The Cheapskate

Just lay your Wii controllers on this inductive charger and poof: they start recharging!

(Credit: Buy.com)

Last year around this time, it was still a challenge just to get a Wii. Now that everyone's got one, let's take a look at some inexpensive gift ideas for the Wii people ("Wii-ple"?) in your life.

1. Buy.com has the Wii AirCharge Inductive Charger for $17.99 shipped. "Inductive" means you just lay the controllers on the charging base and presto: they recharge. It even works through the silicon sleeves and with the new MotionPlus connected. The package comes with the base and a pair of rechargeable batteries. I'm getting one.

2. Amazon has the hilariously kooky games Rayman Raving Rabbids, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, and Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party for $11.98 each. Get your cart total above $25 to qualify for free shipping.

3. Meritline has a Wii steering-wheel adapter for $6.99 shipped. Even better, get a two-pack for $9.99 or three for $12.89. It may seem like a silly accessory, but in my experience it makes Wii racing games a lot easier to control (and therefore a lot more fun).

Now that we're getting down to the wire, holiday-wise, any suggestions for what kinds of deals you'd like me to post in the last couple weeks before Xmas? I'm all ears!

Backup deal: I love coffee and tea equally, so I'm digging today's Woot deal: a Gevalia Pod Coffee Maker for $9.99 (plus $5 shipping). It's new, not refurbished, and it works for both coffee and tea.

The 40-inch 1080p Samsung LCD HDTV.

(Credit: Samsung)

If you have been waiting on a great deal to make the leap to an LCD HDTV and Blu-ray player, your wait is over.

Best Buy is bundling a 40-inch 1080p Samsung LCD HD television with a BD-P1600 Blu-ray disc player for $755 with $1 shipping. That's almost $200 off the list price for the TV, and you get for free a Netflix-ready Blu-ray player that retails for $200. Just add each item to your shopping cart to get the discounts.

Best Buy's deal isn't limited to the 40-inch model; the company offers other Blu-ray bundling deals on Samsung 46- and 52-inch LCD TVs, as well as a 46-inch 120Hz LCD HDTV.

Backup deal
If you are looking for a second LCD for the bedroom or garage and don't want to spend 1080p money, Amazon.com is offering a 26-inch 720p Samsung LCD TV for $286. You have to add the TV to your shopping cart to see the deal price. Shipping is free.

This $78 Magnavox Blu-ray player has no front-panel display, but it does have an SDHC card slot.

Proof positive that camping out all night to score Black Friday deals is a waste of time, Wal-Mart is offering the same $78 Magnavox MB500MG1F Blu-ray player on its Web site that was previously an in-store-only, fight-the-crowds-to-get-it deal.

Its shipping will run you a measly 97 cents, though you'll probably have to add sales tax as well.

As you might expect, the MB500MG1F is about as no-frills as Blu-ray players come. There's no front-panel LED display, and it definitely won't do BD-Live, Netflix, or anything like that.

Actually, there is one frill: an SDHC slot, meaning you can pop in the memory card from your camera for an onscreen photo slideshows.

Other than that, the player offers the usual 1080p output, video upscaling, remote control, power cord, box, and so on.

I haven't seen any reviews of this model, but there are plenty of favorable user comments over at the Blu-ray Forum.

Well, what say you, fellow cheapskates? Is this price low enough for you to pull the Blu-ray trigger? Might you actually be considering a second player for your home? Personally, I say pair one of these with Planet Earth on Blu-ray and enjoy one seriously eyeball-pleasing holiday.

Backup deal: You know online backups should be part of your overall backup regimen, right? Well, here's a rare chance to get in cheap: Carbonite is offering 50 percent off annual subscription plans (with coupon code CUST50). You can get one year for $27.47, two years for $49.97, or three years for $64.97. This awesome offer's good until the end of December.

Got a spare PC lying around? Turn it into a sweet DVR with this TiVo-in-a-box package.

(Credit: Nero)

Update #2 (1:30 p.m PT): Sorry, folks, looks like the LiquidTV is sold out. It's worth checking back periodically, though, just in case Nero releases more stock.

Update: Use coupon code AP-4210-BJ6C to get an extra $4 off! Thanks to reader ThaBigGuy for the heads-up.

My unofficial motto: cheap things come to those who wait. Witness the Nero LiquidTV TiVo PC, currently on sale for just $39.99 shipped. Just two months ago, it seemed like a bargain at $69.99. And it originally sold for $199.99!

