Why You Can Trust CNET The Cheapskate's top Black Friday deals 2015
From the Cheapskate: On your marks, get set -- spend! These are my favorite deals, and not one of them requires a trip to a store.
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Howdy, cheeps! I hope you enjoyed your holiday as much as I did. New York, you certainly know how to put on a parade.
As you know, I tend to be pretty jaded when it comes to Black Friday, largely because I see and share spectacular deals all year round. But I can't let the day go by without sharing some favorites, which I promise you are at least as good as they've been in the past -- and some are even better.
So, in no particular order, let the shopping spree begin! (Please note that I wrote up most of these on Thursday, and while all the codes, prices and inventory checked out then, things can and do change without warning.)
Cheap charging
The first of many charging options.
The LithiumCard 1200 is a thin, attractive mobile charger that's seriously overpriced at $60. But today you can get three LithiumCard chargers for $60, plus $10 for shipping, when you apply the coupon code RocketDooty (snicker) at checkout.
That makes them $20 apiece: one for you, two for gifts. I like these because they have built-in charge cables (Lighting or Micro-USB).
Cheap backup
The best backup solutions are those that combine the cloud with local storage. Like this one: IDrive is offering its 1TB Wi-Fi hard drive and one year of 1TB cloud backup for just $39.99. Shut up! The drive itself is worth at least twice as much. Do note, however, that delivery is estimated to take 2-4 weeks.
Cheap wheels
No, they don't really hover. But they're still cool.
I promised you a hoverboard deal, and here it is! MDA Direct (via Rakuten) has the Fly Board two-wheeled self-balancing scooter for $239.99 shipped when you apply the coupon code PAYPALBF30. The one catch: You have to make your payment through PayPal. The scooter is available in your choice of four colors.
Want. Want, want, want, want, want. (Update: Nope. This appears to have sold out.)
Cheap charging, part 2
I've made no secret of my love for Solove mobile chargers, with their gorgeous race-car designs and amazing charge capacities.
Today the top-end model is priced lower than ever: Get the Solove Titan 20,000mAh dual-USB charger for $29.99 when you apply the coupon code SOLVEBLC at checkout. Choose between the gray and silver versions. Believe the reviews -- these things are awesome.
Cheap styli
Don't worry, they're supposed to look like that.
Got a pen? Throw it to the ground and cry, "I quit thee, lousy single-purpose implement!" Because Ace Teah has a six-pack of three-in-one pens for $6.99 shipped when you apply coupon code ZGQUZZUN at checkout.
Granted, that's only $1 off, but how cool are these? Ballpoint pen at one end, capacitive stylus at the other and a smartphone stand along the middle! Plus they come in an assortment of colors.
It's hard to tell from the photo whether they're long enough to write comfortably with, or whether the "stand" part can accommodate phones in cases, but the user reviews are stellar. Stocking-stuffer gifts, done!
Cheap guitar lessons
If you want to learn to strum but can't afford lessons, start with a Jamstik. It's a wireless fretboard that'll teach you the basics.
In the beginning, it sold for $250, and still runs $199 most places. Today, however, you can score a Jamstik for just $114.99 when you apply coupon code jamcheap1. Shipping is free.
Cheap geek stuff
If you missed out on the Geek Fuel mystery-box deal from last month, you might want to consider this one: Exclusively for Cheapskate readers, sign up for any plan (one month, three months, etc.) and you'll get not only the usual box o' goodies, but also a $30 Star Wars bundle and a free PC game via Steam: Warmachine: Tactics, a $40 value.
Cheap smartwatch (like, super-cheap)
$24. Quite possibly the best tech deal of 2015.
No smartwatch yet? You were wise to wait. Today only, Meh.com has one of my favorites: the Martian Notifier for $24, plus $5 for shipping. That's the lowest price I've ever seen for this notification-savvy timepiece.
Seriously, as I get ready to throw my Pebble Time Steel into the river because it won't stay connected to my iPhone (an issue I've had with pretty much every Pebble since the beginning), I remember how trusty my Notifier always was. For $24, this is a no-brainer. Get one.
Cheap charging, part 3
"Sheesh, it never ends with this guy and the chargers!" Hey, I'm just trying to give you lots of options. Much as I love the aforementioned Soloves, sometimes you want something pocketable that also has a built-in cable. Oh, and more capacity than the LithiumCards.
Bam! Grab the Olala C2-i 6,000mAh mobile charger for $23.99 when you apply coupon code BL3UY33F at checkout. Regular price: $29.99. Equipped with a built-in Lightning cable (yay!), this slim charger also has a USB port for charging non-Apple devices.
Cheap talk
I've always been an iPhone guy, but lately I feel like every time I turn around, someone is showing me a really cool feature on their Android phone -- something iPhones can't do. And, good heavens, the price difference...
For example: Today only, and while supplies last, Amazon has the unlocked Motorola Nexus 6 with 64GB for $259.99 shipped. That's an amazing price for this popular 6-inch phablet. Pretty sure it was around $350 the last time I wrote about it. And that was for the 32GB model. Check out CNET's review.
Update: Looks like the Nexus is sold out now.
Cheap listening
The perfect cure for the hotel-room blues.
I'm writing this from a hotel room, where I wish I'd remembered to pack a speaker. Jamming to "Uptown Funk" on my phone's tiny little speaker just doesn't cut it.
But speakers are big and bulky, right? Not this one: BlueRigger has the Kinivo ZX100 mini portable rechargeable speaker for $12.99, shipped free with Prime. And that price is good on all of the many color combinations.
This cute little speaker, which plugs directly into your device's headphone jack using a built-in cable, sounds amazingly good given its size. The buttons are embossed onto the corners and a little hard to see, but otherwise this is a splendid travel companion. Especially for the price.
Whew! OK, that's it for me -- I'm spent. (See what I did there?) Hit the comments and let me know what deals you liked, what deals you grabbed and, especially, what deals you found elsewhere. Hey, I can't cover everything. I'll see you back here on Monday. Hmm, wonder if anything is happening...