Best Buy has adopted a new online price-matching policy to stem "showrooming" where consumers look at products in a retail store, but buy the product from an online competitor like Amazon.

Previously Best Buy would match brick and mortar competitors, but now the retailer says it will also match prices of "19 major online competitors" on in-stock items.

In the same breath, Best Buy has cut the period for returns and exchanges from 30 days to 15 days. Reward Zone Silver members will still have 60 days.

Will Best Buy's new online price-matching help it?

Here is the list of the 19 online competitors:
Amazon.com
Apple.com
Bhphotovideo.com
Buy.com
Crutchfield.com
Dell.com
Frys.com
hhgregg.com
HP.com
HomeDepot.com
Lowes.com
Newegg.com
OfficeDepot.com
OfficeMax.com
Sears.com
Staples.com
Target.com
TigerDirect.com
Walmart.com

Taking aim at Amazon, Target has announced it will price match the online giant, as well as other online competitors, throughout the year.

The new online price-match guarantee, which Target temporarily offered during the holiday season, went into effect Tuesday, immediately after it was announced by Target corporate officials.

Shoppers will have seven days to find a lower price at Amazon, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com, BabiesRUs.com and Walmart.com. The guarantee also extends to Target.com.

Valencell, a Raleigh company that makes earbud sensors that allow a person to monitor their health while listening to music, said today that it has raised $5.5 million in venture capital funding.

The investment round was led by Best Buy Capital, the investment arm of retailer Best Buy, and also included TDF and True Ventures.

Valencell said it will use the money to expand its team, increase licensing agreements and expand the capabilities of its products.

The company currently has six employees.

When integrated into a headset, Valencell's Healthset platform enables earbuds to track a person's heart rate, number of calories burned, distance traveled and other measurements.

The data can then be streamed to smart phones or other devices.

Valencell earlier raised $1 million venture funding.

Lenovo began selling its line of consumer laptops for the first time at Best Buy stores on Sunday.

The deal is part of a broader push by the Chinese computer maker to sell more products directly to consumers in the United States. Lenovo, which bought IBM's PC division in 2005 and has a world headquarters in Morrisville, sells mostly to corporate customers in this country.

But the company has made it clear it wants to attract more consumers from rivals such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

More than 1,000 Best Buy stores began carrying the Lenovo B560 and IdeaPad Z565 laptop, while 200 stores will carry the Lenovo V560 laptop.

One of the biggest complaints gadget consumers have had about Best Buy has been its draconian restocking fee for returned items.

Before you recycle that gently used digital camera, cell phone, HD DVD
player or laptop, see if you can get a little green out of it.

Best Buy may be a good bet for people looking for a holiday job this year.

In New York today, CEO Brian Dunn said the electronics retailer will hire more workers this year to meet demand for Internet-connected flat-screen TVs and mobile phones. 

Like most retailers, the fourth quarter is the strongest for Best Buy. Some retailers make as much as 40 or 50 percent of their annual sales in the final months of the year.

Best Buy is one of many retailers already starting its holiday hiring efforts. If you are looking for seasonal employment, now is the time to apply. Read our story from Saturday about holiday hiring this year.