Why You Can Trust CNET Wild Wednesday: Chromebooks, Chromecasts and more!
From the Cheapskate: The planets must be aligned in some weird way, because there are some truly spectacular deals to be had today!
CNET's Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more.
Ever heard the expression, "an embarrassment of riches"? Today I give you an embarrassment of great deals. Seriously.
And because I'm in that kind of mood, each headline below is borrowed from a song title or lyric. Hit the comments and let's see who can identify the real song and artist.
Cuz I'm Chrome...Chrome-castin'
I sort of figure that, by now, everyone who wants a Google Chromecast already has a Google Chromecast -- but just in case: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Groupon is once again offering the refurbished Chromecast for $20, plus $3.99 for shipping.
That's a stupid-good deal on a gizmo that makes any TV smart (and can even make an existing smart TV smarter). The warranty is 90 days, but what is there to break?
Woot, there it is!
Daily-deal site Woot routinely offers the refurbished HP Chromebook 14, and I routinely mention it. Typically they're priced in the $200 to $210 range, and if you bought one previously at that price, well done. Move along. Nothing to see here.
(Psst! Everyone else. Something to see here!)
Today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the refurbished HP Chromebook 14 (2014 model) for $169.99, plus $5 for shipping. That's the lowest price I've seen for this ridiculously popular laptop, which is larger and therefore more comfortable to use than many a smaller Chromebook.
It's available in your choice of three colors and comes with a 90-day HP warranty.
We didn't buy the fire
Not everything Amazon touches turns to gold -- or fire. The company's first smartphone, for example, didn't exactly ignite sales. Instead, it sort of flamed out. Went up in a puff of smoke. Thank you, thank you, I'm here at the Low-Hanging Fruit Festival all week. (What about "Fire sale," you ask? That fruit was on the ground, people.)
Anyway, today only, Amazon is offering the unlocked GSM Fire Phone for $159 shipped, a price that includes one year of Amazon Prime (itself a $99 value).
Reviews have been pretty mixed across the board ( start with CNET's , natch), but any reasonably powerful phone (which this is) that's available unlocked and contract-free for $159 is awfully compelling. Plus: Prime!
Goofy kind of love
Every time I swear off mobile-charger deals, thinking I can't possibly get excited by another one, something comes along to change my mind.
Like this: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Vantrue has the Solove Roco 10,000mAh mobile charger for $26.99 when you apply coupon code 54PUM657 at checkout.
So what's the big deal about the Solove Roco? Put simply, it's gorgeous. It looks like an Apple product, all slim and sleek and elegant, encased in a rounded silver shell. Cooler still, when you give it a little shake, a red digital LED lights up to display the remaining charge!
Thankfully, there's more here than great aesthetics. The Roco's beefy battery can charge two devices at once -- quickly -- via 3.1A output ports. It comes with a great little carrying sleeve (with an extra pocket to hold a charge cable) and even has an 18-month warranty.
According to the vendor, quantities are fairly limited -- but more are coming, so if you miss it this time around, I should have a similar deal to share in about a week.
Okay! Who's ordering what?