General

Smartphones with touch screens? Great! Tablets with touch screens? Duh. But PCs with touch screens? Meh.

Recently I purchased a Lenovo IdeaPad U310 ultrabook, my first-ever touch-screen-equipped computer. I didn't necessarily want the feature, but figured I might as well give Windows 8 the benefit of the doubt. It was, after all, designed to be touched -- which explains why using it with a mere mouse and keyboard is such a dreadful experience. Plus, it was priced only about 50 bucks higher than its non-touch-screen sibling.

Having worked with the system for a couple weeks now, I'm ready … Read more

Last week I talked about creating a backyard theater on the cheap, an idea many of you found quite appealing. Of course, the key ingredient is the projector, and that can cost a pretty penny.

For a limited time, Epson has the refurbished PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 1080p projector for $899 shipped. It sells new for $1,299. Not wild about refurbs? Don't worry: this one comes with the exact same warranty as a new one: two years on the projector, 90 days on the lamp.

Now, if you read Friday's post, you'll no doubt recall that … Read more

A couple years back I had the chance to review an outdoor movie kit from Open Air Cinema. It was really cool, combining an HD projector, inflatable screen, sound system, and other gear -- but for a jaw-dropping price of around $5,500.

I think for that kind of money, I should be able to get actors to come to my back yard and perform live.

Fortunately, it's possible to assemble your own open-air cinema for a lot less.

Arguably the single most important element, and certainly the most expensive, is the projector. You want one that'… Read more

Recently my media-center PC died (well, the hard drive -- when you start seeing boot-screen messages about "imminent hard drive failure," believe them!). All those episodes of "Community" and "Once Upon a Time" I'd DVR'd for later viewing -- gone.

Hulu Plus to the rescue! Yeah, you have to sit through commercial breaks (albeit way shorter ones than during regular broadcasts), but it's still the best (and cheapest) way to watch first-run TV shows.

A typical Hulu Plus trial lasts just seven days, but for a limited time, StackSocial is offering … Read more

Regular Cheapskate readers know of my fondness for sound bars, which supplant the usually sucky speakers built into HDTVs with bigger, better, forward-facing audio.

One gripe with most bars, however, is the lack of bass. Another: price. Typically, these babies ain't cheap, especially if you opt for one with a subwoofer.

Exception! For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Vizio VSB210WS sound bar and wireless subwoofer for $84.99, shipped (plus sales tax where applicable). It originally sold for $349, currently lists for $259.99, and sells elsewhere for as much as $227.

Before … Read more

For a while now I've been wanting to test-drive FreedomPop, the wireless Internet provider that offers, among other things, 500MB of free mobile data per month.

Alas, because it's a 4G-only service based on Clearwire's WiMAX network, there's no coverage in my area.

That changes today with the introduction of FreedomPop's new Overdrive Pro mobile hot spot, which offers both 4G and 3G coverage via Sprint.

In other words, now I can get in on the free-data action. The Overdrive Pro costs $39.99 and allows for up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to connect at … Read more

For a long while I've had my eye on TuneUp, a sophisticated Windows utility that promises to fix all the problems with your music library: mislabeled song info, missing album artwork, and so on. But I couldn't bring myself to pay $49.95 for it.

Even the company's current special, a 30 percent discount, seems steep.

Ah, but give me TuneUp for $29 and throw in six other programs. Now we're talking. That's exactly the deal being offered by PCBundler, which has seven Windows apps (including TuneUp) for $29.

Needless to say, I think TuneUp (… Read more

Quick housekeeping note: Last month I told you about DietBet, an intriguing site that links you with others for a fun (and potentially profitable) weight-loss contest. I set up a game with a $25 buy-in, then waited to see what happened.

Twenty-eight days later, the contest is over. Exactly 400 people signed up, for a pot total of $10,000. Your Cheapskate is now 8.5 pounds lighter. And in a couple days I'll know how many others will join me in divvying up the pot. Bottom line: This was a huge success for me, and whether or not … Read more

If you're in the market for an e-reader, you've no doubt read some reviews, checked out some user feedback, maybe even spoken with friends. That's all well and good, but sometimes you just want to put the leading candidates side by side and see which one wins the day.

That's the idea behind ReaderRocket, a seriously nifty tool that compares e-readers and gives you a complete rundown of specs, features, reviews, and more -- all so you can make the most informed decision possible.

To get started, either choose one of the existing comparisons, or type … Read more