Everyone has heard of the day after Thanksgiving being called ‘Black Friday’, but did you know the Monday following is labeled ‘Cyber Monday.’ This is the day all the retail stores hold their special sales on popular gadgets and new electronics online.

As always, smartphones are on most people’s holiday wish lists. Though the Apple iPhone is nice, Samsung has some great Android phones at low prices. Amazon Wireless is holding some great specials at wireless.amazon.com.

Digital cameras are another hot item. With the surge in sharing photos across social networks and more, you can never go wrong with a new camera. Panasonic and Canon have a wide range of great models. They get my vote for top brand names.

With all the models and different sizes of HDTVs out there, how can you pick the best for you money? According to the experts at CNet, the Panasonic TC-PST5o series are rated the best overall value. This plasma television has an outstanding overall picture quality, with details that bring the screen to life. To save a little money, CNet recommends the Panasonic TC-PU50 series.

Finally, I think tablets will be the hottest item under the tree this year. Though no other tablet can compare to the iPad, the price keeps many buyers searching for the next best thing. The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire are at the top of the list. Both have much of what people are looking for in a tablet. Though Apple is trying to pull some penny savers over to iPad with the launch of their 7” Mini, they just can’t seem to bring the price down far enough to be competitive.

I recommend logging on to some of the reviews at cnet.com before running out and making purchases for the holidays. When it comes to tech gadgets, you definitely get what you pay for.

Clinton Randall is the Webmaster of advocate360.org and can be reached by email at clintonrandall@dailyadvocate.com. You can find him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/clintonrandall or follow him on Twitter @clintonjrandall. His column, Tech Talk, discusses all aspects of the technology world. Viewpoints expressed in this column are solely those of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.