In case you're not familiar with it, TiVo PC is exactly what it sounds like: a combination of hardware and software that turns your computer into a TiVo.

Specifically, the retail package includes the Windows-based TiVo software, a TiVo remote, a USB IR receiver, a one-year subscription to the TiVo service, and a high-end USB tuner.

The software probably needs no introduction--it's nearly identical to what you'd find on a TiVo set-top box, complete with Season Pass and KidZone features (but without extras like music and photos).

The tuner is a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950Q, a top-rated model that, purchased separately, would cost you $99. So even if you toss out the software, you're getting a seriously good deal on the tuner.

It can pull down over-the-air digital signals (a small antenna is included, but you might need something larger), QAM channels, or analog channels. The remote is the same one that comes with the TiVo HD.

I reviewed a LiquidTV about a year ago, and while I encountered a few setup wrinkles, overall it did a fine job duplicating the TiVo experience. Just keep in mind that after the first year, a TiVo subscription will cost you $99 annually. That's cheaper than set-top box rates, but still--ouch.

CNET hasn't covered the product, but check out Maximum PC's LiquidTV review. Verdict: "Our new favorite PVR software solution for the PC." 'Nuff said.

Backup deal: Cell-phone reseller Wirefly has teamed up with Bing to offer $50 cash back on any phone Wirefly offers. For example, you can get the Verizon Droid Eris for $9.99 (with new service), then walk away with $40.01 in Bing Cashback cash. Definitely worth a look!

This seriously well-equipped desktop costs just $325 (plus shipping).

(Credit: TigerDirect)

It's remarkable how much bang for the buck you can get from a PC these days.

For example, if you're looking to replace an aging desktop with something far more powerful, Tech For Less has a refurbished HP Pavilion a6700y quad-core desktop for $325.04. Shipping will run you about $25.

The system offers some mighty impressive specs for the price, starting with an AMD Phenom 9150e quad-core processor. Multitask all you want; it won't break a sweat.

It also comes with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and built-in 802.11b/g (a rare perk in a desktop).

The system runs Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. I'm sure most users would prefer Windows 7 at this point, but you can always upgrade later--and there's really nothing wrong with Vista as long as it's running on a powerful machine like this one.

The only mediocre spec here is the integrated GeForce 6150SE graphics--fine for everyday computing, but insufficient for high-end gaming and video. At least you can drop in a discrete graphics card later if you feel the need.

Like most refurbished PCs, this one has a 90-day warranty. But, hey, for $325, you can afford to roll the dice a little. And for what it's worth, you can buy a one-year extended warranty for $30.

Not long ago I paid nearly double this price for a system with fairly similar specs. Suffice it to say, this is a helluva deal (check out the stellar user reviews at TigerDirect, where it runs $379.99), one that's hard to pass up if you're in the market for a well-appointed desktop.

Backup deal: It's rare to find deals on Microsoft's new Zune HD, but J&R has a solid one: the 16GB Zune HD for $177 shipped. That's after applying coupon code paypal20 and using PayPal as your payment method.

HP's "lunchbox" photo printer churns out borderless glossies as large as 5x7 inches.

(Credit: HP)

At this time of year, when the parties are nonstop and the shutterbugs are out in full force, nothing beats a photo printer. I've used one for years; they're great for churning out snapshots wherever and whenever you want.

A high-end model that normally sells for $150, HP's Photosmart A646, is on sale for $79.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code SVMY478761 once you get it into your shopping cart.

Also, that's two-day shipping, not the usual pokey 5-15 business days. Something to consider if you're scrambling for holiday gifts.

The A646 accepts SD, XD, and Memory Stick media, though you can also connect any PictBridge-compatible camera or even a USB flash drive. (It works with PCs, too, natch.)

Got Bluetooth? The A646 does, meaning you can wirelessly print photos from your phone. Sweet!

The printer sports a 3.5-inch touch screen for previewing your pix and adding creative elements like borders, clip art, and captions. It can crank out borderless prints as large as 5x7 inches.

CNET hasn't reviewed the Photosmart A646, but PC World has. They liked its versatility and feature set, but were less wild about the print quality. (I tend to find that very subjective.)

Ultimately, printers like these are just plain fun. Do keep in mind the ink costs, however: HP's 110 tricolor cartridges list for $23.99, but you can find them for as low as $19--less if you're willing to go the remanufactured route.

