Know someone who's collecting a degree this year? All graduates deserve a reward for making it through school (and before they have to face the rather scary job market that awaits them). Here are some electronics suggestions that should put a smile on any grad's face.

Do you care whether your headphones look as good as they sound? If so, you might be considering a model in the Beats by Dr. Dre line. Developed in conjunction with Monster Cable, Beats helped usher in the era of higher-priced, logo-embossed headphones bearing a celebrity endorsement. Certainly, based on the number of people you now see wearing Beats models (with the distinctive lower-case "b" on the earcups) around their necks, they have an obvious appeal.

Sometimes ranting about bad customer service to your telecom provider actually pays off, especially if you have a legitimate beef and are so steamed that you talk about leaving for a competitor—and your threat to jump ship reaches the right ears.

There are just a few things to know about Mother's Day. First, remember the holiday. This year Mother's Day takes place on Sunday, May 12, so you don't have many shopping days left. Second, book a table. Restaurants are packed on Mother's Day, so if you're going out to celebrate, get on Yelp, OpenTable, or some other dining site now. And third, don't limit yourself to the classics and the clichéd. When choosing a Mother's Day present, the sky's the limit, as you'll see below in our selection of gifts for the mom who . . .

Google Play is available on Barnes & Noble's Nook HD and Nook HD Plus tablets, starting today. The move by the bookseller brings a much wider selection of apps to its tablets, which until now only included those selected by the company.

Recent rumors suggest that Amazon will launch a streaming media player this fall to compete with the likes of Apple TV and Roku. An interesting question is whether it will offer access to Netflix, the company's fierce rival in the streaming video space.

If you've been holding your breath waiting for HTC's newest warrior in the smart-phone wars, you can exhale: The HTC One is now available both online and in stores as of today.

In a move sure to please shopping junkies—and those of us, like me, currently following eBay auctions—LG has added PayPal to the list of services offering on its smart TVs.

Samsung has announced it will set up dedicated mobile shops within Best Buy stores to sell its cell phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras. The Samsung Experience Shops, coming to more than 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores beginning this month, aim to bring Samsung customers the same expert, brand-immersive experience that iPhone, iPad, and Mac types enjoy when they visit an Apple Store.

Through March 31, Barnes & Noble is offering a two-for-one deal on a couple of its electronics devices: Purchase a Nook HD+ tablet (starting at $270), and B&N will throw in at no charge a Nook Simple Touch e-book reader, normally $80.

Starting tomorrow, March 26, Xbox Live is holding a sale on downloadable games and content. Both paying and free Xbox Live subscribers can take advantage of the lower prices—most games are 50 percent off, and a few are even free. The sale runs until April 1.

Forget the roses, skip the candy, and really impress your sweetheart this year with one of these gadgets. Nothing says "I love you" like a really cool piece of technology!

Savvy shoppers know that when it comes to buying consumer electronics products, procrastinators typically get rewarded with lower prices the longer they wait. If you have the stomach for playing playing chicken with Super Bowl TV prices, not only are they lower than they were a week ago—there's still actually enough time to get a TV home in time for the big game.

With Super Bowl XLVII only a week or so away, you might be looking for a new big-screen TV that can do the game justice. But getting the right TV isn't as simple as just finding the right price. That's because sporting events like the Super Bowl can really bring out the best—and worst—in an HDTV by pushing it to its performance limits, revealing flaws that might go unnoticed with less-demanding types of content.

Would you rather pay $200 or $650 for the Apple iPhone 5? Go for the more expensive iPhone with a no-contract carrier, and you'll save about $1,000 over a two-year period.