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Revenge of the Fifth! Get 'The Force Awakens' for $8

From the Cheapskate: That's one of several deals I've lined up for today. Come check out the others!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
3 min read
Lucasfilm

CNET's Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.


You know what I love about you, cheeps? Even when I'm borderline sacrilegious, like expressing a personal dislike for something as holy as "Star Wars" (specifically, "The Force Awakens"), no one gets nasty about it. You counter with your own opinion, maybe engage in a little playful smack talk, and that's it. More proof that I have the coolest readers of any blog anywhere.

And it's precisely because you're so cool that I present this: While supplies last, Family Video is offering digital download codes for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" for $8, by far the lowest price I've seen for the movie. The code, which will be emailed to you in 1-2 days, must be redeemed via UltraViolet, the service that pairs with the likes of CinemaNow, Flixster and Vudu.

Update: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Family Video appears to be sold out of codes. The good news, for those of you who managed to get one, is it turns out you can redeem it for just about any streaming service, including Amazon Video, iTunes and Google Play. Follow the instructions that come with your redemption e-mail.

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Lucasfilm

In other words, you can watch the movie on most phones, tablets and streaming sticks/boxes. Just the other day I rented something on Vudu and watched it via my Roku. So even if you're new to UltraViolet and/or the aforementioned services, you should have no trouble watching the movie when and where you want.

When you consider "The Force Awakens" will cost $6 to rent (when it finally becomes available for rental), an extra $2 to own it outright is kind of a no-brainer. (And, yes, I fully intend to watch it again, just to see if I feel differently about it post-hype.)

So say we all

Speaking of sci-fi, any "Battlestar Galactica" fans out there? I have exciting news: I just launched Battlestar Recaptica, a podcast that recaps every episode of the show (specifically, the 2003-2008 reboot) from miniseries to finale.

The first episode went live yesterday. I hope you'll check it out!

The key(s) to productivity

Back in March I shared a deal on a pretty cool folding keyboard. If you didn't bite then, maybe you will now -- because the price has dropped a bit.

Battop now offers its folding Bluetooth keyboard for $22.76 when you apply discount code R7H9P5X5 at checkout.

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Battop

When folded, it looks remarkably like a three-hole punch and feels very solid. Unfold it and it's a full QWERTY keyboard -- a touch narrower than standard, but comfortable enough for touch-typing. It even has a built-in stand to hold your phone or tablet upright.

To my thinking this is a way better solution than a keyboard case, which adds significant full-time bulk to your tablet. Here, you whip out the keyboard when you need it, stow it when you don't.

Now hear this, gamers!

For anyone serious about gaming, especially online gaming, a good headset is essential. Unfortunately, a good headset also tends to be expensive.

Not today: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Tanga has the Turtle Beach Ear Force XO Seven gaming headset for Xbox One for $59.99 shipped. It's new, not refurbished, and it sells elsewhere for at least $100.

This isn't my wheelhouse at all, but the headset scored high marks from Amazon buyers and Gamestop buyers. It's not clear to me if it would work with devices other than the Xbox One, though. Anyone care to weigh in?

Bonus deal: This is an awesome time to buy a smartphone, because yesterday's flagship models are today's bargains. Example: Daily Steals has the refurbished Google Nexus 5 (32GB, unlocked GSM) for $139.99 shipped. A couple years back, when it sold for $399, CNET had this to say about the Nexus 5: "Strong performance, high-end specs, and an ultra-affordable price make the Google Nexus 5 not just the best unlocked phone on the market, but the best Nexus phone by far." It comes with Android 5.0 installed and can be upgraded to 5.1.1.