Why You Can Trust CNET This one-of-a-kind Spotify player is on sale for just $65
It's like an iPod Shuffle for your Spotify library, and it's never been priced this low. Plus: three bonus deals!
The Mighty is the heir-apparent to the iPod Shuffle, but it works only with Spotify.
I've always wondered why Spotify doesn't make a portable player. Something small. Something exercise-friendly. Remember the old iPod Shuffle ? Something like that.
Thankfully, someone else does. It's called the Mighty, and for a limited time, Cheapskate readers can get the Mighty Spotify player for just $65. (Regular price: $86.) The coupon code, cheapskate, should be applied automatically when you check out. Shipping adds $5, but it's free if you order two or more.
The Mighty is a small, square, clippable music player that closely resembles the aforementioned Shuffle. It's available in black, white or orange, and I consider it among the coolest gadgets most people have never heard of.
The little player has a built-in clip so you can stick it just about anywhere.
After connecting to your phone via Wi-Fi, the player slurps up your Spotify playlists, allowing you to listen offline. That's convenient in a whole bunch of ways: preserving your phone's battery while you exercise, reducing your on-the-go data consumption and so on.
You can pair it with Bluetooth earbuds, speakers, car stereos and the like, but it also has a headphone jack -- great if your current phone doesn't.
Mighty can hold around 1,000 songs at Spotify's highest audio-quality level, and it's good for about five hours of play time. It's not waterproof, but it is both water- and drop-resistant.
Using the player is about as simple as it gets thanks to the familiar play-pause-skip control pad, but there are a few limitations. You can't sync individual songs, albums or artists -- it has to be playlists -- and you must have an active Spotify subscription. Mighty doesn't work with freebie accounts.
It does support podcasts, a recent and welcome addition. However, as you might expect in a screenless device, navigating them can be challenging. And podcasts that rely on dynamic ad-insertion can't be synced to the player.
My bigger complaint is that the Mighty relies on a proprietary, headphone-jack charging cable. Spares run $7 apiece. I suspect you could use less-expensive iPod Shuffle cables, but I'm not positive.
CNET hasn't reviewed the device, and I must note that some of the user reviews on Amazon are pretty low. It appears some folks have encountered reliability or syncing issues.
I asked the Mighty Audio folks about these reviews. Anthony Pu, a founding partner, noted that there's definitely a learning curve when it comes to syncing the device, pairing Bluetooth headphones and the like. He also mentioned that the initial batch of Mightys delivered to Kickstarter customers did have some technical issues that don't exist in the current version. Finally, he said, when customers take the time to reach out to technical support, problems almost always get resolved.
I can say from personal experience that syncing can be slow, and occasionally you get a message indicating that certain songs can't be synced. That's most likely due to licensing issues, but it's vexing all the same. Beyond that, I've had no problems. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Normally $60, the Tile-equipped KeySmart Pro is just $40 for Cheapskate readers. And it comes with a $25 flash drive!
Bonus deal: Is your keychain out of control? Do you often misplace your phone? Wait, what could those two things possibly have in common? Simple: There's a product designed to combat both problems -- and I've got an exclusive discount for you.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Daily Steals has the KeySmart Pro with Tile, bottle opener and 16GB USB flash drive for $39.99 with code CHEAPKEY. It sells elsewhere for $60, not including the drive!
The KeySmart organizes your keys into a compact, pocket-friendly deck. The integrated Tile locator -- which is rechargeable, a big advantage over standalone Tiles -- helps you find your phone. (Your phone, meanwhile, can help you locate your Tile. It's a two-way win!)
The 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive (a $25 value) is icing on the cake: It slips right into the KeySmart so you always have storage at the ready. This is a pretty sweet deal, one you simply will not find elsewhere.
Bonus deal No. 2: Regular readers know of my love for password manager LastPass, primarily because it's the only one (that I know of) that offers the all-important sync option in its free version.
If you've always wanted to try the Premium version but didn't want to spend $24, check it out: For a limited time, Humble is offering a one-year LastPass Premium subscription for $6.
Truth be told, the free version is already so feature-rich, I suspect most users don't really need Premium. It includes things like 1GB of encrypted file storage and priority customer support. It also removes ads, which is certainly welcome. I mention this deal only because, well, $6 is a lot less than $24.
This deal blows.
Bonus deal No. 3: Need help beating the heat? Try this: For a limited time, the Comlife F150 rechargeable clip-on fan is $16 with promo code 54J7CVMD. It normally runs $24, same as a lot of very similar fans.
This one offers 4,400mAh of portable power, enough to run the fan for anywhere from 6-32 hours depending on the speed setting. But there's also a USB port so you can recharge your phone if need be. Handy!
Although it has a clip, which makes it suitable for things like strollers and campsites, it can also sit upright on a desk. You can even use it for aromatherapy thanks to the little sponge in the center. (Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.)
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