Why You Can Trust CNET Working from home? Add a portable second monitor to your laptop for $179
Normally $250, the popular Duex Pro offers an ingenious slide-out screen. Plus, 10 Star Trek movies for $30 and a free Google Nest Hub with SiriusXM.
When not in use, the Duex Pro slides out of the way behind your laptop screen.
Cheeps, these are crazy times. It's hard for me to engage in business as usual when our priorities have shifted so dramatically. Thus, my focus right now is to help you find free ways to stay entertained, affordable options for working and exercising at home and strategies for saving money on essential goods and services.
Read more: How to stay sane and productive when working from home
Speaking of working from home, something I've done for most of my professional life, there's no debating the productivity value of a second monitor. It's insanely useful to keep, say, your mail client visible full-time while you do other things. Heck, maybe you already have such a setup at work, but now you're stuck with a single screen at home.
Here's a pretty damn cool way to add a second one: For a limited time, and while supplies last, ZDNet Academy has the Mobile Pixels DUEX Pro Portable Dual Monitor for $179.35 with promo code SAVEDUEXPRO. It normally sells for $250 (and currently runs $260 at Amazon).
The 12.5-inch Duex Pro features an IPS anti-glare display running at 1080p native resolution. It's plug-and-play: Plug it into a Type-A or Type-C USB port on just about any portable (it's compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome OS ) and you should be good to go.
Unlike other USB-powered second screens I've seen, this one actually rides shotgun on the back of your laptop screen. When you need it, it slides out from behind. When you're done, slide it back into place. Sure, it adds a bit of bulk and weight to your laptop, but only half an inch and 1.6 pounds, respectively.
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And it's hinged, so you can angle the screen however you like. That includes making it rear-facing, awesome if you're interacting with clients (at a safe distance, of course).
I haven't tried one myself, but it has a 4.1-star average rating from over 350 Amazon buyers and a 4.5-star average from over 80 ZDNet Academy buyers.
Trust me when I say this: Once you've experienced the joys of a second monitor, it's hard to go back.
Your thoughts?
Read more: This is the gear you need for working from home
Get 6 months of SiriusXM radio and a Google Nest Hub for $69
Do you have an inactive SiriusXM radio in your car? This might be a good time to activate it, as you'll also gain access to SiriusXM streaming in your house and a smart display to go with it.
For a limited time, you can get a six-month SiriusXM Select subscription and Google Nest Hub for $69. The latter normally retails for $129 all by itself. You do need to own a compatible radio already; that's how you "activate" the offer.
That particular subscription entitles you to not only car listening, but also app-powered streaming on your phone, tablet, smart speaker and, of course, smart display. I don't mind telling you I'm a big fan of listening to SiriusXM channels 70s on 7 and The Bridge while I'm working.
As with similar deals, you'll start getting billed at the regular rates after this promotional period ends. You can always cancel after that happens, however (though it does require getting on the phone with SiriusXM, at which point -- be warned -- they will haggle endlessly trying to keep you as a customer).
Own the first 10 Star Trek movies for $30
They're not all gems, but 10 Star Trek movies for $30? Yes, please.
My kids are new to "vintage" Star Trek; we're watching Discovery and Picard together, but they have gaps in their knowledge of Trek lore. Thus, this deal is perfect: For a limited time, Vudu is once again offering the Star Trek 1-10 Collection for $29.99. The nets you everything from Star Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Nemesis. Most of these movies sell for $10 apiece, so this comes close to a $120 value.
Because I shared this deal with you, I'm now entitled to rank the movies. Obviously Wrath of Khan comes first, and I'm going to put Search for Spock (highly underrated, IMHO) and The Voyage Home side by side, because the whole three-movie arc works so well.
First Contact is also excellent (literally just watched this with the kids two days ago, and it really holds up), and I have a special fondness for The Undiscovered Country. The first three-fourths of Generations are pure Star Trek gold, though the final act tanks it. The Motion Picture and Insurrection are just OK. The Final Frontier and Nemesis: total misfires.
Discuss.
This article was previously published.
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