Why You Can Trust CNET Three-deal Thursday: GoPro, Lenovo and, um, mo'
From the Cheapskate: Hey, YOU try to rhyme "iPhone charger" with "GoPro."
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.
Quick housekeeping note: My apologies regarding yesterday's very short-lived Corel video-editor deal. Still not sure if that was a price mistake or what, but it got pulled shortly after my post appeared. If you missed out, fear not: I've got a pretty sweet alternative coming up soon. Very soon.
Also, a quick survey: On a scale from 1-10, how interested are you in VR-friendly desktops? I ask because I think VR (in the form of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift) is going to be huge, but many of us are going to need new PCs if we want to get in on the action. And those could be pricey, so if there's any interest I'll keep an eye out for deals.
OK, on to business. I found some pretty amazing deals today, enough that I couldn't pick just one to feature. Thus it's time for another exciting three-deal Thursday!
1. GoPro or go home
Just about two years ago, the GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition was the "affordable" alternative to GoPro's then-flagship Black Edition: The action cams were priced at $299 and $399.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, which I'm guessing won't be long, based on the number already sold, GoPro has the refurbished Hero3+ Silver Edition for $149 shipped, available on eBay. (Take note that shipping is estimated between April 21 and May 4.)
As refurbs go, this is as good as it gets: factory-sealed with a one-year warranty, same as new GoPros. And although this is no longer the state-of-the-art model, CNET awarded it a 7.5 rating and praised its "excellent HD video with recording options up to 1080p at 60fps and the same design as the company's other cameras so you have access to a large selection of accessories and mounts."
I don't know about you, but when I'm strapping a camera to a drone, I'm a lot more comfortable with a $150 passenger than a $400 one.
2. Flex for less
The 11.6-inch Flex 3.
While you're hanging around eBay, see if this strikes your fancy: Lenovo has the Lenovo Flex 3 2-in-1 11.6-inch laptop for $179 shipped (plus tax, where applicable), though you can also choose to collect it from a store. That price includes a one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal, normally worth $70.
Even without that, this is pretty amazing. True to its name, the Flex features a 360-hinge, meaning you can use it in tablet mode, tent mode and so on. And it comes with Windows 10 preloaded, not Windows 8 as it did when it debuted last year (back then it cost $299, incidentally).
Make no mistake, this is not a super-slim powerhouse. Rather, it's a somewhat chunky slowpoke, at least compared with systems that have faster processors. Depending on your needs, however, that might not matter. Indeed, although CNET hasn't reviewed it, Slashgear called it "a budget laptop that doesn't feel like a budget laptop."
And that price -- wow. Did I mention this is new, not refurbished?
3. iPhone charging goes Tylt
It's baa-acck! And still just $5.50 out the door.
Time for a rerun! This was really popular when I shared it a few weeks back, and I'm happy to see it's available again.
Like I said then, a dead phone can really muck things up. Solution? Always carry a mobile charger. For a limited time, and while supplies last, iTech Deals has the Tylt Energi 1,800mAh MFi-certified mobile charger for $5.50 shipped. That's after applying coupon code TYLTIPHN at checkout.
The Energi features built-in folding wall prongs for charging and a built-in Lightning cable for powering your iDevice. Oh, and there's a USB port for powering other devices. Tylt is a premium charger, and the Energi originally listed for $49.99. Crazy-good deal.
If you grabbed one of these last time, let me (and your fellow cheeps) know if iTech Deals was a reliable vendor and, just as importantly, how you like the charger!
Bonus deal: Amazon Prime just keeps getting better. The latest proof: If you're a Prime subscriber, you can get a three-month Audible subscription for free. (Unsurprisingly, this is for new Audible customers only.) That subscription nets you one free audiobook download per month. After that, the service will run you $14.95 per month unless you cancel.