Get a Creative D80 Bluetooth speaker for $29.99
That's an amazing price for a speaker that can pair with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The only downside: it requires AC power.
Once upon a time, I thought Bluetooth was a useless technology that would never catch on.
Turns out it's awesome for one thing: sending audio from your smartphone to a speaker. For instance, my car has a Bluetooth-capable stereo, and I revel in being able to beam podcasts, playlists, and Pandora from my iPhone -- no wires required.
I'm also a huge fan of Bluetooth speakers, which let you bring music just about anywhere -- the den, the bathroom, the garage, the patio -- without a bunch of extra gear.
All you need is your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or similar device -- anything that supports A2DP, the Bluetooth protocol that allows for the transmission of stereo audio. Most modern gadgets do (notable exceptions being the Kindle Fire and Nook Color/Tablet).
If you've been wanting to dip a toe into the Bluetooth-speaker waters without spending a lot, today's deal is for you. While supplies last, TigerDirect has the Creative Labs D80 Bluetooth speaker for $29.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code SAA60388 at checkout.
Update: Sorry, folks, looks like it's sold out -- for the moment, anyway. TigerDirect sometimes makes more inventory available, so do check back again later.
Update No. 2: As helpful reader msmitchell pointed out in the comments, Walmart has the Creative D80 for $34.99, with free ship-to-store delivery (plus sales tax in most states). For only five bucks more, this is still a terrific deal.
Normally priced at $49.99, the D80 is the low-end model in Creative's Bluetooth speaker lineup. The only difference between it and the pricier D100? The latter can run on batteries, meaning it's a lot more portable. The D80 requires an AC outlet.
That's not a huge deal if you're primarily planning to use it around the house. And if you check the 30 or so user reviews, which average out to 4.1 stars, you'll see that most buyers couldn't care less about that. They liked the D80's sound quality, ease of use, and versatility.
I have a sneaking suspicion that these will sell out quickly, so if you're looking for a good Mother's Day gift or you just want to see what all the Bluetooth-speaker fuss is about, grab this quick.
Bonus deal: I'm not above a little nepotism when the deal is this good. While supplies last, CNET has an exclusive offer from RapidBuyr.com: an iPhone survival kit for $15 shipped. The bundle includes a car charger, AC adapter, sync/charge cable, and extra set of earbuds. Great gift item for Mom...or just a handy batch of spare accessories for you.
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