By Robert Leitch, Technology Manager; Senior Producer/Editor

For some, Thanksgiving means time with family, eating til we bust and watching lots of football. For others, it is merely a warm-up for what may be the craziest unofficial holiday in the world: Black Friday.

Black Friday is the one day when you can stay up all night outside of your favorite consumer electronics store and act like a madman to get a cheap digital camera.

While the annual, post Turkey Day mad grab for cheap goods is a time-tested tradition, some of the high-tech tools to help us get the best deals are very new.

The Web Is Your Friend
Did you know that there are websites out there dedicated solely to Black Friday shopping? One site I love is BlackFriday.info. The site contains a database of Black Friday ads, as well as updates on upcoming sales at stores like Best Buy, Kohl’s, and Lowe’s. Sites like this one can really help your team work out a fool-proof shopping plan.

Or, if you prefer, skip the crowd and stay in your pjs: do all of your Black Friday shopping online! Many stores now let you order items from their online merchandise centers on Black Friday and pick them up in-store any time.

Apps Help You Shop Smarter
Nearly 30 percent of American wireless phone users use smartphones, and you know what that means: apps a-plenty, including some for Black Friday. Best Buy puts its weekly circular in a handy iPhone format so bargain hunters can cruise deals and Target has just launched a “daily deal” app that lets savvy shoppers get the most for their dollar for a specific time period.

The Black Friday ads Facebook page and @blackfriday on Twitter are also great tools to use this year.

As MediaSource’s resident tech “enthusiast” (i.e. geek) I love using technology both for work - and for play. Here at MediaSource, we’re all about using technology to make things easier - and more fun - and this is definitely the case with technology and Black Friday.

Have you ever used the Internet and social media to plan a shopping experience, Black Friday or not? What tips can you offer to first-time Black Friday shoppers?