General

Sometimes it's hard being the Cheapskate. I don't mean the rigors of finding awesome deals on a daily basis, though that certainly can be a challenge. (What? Another tablet?!)

No, the tough part is when a frustrated reader e-mails me because the product he ordered hasn't arrived after three weeks. Or, even worse, it arrived in poor condition. And the company that sold it to him won't help or even respond. Although I have no control over these kinds of situations, and can't offer much in the way of assistance, I feel terrible for indirectly … Read more

You know what my iPad doesn't have? A DVD player. So how am I supposed to watch all the great movies in my DVD collection? I'm talking "The Rock," "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Incredibles," "The Matrix," and so on. (It's true: I have awesome taste in movies.)

No doubt Apple, Amazon, and Google would love for me to buy their digital versions of all my platter-based movies, but I already bought them once. Do I really have to spend $10 to $15 to buy them again?

Not today. Movie-discovery … Read more

Whenever I write about landline alternatives like the NetTalk Duo or Ooma Telo, readers invariably line up to sing the praises of the Obihai OBi100, a voice-over-IP phone adapter that many say is a better alternative.

It's definitely a cheaper one, especially today: Obihai (via Amazon) has the OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter for $29.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code TALK2DAD at checkout, and about 25 percent off the regular price.

Update: The coupon code does not appear to be working at the moment. I'm checking with Obihai and will update the post again when I … Read more

Headed to the beach? The campground? The shower? Gotta love a battery-powered Bluetooth speaker for those and other destinations.

But which one? Jawbone's Jambox is arguably the best-known, but at $129.99 (down from $179.99), it feels a little pricey. Thankfully, there are more affordable alternatives.

Like this one: Today only, and while supplies last, Tanga has the Urge Basics Soundbrick portable Bluetooth speaker for $33.99, plus $2.99 for shipping. It's available in your choice of colors: white, blue, red, and pink.

Urge Basics? Nope, I never heard of 'em either. But check this out: … Read more

I first encountered the MyCharge Peak 6000 at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Since then it has become my most prized travel accessory. I literally never leave home (for a trip) without it.

Why am I so enamored with something as basic as a mobile charger? Simple: the Peak 6000 does right what every other mobile charger does wrong.

For starters, it packs a 6,000mAh battery, which can recharge an average smartphone three to four times. Even better, you recharge the Peak's battery by plugging the entire unit right into an AC outlet. Its fold-up wall prongs … Read more

This is an update of a deal I wrote about last year.

Landline? What's a landline? In my house, phone service arrives via the Interwebs. Over the years I've used a handful of voice-over-IP services (some good, some bad), eventually settling on Ooma and saving literally thousands of dollars in the process.

Want to do likewise? Today only, and while supplies last, Sellout.Woot has the refurbished Ooma Telo home phone system for $99.99, plus $5 for shipping. The last time I wrote about it, it was $10 more -- but that was after waiting on a $… Read more

For all the complaining about Windows 8's lack of a Start button (much of it coming from me), the tech media has largely ignored an even bigger feature Microsoft unceremoniously pulled from the OS.

And not only pulled, but also slapped with a price tag.

I'm talking about Windows Media Center, the thoroughly awesome software that makes a Windows PC a great companion for TV -- or just a great TV, depending on how you use it.

Windows Media Center (hereafter WMC) made its debut as a specialized version of Windows XP, but was later incorporated into most versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Offering a gorgeous 10-foot (i.e., TV-friendly) interface for your music, photos, videos, and, with the addition of a tuner, TV shows, WMC quickly amassed a small but rabid following.… Read more

For over a year now I've championed Kingsoft Office Free 2012 as one of the top Microsoft Office alternatives for Windows, and with good reason: It's one of the best-looking clones out there, with superb file-compatibility to boot.

Yesterday, Kingsoft unveiled Office Free 2013 (Windows). (Please see below before you install it.) I'll go out on a limb and say it's now the single best free replacement for Microsoft Office, for a couple of very good reasons.

In case you're unfamiliar with it, Kingsoft Office includes three modules: Writer, Spreadsheets, and Presentations. Needless to say, … Read more

Yowza. This might be the best name-your-own-price game bundle I've ever seen. And I've seen lots of them. Lots and lots.

For the next five days or so, the Humble Weekly Bundle gives you a seven-game Telltale Games bundle for whatever price you want to pay. And if you beat the average (currently a paltry $4.19), you get an eighth title.

That's crazy. The combined value here is well in excess of $100, and the games themselves (most of which are available for both PC and Mac) rank among the best adventures of recent years. They … Read more