Why You Can Trust CNET Wild Wednesday: 5 deals you won't want to miss
From the Cheapskate: Action cams, big monitors, free utilities, a free game and more!
CNET's Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.
So. Yesterday. Glitches happen. I'm really glad some of you managed to capture a screenshot and convince Samsung to honor the price that was shown online (however briefly). It's deeply frustrating when you breathlessly talk up a deal, only to discover a short time later that the price has changed.
In hindsight, it was probably unlikely that Samsung proper would lop 40 percent off the price of its flagship tablets. You might see that kind of price on a refurb from a third-party seller -- and, believe me, I'll keep my eyes out. I still think it'd be a tremendous deal at $299.
Anyway, let's not dwell on the past. I'll just remind you that any and all deals I share here are accurate at the time I post them and subject to change without warning.
With that out of the way, I've rounded up five -- count 'em, five! -- deals to help salve yesterday's wounds. In no particular order...
If 22 inches are good, 24 must be better
A second monitor can goose your productivity like few other tools. And if you're gonna go for 2, you might as well go for 24...inches, I mean.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Newegg has the Sceptre E248W-1920 24-inch desktop monitor for $99.99, plus 99 cents for shipping.
And check out the specs: LED backlight, 5-millisecond response time and built-in speakers. Plus you've got a hat-trick of inputs: VGA, DVI and HDMI. If there's a downside, it's the one-year warranty -- ideally a monitor should be covered for three. But it's awfully rare to find a 24-inch model for under $100. Tempting!
Lights, camera, action-cam!
Here's your predicament: you want a GoPro but you don't have, like, $400 to spend on one. Or even $300. Or even, if you find a sale, $200.
Think you could scrape together $50? For a limited time, Nova Tech (via Amazon) has the Dbpower EX5000 action camera for $49.99. That's after applying coupon code 8L3VMGDG at checkout.
Will this produce the same video quality as a GoPro? Of course not. Will it get reasonably close? Yep. The EX5000 shoots 1080p footage and features a 2-inch LCD screen, Wi-Fi and companion apps for Android and iOS. Oh, and a bucket-load of accessories including a waterproof housing. You even get two batteries instead of just one.
The only thing you'll need to supply is a microSD card for storing all your action-y escapades.
An iPhone juice-box
Mobile chargers can save the day when you're low on power, but they're not always the most practical solution. Indeed, have you ever tried to make a call with a charger plugged in? Tends to be a clumsy arrangement at best.
If you want a more streamlined option, something that provides extra juice full-time, try this: TechRabbit has the Mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 6/6s for $49.99 shipped. (It's also available for the 6 Plus and 6s Plus.) That's after applying coupon code CNETMOP6WT50 at checkout. It's new, not refurbished, and would cost you $119.95 if you bought it direct from Mophie.
The Juice Pack Plus more than doubles your iPhone battery life while providing solid exterior protection. (It's a case, after all.) Definitely adds some bulk, but it also saves you having to carry around a separate charger.
Give Windows a free tune-up
How's your PC handling these days? All good? No issues? Then move along, nothing to see here.
But if it's acting all, you know, Windows-y, by which I mean slow or weird, a system-optimization utility might help. And if it's free, so much the better.
Ending today, and while the licenses last, BitsDuJour has Glary Utilities Pro (1-year license) for free. Normally $39.95, Glary performs a wide range of Windows-optimization tasks, everything from Registry clean-up to Internet speed-tweaking.
Everybody Limbo!
Limbo is one of the all-time great indie games, and for a limited time (hopefully not too limited -- I just found out about it), it's free on from the Humble Store. (You'll need a Steam account to redeem the license key.) Regular price: $9.99. It's available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
This dark, moody platformer looks amazing and challenges you in the best possible way: you have to use your brain!