X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Wild Wednesday: Dashcams, Qi chargers, free games and more!

All the things. Plus: more things! And a chance to win a cool prize.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
4 min read

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. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!


On any given morning, I awake to find my inbox stuffed with offers -- some exclusive, some generic -- for all manner of products. Today, rather than focus on just one, I thought I'd share a broad sampling. Think of this as a flight of deals -- a tasting menu, if you will. 

As always, all the prices are accurate at the time I publish, and all items are in stock. As regular readers know, both can change without notice.

Dashcam, round 1

vantrue-x1

Dip your toe into the dashcam world with this capable model, on sale for $70.

Vantrue

The people have spoken! You want dashcams? Let's start with this one.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Vantrue (via Amazon) has the X1 1080p car dashcam for $69.99 when you apply promo code CHESKATE at checkout. Yep, that's an exclusive! Civilians will pay $89.99.

I'm still learning my way around this product category, but the X1 appears to have most of the important features: a wide-angle lens, night-vision recording, loop recording (meaning new footage automatically overwrites old) and motion detection (meaning the camera will start recording automatically when you start driving and do likewise if it detects motion -- like an impact -- while you're parked).

It's BYO memory card, though, so don't forget to pick one up.

Some 300 buyers collectively rated the X1 4.3 stars (out of 5), and those are mostly valid reviews, according to both Fakespot and Reviewmeta.

Free games!

oddworld-abes-odyssey-promo

This classic platformer is free for a limited time!

Oddworld Inhabitants

For a limited time, the classic, beloved platformer Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey is free from GOG.com.

If you're too young to have heard of it, well, I hate you. Granted, the game is 20 years old (!), so that wouldn't be too surprising. Read GameSpot's glowing review if you want to learn more about it.

One thing to note: You need a GOG.com account, and you need to be signed into it. I learned this the hard way when I kept clicking "Get It Here" and getting dumped back to the home page. After I signed in, however, one click and the game landed in my account -- in the form of a DRM-free installer.

Meanwhile, over at Steam, grab the cool-looking 3D puzzler Back to Bed for free. To me it looks reminiscent of the awesome mobile game Monument Valley. (Actually, there are mobile versions of Back to Bed as well; they're $2.99. Not sure what the regular price of the desktop version is.)

Multifunction printer!

Don't need to print in color? Do need to scan and copy? Sounds like you might be in the market for a multifunction monochrome laser printer.

Like this one: Walmart once again has the Canon Imageclass Wi-Fi MF232W all-in-one for $84.99 shipped (plus tax), a full $105 off the list price.

It's pretty basic, lacking features like fax and an auto document feeder, but it does crank out up to 24 pages per minute, and it supports AirPrint and Wi-Fi Direct. Best of all, if you opt for third-party toner cartridges, replacements are dirt-cheap.

Qi charger!

seneo-qi-charging-stand

Why should your phone lay down on the job while it's charging?

Seneo

Can't afford an iPhone 8 or iPhone X? Fear not: You can add wireless-charging capabilities to your iPhone (or Android phone), for cheap

More on that in a separate post that's coming later. But the other part of the equation is a Qi charging pad or stand -- you know, the thing that actually delivers the juice.

There are zillions of options. Here's a good one: Via Amazon, Startop has the Seneo Qi 2-coil wireless charging stand for $12.95 when you apply promo code 42ZVWFUR

This is another product category where I'm still something of a novice, so read the description and the user reviews (most of which are overwhelmingly positive -- and there over 2,500 of them).

To my thinking, a stand beats a pad, especially for your desk.

Big mouse!

victsing-full-size-wireless-mouse
VicTsing

Speaking of desks, I think using a touchpad for any length of time is a special form of torture, which is why you'll always find me using a mouse.

Like this one: For a limited time, and while supplies last, VicTsingDirect (via Amazon) has this full-size wireless mouse with USB receiver for $6.99. That's after applying promo code JQVBWQUK at checkout.

You may recognize this mouse from past deals, but that was actually a smaller version. This one is larger, which some folks definitely prefer for long days of deskbound work.

This thing is kind of ridiculous; it has a scroll wheel, six buttons, a plug-and-play receiver you can store inside the mouse, automatic sleep mode and so on. You can get up to 15 months from a pair of AA batteries (not included), according to the seller.

For seven bucks. Shut up and take my small amount of money, VicTsingDirect!

Giveaway!

Want a smarter car? Now's your chance.

CNET Roadshow and Nonda have joined forces to give two readers a chance to win* a Zus Smart Tire Safety Monitor.

This system consists of four valves, a receiver and the Zus app. It'll keep an eye on your tire pressure, which in turn will keep you safer and improve your fuel economy. 

To enter, just head to the Roadshow giveaway page. Good luck!