The Nest Hello smart video doorbell drops to $165.74 (Update: Sold out)

I don't throw around words like "scourge" lightly, but porch pirates are a scourge on society, no question. It's not surprising, then, that video doorbells have exploded in popularity -- they give you a live view of who's at the door and can record video whenever they detect motion.

Read more: 7 ways to keep packages from getting stolen off your porch

The top-end models tend to be pricey, usually in the $200-$250 range. For a limited time, however, and while supplies last, CE Overstock (via Rakuten) has the Nest Hello smart Wi-Fi video doorbell for $165.74 when you apply promo code SAVE15. That requires you to have a Rakuten "membership" (free) and be signed into your account. Update: Sold out! But see below for a price that's just $4 higher.

If supplies run out, here's a close second: MassGenie has the Nest Hello for $169.95 when you're signed into your account and click the orange Power Deal button. It usually sells for $229.

Here's the most important thing to know about the Nest Hello: It's CNET's favorite video doorbell, beating out the likes of the August View Doorbell Camera and Ring Video Doorbell 2 . Read our full Nest Hello review to learn why.

As is common (unfortunately) with many smart doorbells, this one requires a monthly subscription to really get the most from it. Although Nest stores a three-hour video history at no extra charge, it's probably a good idea to get Nest Aware, which for $5 per month stores a five-day video history.

That subscription also nets you extras like activity zones (which let you limit motion detection to, say, just the porch area, so you don't get a bunch of alerts every time a car drives by) and person and facial recognition.

For what it's worth, I'm currently testing a less expensive video doorbell that's similar in design and offers free cloud storage, but it's nowhere near as versatile as the Nest Hello. The latter is not only CNET's top pick, but also a top-rated choice among users: Everywhere I look, I see average ratings of anywhere from 4.6 stars to 5 stars. (Seriously, check out Lowe's: 5.0 average from over 2,300 buyers!)

Assuming you're going to end up paying some kind of monthly fee for cloud storage and whatnot, you might as well get the best deal you can on the hardware. This is one of the best deals I've seen, period.

Watch this: Nest Hello video doorbell: Smarter than your average buzzer

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Get Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019 and Premiere Elements 2019 for $100

Sure, you can do some basic photo and video editing on your phone, but mobile apps will take you only so far. For more detailed work, you need a PC and capable software.

Here you go: For a limited time, Amazon is offering Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019 and Premiere Elements 2019 (for Windows and Mac) for $100. Regular price: $150.

Photoshop Elements is like the junior version of Photoshop , the 800-pound gorilla of image editors. It's designed to help you organize, manage, fix, enhance and share your photos.

Now, I'm the first to point out that you can accomplish Photoshop-level image editing with free tools like Gimp and Paint.NET. Those programs have fairly steep learning curves, however. They're not what I would call consumer-friendly. Photoshop Elements has a learning curve, too, but it's definitely more guided, more intuitive.

As for Premiere Elements, it's a pretty powerful consumer-level video editor. With it you can import clips from just about any source and turn your footage into a polished, professional-looking movie.  

There are some negative reviews from Amazon buyers, but look closely: Most of those came from folks who didn't follow the license-redemption instructions properly -- or thought they were buying Photoshop proper.

Get a $100 iTunes gift card for $85

Do you spend a lot on iTunes? Are you eyeballing the current Marvel movie sale that has a bunch of MCU titles (like The Avengers) on sale for $10 apiece? Here's a way to save a few bucks.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, PayPal Digital Gifts (via eBay) is offering a $100 iTunes gift card for $85. It's a digital card delivered via email.

You can use this for iTunes and App Store purchases. Sound good? Hurry up: In my experience, these deals don't last long. (The $50 gift card for $42.50 is currently sold out.)

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