Why You Can Trust CNET Wednesday's top deals: Star Wars arcade, free Half-Life games, tiny USB-C charger and more
Other deals include a 2-person kayak for $53 and true-wireless sport earbuds for just $25.
Cheeps, it's a veritable deal bonanza today! For starters, yesterday I told you about Amazon's Fire tablet sale, which has Black Friday pricing on every model except the Fire 7. Well, good news: Target has the Fire 7 for $29.99, which does indeed match Black Friday. (You'll see that price when you add it to your cart.)
Meanwhile, if you're in the market for a new TV -- maybe something bigger or better on which to watch a certain football game -- there's a great deal on the 65-inch TCL 6-Series. And if you've never had the pleasure of playing Valve's Half-Life games, they're all free right now on Steam. (You don't get to keep them forever, but you do get unlimited access for the next two months.)
Read more: Want to play Half-Life: Alyx? Here's the VR gear that works
Let's move on to some other noteworthy Wednesday deals:
First Man Blu-ray, DVD and Digital: $5
Own this movie in all three formats for just $5.
I've been wanting to see this Ryan Gosling flick about Neil Armstrong, but was only planning to rent it. Turns out it's not even available for rental at the moment -- but, thankfully, I can own it for the same price. Right now at Amazon, after a 99-cent coupon that should be applied automatically, First Man on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital is just $5.
Even without that extra dollar off, that's an unusually good deal on a movie like this. The digital version all by itself sells for $15. I have no real need for the physical discs, but I can donate those or hand them to friends or family.
Float your boat with this 2-person inflatable kayak for $53
A great Valentine's Day gift, perhaps?
Yesterday I shared a deal on an inflatable kayak for one. That's not very romantic! If you want to paddle with a pal, here's another amazingly good option: The Intex Explorer K2 inflatable kayak for $53. It's not the lowest price on record, but you're still saving $17.
The kit includes adjustable seats, two paddles, a manual air pump and a carrying bag. The kayak can hold up to 400 pounds. I'm liking this as a Valentine's Day gift for your special someone, as it says, "Here's an activity we can do together."
Arcade1Up Star Wars Arcade Cabinet with riser: $372
Want want want want want.
This is right near the top of my list of Totally Impractical Things I Seriously Want. As a kid, I dropped about a bazillion quarters into the Star Wars arcade game, so I was pretty excited when Arcade1Up introduced its three-quarter scale version last year. But, argh, $500? Even this deal isn't quite there yet for me, but it's getting close: Today only, and while supplies last, Amazon has the Arcade1Up Star Wars Arcade Cabinet with riser for $371.99 -- the lowest price I've seen.
Yes, it plays only three games. Yes, some would argue that they're not even particularly good games. Dangit, folks, the nostalgic heart wants what the nostalgic heart wants.
The world's smallest USB-C charger: $10.94
A compact USB-C wall plug for a reasonable price.
That's Aukey's claim, and while I have no way of verifying whether it's true, a quick perusal of other PD chargers seems to bear this out. Perhaps even better, the price is quite small as well: Cheapskate readers can get the Aukey PA-Y18 USB-C PD Charger for $10.94 after clipping the on-page 20%-off coupon and then applying promo code ZJCHJNUA at checkout.
This little wall-plug offers a single 18-watt USB-C port for charging your compatible devices. It includes all manner of electrical protections and has folding prongs, always a nice perk.
Confused about all this USB-C and PD charging stuff? CNET's Stephen Shankland just wrote a great USB-C overview for 2020.
Wireless earbuds you can jog with: $24.97
Bluetooth 5.1, sport hooks and 20 total hours of playtime -- all for $25.
We can't let a day go by without a headphone deal, right? 😜 If you're a runner, or you engage in any kind of activity that involves a lot of bouncing around, you should probably look for earbuds that have ear hooks. Otherwise, there's a good chance you'll bounce your 'buds right out of your ears. (True story: Yesterday I lost an AirPod in the snow, just while walking! Thankfully, I found it.)
One crazy-affordable option: The Jarv Active Motion True Wireless Earbuds for $24.97 with promo code TWSSPRTBUDS. Regular price: $49.95.
These sweatproof sport 'buds come with two sets of ear hooks: one black, one red. You also get the obligatory three sets of ear tips, the better to achieve a good inner-ear seal.
In my brief testing, I had some difficulty getting that seal -- not uncommon with earbuds like these, because you're trying to properly maneuver both the tips and the hooks. Once you get them properly "seated," though, they sound decent -- good enough for outdoor and exercise activities.
Jarv promises around four hours of playtime and four full recharges from the case, for a total of 20 hours.
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