The Cheapskate

Print without wires for $41 shipped

Nothing gets my motor running like a good deal on a Wi-Fi printer. Circuit City has the Lexmark Z1480 color inkjet on sale for $40.96 shipped (plus tax in most states). It's a fairly basic printer, but because it's equipped with Wi-Fi, you can stick it anywhere and not have to worry about yet another snaking cable ruining your office aesthetic.

The Z1480 includes both USB and 802.11g interfaces and runs on Windows and Mac systems. It's a dual-cartridge printer that promises color output at resolutions up to 4800x1200 dpi. A set of replacement cartridges … Read more

Get an iPod/iPhone FM transmitter for free (after rebate)

If you want to listen to your iPod or iPhone in your car, you have precious few options. You can spring for a pricey stereo dock that requires pricey installation. You can use one of those tape-deck adapters, assuming your car is old enough to have a tape deck. Or, you can try an FM transmitter, which broadcasts audio from your player to an unused band on your stereo. Buy.com has such a product, the aptly named Av Lab iPod/iPhone FM Transmitter, for free after a mail-in rebate [PDF].

Compatible with most iPod and iPhone models, the transmitter … Read more

Get a DVD camcorder for $170 shipped

I'm not wild about DVD camcorders (for reasons I'll explain shortly), but there's something to be said for the convenience of capturing video on a disc you can pop into any set-top DVD player. If that sounds appealing, Circuit City has the Panasonic VDR-D210 mini-DVD camcorder on sale for $169.96 with free shipping (plus sales tax in most states).

Though an entry-level camcorder, the VDR-D210 offers some nice features, including a 32X optical zoom, optical image stabilization, a 2.7-inch wide LCD, and a reasonably compact design.

Not bad, right? Right--but be sure to read CNET's review of the VDR-D210 … Read more

Three free alternatives to pricey graphics software

Why spend big bucks on graphics software when you can get many, if not most, of the same features from freeware? Here are three mui-expensive graphics apps and their free counterparts:

Adobe Illustrator Available for Windows only, Creative Docs .NET (yeah, weird name) is a vector-based graphic design tool for creating illustrations, manuals, flow charts, icons, and the like. It offers advanced features like Bezier curves, styles, convert-to-curves, and curved-path text. Adobe Photoshop You've actually got two choices here: GIMP, which is available for all platforms, and Paint.NET, which is Windows-only. Both programs offer powerful, Photoshop-caliber image-editing tools, … Read more

Price Watch: Brother HL-2170W Wi-Fi laser printer down to $79.99 shipped

Remember the Brother HL-2170W from a couple months ago? It's a small-footprint, small-office laser printer that offers both Ethernet and Wi-Fi network connectivity. (USB, too.) Now it's 20 bucks cheaper, selling for just $79.99 shipped from Newegg. (Make sure to use coupon code EMCAJCBBF to get 10 bucks off the listed price.) It's a new unit, not a refurb, and you don't have to deal with any rebates.

My original post has all the deets you need on this printer, which remains a favorite in the Cheapskate household. It's rare enough to find an … Read more

Print, copy, and scan with $29 multifunction printer

Head to your local Target to scoop up an Epson Stylus CX7450 multifunction printer for the impossibly good price of $29 (plus tax). It prints, copies, and scans in color, employs a smart ink system, and doesn't require you to wait on a rebate.

Compatible with both Windows and Mac systems, the CX7450 employs four separate ink cartridges (one each for black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) and promises print speeds of up to 28 pages per minute. It includes a memory-card reader, a 120-sheet paper tray, and fairly basic scan/copy features. Alas, it lacks an LCD for previewing … Read more

Get a Logitech Harmony Universal Remote for Xbox 360 for $49.99

If you decided to take advantage of Tuesday's mention of an Xbox 360 deal and plan to utilize the console's media-center features, you'll want a good remote to go with it. Look no further than the Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360, which eCost has on sale for $49.99 (plus shipping).

In case you're not familiar with the Harmony line of remotes, their claim to fame is browser-based programming, which makes for relatively easy setup of devices, activities, and so on. Plus, they have built-in onscreen help, which is great for visiting babysitters, … Read more

Buy a media-center extender for $169.99, get a free Xbox 360

I admit it: That headline is a bit misleading. But let me 'splain. Not many people know that the Xbox 360 can double as a media-center extender, meaning it can stream to your TV all the videos, photos, music, and whatnot stored on your PC. To my thinking, it's superior to all the standalone extender products because a) It's cheaper; and b) It's an Xbox! (As you might have heard, they're not bad with the games.)

All of which brings us to my bit of headline trickery: CompUSA has refurbished Xbox 360 Core systems on sale for $169.99 (… Read more

Another 22-inch widescreen LCD for $179.99 shipped, this one with HDCP!

I'm hoping this is the start of a trend. Last week we had a 22-inch Soyo LCD monitor for $179.99 shipped, no rebates required. On Monday, Buy.com has a 22-inch AOC Envision LCD monitor for $179.99 shipped, and it's even better: Unlike the Soyo, it supports HDCP. That means if you plug it into a PC equipped with a Blu-ray drive, you'll have no trouble watching movies.

In other respects, the AOC stacks up nicely. It has a native resolution of 1,680 by 1,050 (not quite 1,080p, but more than sufficient … Read more