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Get an Olio Model One smartwatch for $50

This discontinued watch from a defunct company originally sold for $595 and up. So it's kind of a gamble, but also a total steal. Plus: a deal on one of the best ways to keep your home network running smoothly.

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

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The Olio Model One is a gorgeous smartwatch, and compatible with both Android and iOS. Just don't expect much beyond notifications.

Meh

You've probably never heard of Olio. A couple years ago, the company debuted a super-luxe, super-expensive line of smartwatches that, perhaps unsurprisingly, no one bought.

Flash forward to today: Reseller Meh scooped up a bunch of brand new unsold Olio Model Ones (Olio should have called it the Model One-and-Only -- hi-yo!) and is selling them for peanuts.

Meaning today only, and while supplies last, you can get the Olio Model One smartwatch for $50, plus $5 for shipping. That's for a model with a leather band. There are other options, including metal and alligator, for $60 and $70. These are all brand new, not refurbished.

There are a couple important caveats here, starting with this: Olio is out of business. That means there's no support whatsoever to be had for the Model One, and the only warranty you get is 90 days from Meh -- which is actually pretty generous, considering.

Second, although the hardware is gorgeous (on par with the likes of the LG Watch Urbane), the functionality is pretty limited. From what I could tell, there are exactly two faces to choose from: analog and digital.

There are music controls, accessible just by swiping up from the bottom, and a pretty slick implementation of notifications, which is arguably the most important feature of any smartwatch. The Model One is compatible with both Android and iOS.

CNET never reviewed it, so I'll turn you over to this write-up from The New York Times and this one from IWearTheTech.com.

The Meh folks were nice enough to send me one to check out, so here's my take: This is a beautiful watch, one that does a few things really well and a few things, well, meh. I found the interface a little confusing at first, but then very easy once I figured out the layout and, ahem, read the instructions. But the screen didn't always respond perfectly to my swipes.

Still, if all you want to do is check the time and get notifications on your wrist, I think this $50 awfully well spent. Or, "splurge" on one of the $70 options, and when friends ask why you're looking so smug, tell them it's because you're wearing a $1,395 timepiece.

As you might recall, a few months back, discontinued Pebble watches were selling for around $25. This is like the deluxe version of that. So I'll ask the same question: Is it worth the risk to buy a discontinued product from a dead company?

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NetReset power-cycles your modem and router once per day to ensure optimal performance.

NetReset

Bonus deal: Is your home network plagued by spotty connections, poor streaming video quality, laggy games and/or just generally inconsistent performance. As you may know, the simple act of resetting your modem and router can help. Sometimes a lot.

The NetReset is a clever gadget that'll do that for you on a regular basis. It normally sells for $49.99, but for a limited time, Cheapskate readers can get a NetReset for $29.99 with discount code CNET17. (After you add it to your cart, click Show order summary to reveal the promo-code field. Note that you must purchase it direct; don't click over to Amazon, as the code won't work there.)

All you do is plug the NetReset into an outlet, plug your modem and router (or your all-in-one modem/router) into the NetReset, then set the timer for your preferred power-cycle time (3 a.m., for example). Done!

Unlike a simple programmable timer, the NetReset will power your devices sequentially: first modem, then router. That should help ensure the best connectivity. Another nice perk: It has its own 20-day backup battery, so if there's a power outage, you won't have to manually reprogram everything.

Seems like the kind of thing a practical dad would enjoy for Father's Day!