Backup deal: Today only, Staples has Norton Internet Security 2010 (one-user) for $9.99 shipped. It's normally $49.99. There's a mail-in rebate involved, and it nets you a prepaid Visa card, not a check. (I like the cards better, frankly.) In my experience, Staples' "easy rebates" do live up to their name.

It's a match made in heaven: the Eye-Fi card and Google's Picasa.

(Credit: Eye-Fi)

About a month ago, Google made some serious price cuts to its Picasa Web photo-storage service. For example, a mere $5 per year now buys you 20GB of online storage.

In other news, Eye-Fi memory cards are really cool. They wirelessly upload photos from your camera to your PC OR online storage service of choice--like, say, Picasa.

Right now, if you sign up for a 200GB Picasa account for $50, you'll get a 4GB Eye-Fi Home card for free.

That card, which works in most digital cameras, normally sells for $69.99, so here's another way to look at the deal: Buy a 4GB Eye-Fi Home for $50, and get 200GB of Picasa storage for free.

Either way, I think it's a smokin' offer. Picasa effectively gives you an online backup of your entire photo library, along with basic slideshow, sharing, and print services.

I'm also an Eye-Fi fan, as manually copying photos from card to PC--and then PC to Web service--is a huge hassle. This is a great gift item, in my opinion.

This is a while-supplies-last offer, and I suspect it'll sell out quickly. So grab it while you can!

Backup deal: If you've been eyeballing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" (and what avid gamer hasn't?) but unable to stomach the $60 price tag, the Microsoft Store has it for just $41.99 shipped. That's the lowest price I've seen anywhere.

I hope this goes without saying by now, but under no circumstances should you spend more than $100 on a Blu-ray player.

I mean, for months we've seen no-frills and lame-brand models selling for $99 or less. And now you can pick up a Sony BDP-S360 with BD-Live for $99.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).

(Note: The $99.99 price will appear once you get to the checkout. First commenter to tell me the product page shows $119.99 gets a virtual noogie.)

It's a refurb, meaning the warranty expires after 90 days. If that doesn't sit well with you, here's another option (and a fall-back in case the Sony sells out): Dell Home has the Vizio VBR100 Blu-ray player with BD-Live for $104.99 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). That's a new model, meaning you get a full one-year warranty.

Indeed, I'd argue that the Vizio is the better buy, if only for the extra coverage 5 bucks buys you. Both models rock the whole BD-Live thing (and, hey, if you're pulling the Blu-ray trigger, you might as well enjoy a frill or two). Alas, neither one supports Netflix streaming or the like.

CNET's editors had mostly positive things to say about the BDP-S360, particularly about its audio and video quality. As for the Vizio, you'll have to rely on Dell's customer ratings: all 10 of them, each one awarding five stars.

So I guess I should amend my original statement: under no circumstances should you spend more than around $100 on a Blu-ray player. And mark my words: it won't be long before you can get BD-Live and Netflix for that price.

Backup deal: Need cables to connect your new player(s) to your HDTV? Meritline has a three-pack of 6-foot HDMI cables for $6.99 shipped (with coupon code MLC1933503120733N--it's $10.99 without). Hard to beat!

Looking for a feature-packed MP3 player without the iPod price?

The iRiver H10 5GB MP3 player.

(Credit: iRiver)

Buy.com has the iRiver H10 5GB MP3 player (refurbished) for $33.99 with free shipping. The player works with Windows Media Player 10 and supports MP3 and WMA, as well as Secure WMA for online downloads and services.

The iRiver H10 is supersleek at 3.7 by 2.1 by 0.6 inches and 3.4 ounces. This model is a few years old but still has a 1.5-inch color LCD screen for viewing photos and a swappable battery that the company claims delivers about 12 hours of continuous listening.

When you get tired of listening to the same albums over and over again, you can switch to the FM tuner, which features 20 autoscannable presets. It also sports an integrated voice recorder with FM recording capabilities.

A CNET reviewer gave this model a rating of "very good" back in 2005, saying that the "iRiver H10 truly outclasses the competition in the features department...however, its controls aren't as intuitive as they look, and battery life was disappointing."

It's available only in Trance Red at this price. No word on how long Buy.com will be offering this deal, so if it sounds good, act fast.

Updated at 2:25 p.m. PST: The previous deal is sold out, but we found you an even better deal on the iRiver H10 at Buy.com. Get the same refurbished MP3 player as before with free shipping and a docking cradle and a leather case for $36.99. Cradle and case for three more bucks. If you missed out earlier, you just got a better deal.