General

How to find the biggest cashback bonus for anything you buy

I've written many times before of my love for cashback services, which pay you back a percentage of your purchase just for going through their shopping portals.

For example, FatWallet recently started offering 3 percent back on Amazon Instant Video and MP3 purchases. And Ebates is currently paying 4 percent to 5 percent back on purchases from Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

Of course, there are lots of cashback sites out there, and some offer bigger bonuses than others. How can you make sure you're getting the maximum rebate for each store you visit?

Simple: click the Cashback Comparison bookmarklet. … Read more

Get a refurbished Logitech Harmony 650 remote for $29.99

This is an update of a post from way back in January.

Tired of juggling two, three, even five remotes? There's salvation to be found in the form of Logitech's Harmony series of universal clickers, which not only take the place of multiple 'remotes but also let you set up crazy-handy macro functions.

One of the color-LCD models, the 650, usually sells for around $80. But if you don't mind going the refurbished route, you can get one for a lot less. While supplies last, TigerDirect has open-box Logitech Harmony 650 remotes for $29.99 shipped. That'… Read more

Three Web services worth paying for

People who know me know I don't like paying for anything. If there's a free (or at least cheaper) alternative, you can bet I'll take it. I am, after all, a cheapskate.

That said, there are a handful of Web services I consider to be great values -- so great, in fact, that I actually don't mind paying for them. Well, OK, I'd rather get them for free, but they don't make me cringe the way I do when paying for, say, phone service and cable TV.

My three worth-the-money picks:

1. Followupthen

I'… Read more

Make free calls to landlines, mobile phones with Vonage app

Quick housekeeping note: I'll be taking the day off tomorrow, so I'll see you back here on Wednesday. Here's a great freebie to tide you over until then!

Talk is cheap, right? How about this: For a short while, talk is free.

Vonage Mobile (Android|iOS) is a voice over P app that lets you make free calls (and send free texts) to other Vonage app users.

You can also use it to call landline and mobile phones -- but normally this costs money. For a limited time, however, you can use Vonage Mobile to make free calls to landline and mobile phones.… Read more

Get a refurbished Xbox Kinect for $59.99

If you haven't yet had the pleasure of flailing your body in front of your TV set, here's your chance to do it on the cheap.

I'm talking about the Xbox Kinect, of course, the motion-sensing camera system that "turns your body into the controller" for various games. I don't mind telling you, it's a blast.

And it's on sale! For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the refurbished Xbox Kinect for $59.99 shipped (plus sales tax where applicable).

A quick caveat before I go on: unlike … Read more

Does it still make sense to buy Microsoft Office?

As you've no doubt heard by now, Microsoft just announced Office 2013 and The New Microsoft Office suite.

Not announced: pricing.

Call it a hunch, but I suspect Microsoft will charge at least as much for Office 2013 as it does for Office 2010. After all, the new suite is chock-full of new features, giving Microsoft ample justification for keeping prices the same -- or even raising them.

Currently, Office 2010 Home and Student and Office 2010 Home and Business sell for $119.99 and $199.99, respectively. That's for a single-user license. The three-user version of Home … Read more

Get a $926 Mac software bundle for $49.99

Good news, Mac users: You're about to get a bundle of love. By which I mean software.

The iStack Mac Bundle comes with 10 apps that would normally cost $926. (And people say Mac software is overpriced.) Your cost: $49.99.

Let's start with the crown jewel of the bundle, the program that's most likely to make your wallet spring open: Parallels Desktop 7. A $79 program all by itself, Parallels lets you run Windows 7 and Windows programs on your Mac, no rebooting required. It's a top-rated utility, and with good reason.

Even if you … Read more

Get a NetTalk Duo VoIP adapter for $14.99

What a difference a month makes. (This is an update of a post I wrote a month ago, almost to the day.)

Landlines? Pffft. I haven't used one for years. And why would I when I'm already paying for broadband Internet service, which has more than enough bandwidth to carry my voice? All I need is a voice-over-IP adapter.

There are lots of options here, including well-known ones like MagicJack and Vonage. But there's another product that's just as good, if not better -- and it's on sale.

Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay … Read more

Exclusively for CNET Members: Get ready for your summer road trip with great savings from Accessory Genie

Hitting the road this summer? Before you go, make sure to stop by today's CNET Exclusives page and stock up on tech gadgets to make your trip more entertaining! Accessory Genie is offering five products at 50 percent off. Buy them all, or pick and chose from our excellent selection.

I recently borrowed my dad's car for a 4-hour road trip up to Cape Cod -- yeah, right where that guy in a kayak got chased by a great white shark last week -- and about 5 minutes in I realized he didn't have a jack for … Read more