Why You Can Trust CNET Get a Nixplay Seed digital photo frame for $70
From the Cheapskate: Best gift you'll ever give! That price is for the 7-inch model, but you can get the same 30-percent discount on larger ones. These top-rated Wi-Fi frames look gorgeous and come in a variety of colors.
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Photo albums are a thing of the past. Sure, we're all snapping zillions of photos on our phones, but what then? All your treasured moments languish in the cloud, rarely seen because of their sheer volume.
Not in my house. In my house there's a digital photo frame, which runs a perpetual slideshow of our favorite memories. Sometimes Mrs. Cheapskate and I just sit and watch it for a few minutes. Sometimes we glimpse a beloved photo in passing. Bottom line: It's one of our most prized possessions, because it reconnects us to people, places and events like nothing else can.
Sound good? It should, especially if you're looking for a great gift for a friend or family member. And for a limited time, there's a deal to be had: Get 30 percent off any Nixplay Seed photo frame when you apply discount code CNET30 at checkout. That's a Cheapskate exclusive, folks!
The Seed comes in three sizes -- 7-, 8- and 10-inch -- all of which are available in your choice of black, blue, mango or mulberry. The 7-inch model would run you just $70 after the discount, but I urge you to splurge on the 10-inch version at $119. The bigger the screen, the better for viewing from across the room.
Unlike digital frames of yesteryear, this one is fully connected. It taps into your home Wi-Fi network to slurp up photos from Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Dropbox and other online sources. It also has its own email address that friends and family members can use to send new photos. A companion app (for Android and iOS) lets you upload photos directly from your phone.
In other words, gone are the old hassles of adding new pictures. The Seed is also noteworthy for working in either landscape or portrait orientation. A power-saving option activates the screen when there's motion in the room and deactivates it when there's not. And the power card ingeniously doubles as the frame's stand, allowing for just about any viewing angle.
As I said, I'm a big fan of these. And sales are rare. This would make an amazing gift for your parents or grandparents, but at the same time, once you put one in your own home, you'll never want to be without it again.
Bonus deal: Speaking of gift items, if you're shopping for a youngster, I'm hard-pressed to imagine a more adorable item than this: the iClever BoostCare kids cat-ear headphones for $11.89 after coupon code SVN97YCG. These wired headphones are not only cute as the dickens, but also safer than most: They limit the volume to 85 decibels so kids can't accidentally (or intentionally) hurt their hearing.
I can't speak to the quality or longevity of these, but the value here lies in the cuteness. Unfortunately, the warranty isn't listed anywhere. I'm checking with the vendor and will update the post when I get a response. Update: 18-month warranty.
Bonus deal 2: If you're tired of sync and charge cables that don't last, consider spending a few extra bucks on some heavy-duty ones. Ending tomorrow, you can get 30 percent off any Nonda Zus cable when you apply code CNET30ZC at checkout.
That link takes you to the 4-foot Lightning cable, but there's also a microUSB version and a USB-C version. So what's so special about these? In addition to sporting handy right-angle USB-A plugs, they're made from braided nylon and military-grade Kevlar. Consequently, they're backed by a lifetime warranty. So, in theory it could be the last cable you'll ever need to buy.