but the Z2 is taller and heavier than the Galaxy S5. The latter is the main drawback because the Xperia Z2 weighs in at 163g, nearly 20g more than its rival which is a lot in smartphone terms.
You'll instinctively know which you prefer the look of but we'll point out that the Xperia Z2 uses a combination of aluminium and glass while the Galaxy S5 has a more plastic design with its 'perforated' cover.
We've had hands-on with both these smartphones and the Xperia Z2 retains Sony's top-end luxurious feel but the Galaxy S5 doesn't feel particularly premium.
Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Screen
Things are pretty similar when it comes to the screen on these two smartphones. Both have Full HD resolution, which we've come to expect from top-end handsets and they are only 0.1in different in size. The Galaxy S5 has a 5.1in screen while the Xperia Z2 has an LG G2 matching 5.2in display.
This means the Z2 has a marginally lower pixel density but the difference is essentially negligible. Samsung uses its favoured Super AMOLED technology while Sony employs its own Triluminos and X-Reality.
We haven't seen the two side by side so it's hard to call a winner but you're best off choosing between these two in different areas since the screens can both be considered top-notch.
Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Processor and GPU
You needn't look too far into this area either as the Xperia Z2 and Galaxy S5 are two of the first devices with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and the Adreno 330 GPU. A small difference is that the Galaxy S5's is clocked higher, at 2.5GHz compared to 2.3GHz on the Z2.
The Xperia Z2 does have 50 percent more RAM than the Galaxy S5, though at 3GB - something which could well come in handy.
We will test out performance thoroughly when we get review samples of each but going by the specs, both devices will be outputting top-end performance.
Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Storage
Strangely, the Xperia Z2 only comes in a single storage capacity - a pretty standard 16GB. Meanwhile the Galaxy S5 will also be available in a 32GB size although we haven't seen this advertised anywhere yet.
Both smartphones offer expandable storage by way of a microSD card slot but the Galaxy S5 has another one up here since it can accept up to 128GB cards - double that of the Xperia Z2.
Next page: Wireless, unique features, cameras, software and batteryJill Cataldo: Larger cities often have broader coupon selection
DEAR JILL: I live in the Quad Cities - the combination of Moline and Rock Island, Ill., and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa. I have been couponing for 10 years, and I am quite good at it.
My problem is that in the Quad City Area, where there are hundreds of thousands of people, we get the worst coupons ever. Our coupon inserts only have a few coupons and have more advertisements than actual offers. I believe we get about a quarter of the coupons that bigger cities get in their papers.
I am just so confused as to how an area as big as ours in the Quad Cities gets such a small number of coupons delivered in our paper compared to what a city like Chicago gets. Any information you might be able to give me as to why an area with a combined population of nearly 400,000 people barely gets any coupons would be much appreciated. - AMY
This question has come up numerous times with my readers. Why do different parts of the country, and different newspapers, get different coupons? There are a lot of factors that play into this, including population, proximity to major supermarket chains and geographic and regional areas that marketers wish to target.
I don't believe there's a conspiracy afoot to give certain shoppers "better" coupons than others. However, major cities and their outlying suburbs do tend to get larger coupon inserts with more pages.
Different newspapers in the same market area also can have entirely different sets of coupon inserts, too. Again, the decision to release large coupon inserts in some areas and smaller inserts in others isn't to "punish" anyone. Marketers are looking to boost sales of specific products in particular market areas.
You compared the population of the Quad Cities to Chicago. As you noted the Quad Cities are home to more than 300,000 people. Chicago's population is 2.7 million people, and if you count the entire Chicagoland metropolitan area, the number jumps to more than 9.5 million. From a marketer's perspective, they may see a larger return on their marketing investments when they place ads in newspapers in a larger area.
If they aren't seeing enough of a sales boost in a "smaller" area (and again, I'm not arguing that 300,000 people is small by any means!), they might not place coupons.
I live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and there have been times that I've purchased a newspaper in the city and found different coupons and inserts than I receive at my home in the burbs. There's nothing I can do about that - I just accept that certain brands and products are being targeted toward city dwellers over suburbanites.
I've long said that couponing is a privilege, not a right. We can want to insist on the "best" coupons, or to have the same coupons that another area receives, but they're not something we're guaranteed by anyone.
One bright side: Printable and electronic coupons are available all over, no matter where you live. And, while some offers are also store or region-specific, sites such as Coupons.com, SmartSource.com and RedPlum.com offer On Sales to shoppers everywhere.
I realize it's not the same as getting a nice, thick coupon insert in the newspaper each week, but it's a good way to supplement your coupon base.
Smart Living Tip: Whenever I'm traveling on a Sunday, the day the coupon inserts come out in most newspapers, I'll buy a paper. It's always interesting to see what coupons are available in the area I'm visiting. (Plus, who doesn't like extra coupons?) And, if you fly on a Sunday, take a stroll through the airport terminals and "clean up" discarded papers others have left behind. It's a great way to get more free coupon inserts.