If all goes as planned, the phase out of incandescent light bulbs will begin next year and continue through 2014, when light bulb makers hope we'll have adopted LED bulbs as our new favorite light source. But manufactures have to overcome a few obstacles before consumers will be ready to make the switch.

The holiday shopping season is looking pretty bleak for retailers. Best Buy recently announced that it plans to hire fewer holiday workers than it did last year, and now new data from the consumer research group NPD suggests that Best Buy won't be the only chain stuck in a holiday sales rut.