The Microsoft Guide to Last-Minute Holiday Shopping

The office hallways are starting to empty out, the kids are out of school for the holiday break and there’s a festive feeling in the air. If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet, it can be easy to get a little frantic. But as the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says: “Don’t Panic!”

You still have time. You have your sharp intellect and your wit. And you have the power of the Internet at your fingertips.

Just because you’re scrambling to finish up your holiday shopping doesn’t mean you can’t compare prices. Using Windows Phone and Bing, you can comparison shop on the go. Fire up Bing Vision, which allows you to scan a product, a UPC or QR code – and see how much it costs and where to buy it. See how it works in this video.

Racking your brain trying to come up with last-minute gift ideas? We’ve got you covered. Hardware, software, games, Windows 7 PCs, phones – you really can have it all. Or at least buy it all. Check out our holiday slide show for ideas and links to get the goods.

Get the family up and off the couch with the latest games for Kinect for Xbox 360 like Dance Central 2 or Kinect Sports: Season 2. For the hardcore gamers on your list, there’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” “Gears of War 3” and “Halo: Anniversary Edition.”

More gaming goodness: you can tell your kids they’re going to Disneyland this year. “Kinect Disneyland Adventures” whisks your family away to the happiest place on earth for an interactive tour, rides and games. And they can join Cookie Monster, Elmo and other Sesame Street characters as they explore a living storybook titled “Once Upon a Monster.” And we have bears! “Kinectimals Now with Bears” is ready for a bear hug.

You can get all of these gifts and more at the Microsoft Store. If you’re craving human interaction, get out from behind the monitor, and visit one of our Microsoft Store locations. Happy Holidays!

Posted by Jeff Meisner
Editor, The Official Microsoft Blog