The Cheapskate

Get a Kindle with Special Offers for $49 shipped

Whoa! Amazon is selling the refurbished Kindle with Special Offers for $69. And if you claim a free voucher from Amazon Local (available today only), you can get it for $49!

Start by heading to Amazon Local (the city doesn't matter) and clicking Get Voucher. Make sure to complete the process of "placing your order" (an Amazon account and credit card are required), keeping in mind that you won't be charged anything for the voucher.

When that's done, click Your Vouchers (top-right corner of the page). It may take a few minutes to finish processing and actually more

Tablet Tuesday: Get a 10-inch Acer Iconia for $199.99

Cheap things come to those who wait. It was just a few weeks ago that I wrote about this very tablet, which was selling for a then-attractive price of $239.99

Now, while supplies last, Acer (via eBay) is offering the refurbished Iconia A500-10S08u 10.1-inch Android tablet for $199.99 shipped. That's an awful lot of tablet for less than 200 bucks.

And it makes me ask: What's the best screen size for a tablet? I mean, your two Benjamins can also buy you a 7-inch Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet. The playing field has rarely been more

Three amazing flash-drive deals

Asking me not to post a killer deal is like asking me not to draw breath -- even when it's a product I know most of you already have.

Yep, I'm talking flash drives. They've dipped to amazingly low prices of late, which is why I just can't pass them up. Therefore, without further ado:

1. Staples has the Kingston DataTraveler 101 G2 8GB flash drive for $4.99. Shipping adds a hilariously ridiculous $9.95, but you can avoid that charge by opting for in-store pickup. (You'll still have to pay sales tax, natch.)more

Get a $2 Amazon MP3 credit for naming your favorite song

Quick: What's your favorite song right now?

If you don't mind sharing the answer with your Facebook friends (and, admit it, you probably have already), you can get a $2 Amazon MP3 credit.

Just type in the name of your favorite song (or, really, any song, past or present), then click Share & Claim. Presto: Two bucks you can spend on more music.

What's the catch? No catch, though you will have to authorize Amazon's Facebook app if you haven't already. (I can already hear the Facebook haters crying foul, but remember that this giveaway is more

Get a loaded Sony Blu-ray player for $64.99

DVDs or on-demand movies? Some pundits would have you believe it's one or the other, but you can walk the line and enjoy both. All you need is a Blu-ray player that has apps.

Like this one: While supplies last, Quick Ship Electronics has the refurbished Sony BDP-BX58 Blu-ray player for $64.99 shipped. It's without question the most loaded set-top box I've seen at this price.

How loaded? Well, it's a Blu-ray player for starters. It supports regular and 3D discs, the latter kind of fun if you know where to score 3D movies to watch at home.more

Get a Logitech Revue with Google TV for $73.99

This is an update of a deal I posted last year.

Google TV: doomed product or stealth Apple TV/Roku competitor? Probably the former, given that the set-top box never really caught on, even after Logitech slashed the price from $299 to $99.

And now it's even less. Newegg has the refurbished Logitech Revue With Google TV for $73.99 shipped. That's the lowest price I've seen on this Internet-meets-TV appliance. Doomed? Maybe. Deal? Definitely!

In case you're not familiar with the Revue, it goes above and beyond Apple TV- and Roku-style media streaming by offering more

Get a Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet for $149

The tablet wars are on.

Just last month, Amazon slashed the refurbished Kindle Fire to $139 (it's now back up to $169). Today, Barnes & Noble (via eBay) is offering the ~~refurbished~~ Nook Tablet for $149 shipped. Just to clarify, that's the Nook Tablet, not the older Nook Color -- which is what you usually see selling at this price.

Update: Yikes! Big goof on my part: this Nook is new, not refurbished!

What's the difference? Physically, they're just about identical, but the Nook Tablet features a faster processor, more RAM, and a microphone. The Nook more

Get Laplink PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant for free

Still plugging along with Windows XP or Vista? Dreading the prospect of upgrading to Windows 7 because Microsoft offers no direct upgrade path? (More on that in a bit.)

Help is on the way. Today only, in honor of its 29th birthday, Laplink is offering PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant absolutely free. It regularly sells for $29.95.

To get the software, click here, then click the little "Add to cart" box in the upper-right corner of the free-PCmover banner. Scroll down and click "Proceed to Cart." Follow the instructions on the following page.

Not interested? Laplink is also running more

Get the ultimate tablet case for under $20

Much as I'm loathe to diminish the beauty of a tablet by wrapping it in a plastic or leather case, I recognize the necessity -- not just for protection, but also for productivity.

For example, as someone who routinely reads books and magazines over breakfast, I like to prop up my tablet at a comfortable viewing angle. And I don't always want it in landscape orientation, either; sometimes I prefer a portrait view. (See you around, iPad Smart Cover.)

FreedomPop bringing free 4G service to iPhones

Back in February, wireless upstart FreedomPop made some bold promises about free mobile broadband service. Now it appears the company is getting ready to make good on at least one of them.

As reported this morning by Apple news site TUAW, FreedomPop is now taking pre-orders for the Freedom Sleeve, a $99 iPhone 4/4S case that provides "free" 4G wireless service -- among other benefits.

Exciting stuff, right? Before you pull out your credit card, check the fine print. For starters, FreedomPop's WiMax-powered 4G broadband isn't available everywhere -- like here in metro Detroit, where I live. more