The Cheapskate

A mere six months ago, Battlefield 3 was all the rage of the game world. Said GameSpot: "In the realm of online combat, Battlefield 3 provides thrills that few games can match."

Of course, I don't care how thrilling a game is: I won't spend $60 on it. Not now, not ever. But $30? At that point I'm more likely to reach for the credit card.

For a limited time, Gamersgate has Battlefield 3 (PC) for $29.98. Shop around and you'll still find the game selling for $50-plus nearly everywhere else.

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You've heard of the "Apple tax," right? It's the notion that Mac users pay a hefty premium for their hardware.

But I also think there's a "Mac OS tax," meaning Mac software tends to cost more than equivalent Windows software. And deals tend to be fewer and farther between.

That's why I'm glad to see the occasional Mac software bundle. Like this one: the Mac SuperBundle Spring 2012 offers nine Mac programs for $49. Combined price if purchased separately: $453.

The bundle includes the following titles:

• Compartments, a home-inventory program.
• Disk Drill Pro, a data-recovery

This is an update of a deal I posted about a month ago.

Much as I like 7-inch tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet, I can definitely see the appeal of a 10-inch model -- especially when it's priced only a little higher.

For example, 1SaleADay was recently selling the refurbished 10-inch Toshiba Thrive Android tablet for $259.99. Of course, that was the 16GB model.

Today, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay (via Ebay) has the refurbished 32GB Toshiba Thrive Android tablet for $259.99 shipped. That's without a doubt the best deal I've seen more

When I first encountered the Virgin Mobile Motorola Triumph last July, I called it the best no-contract phone you could buy. And that was when it was priced at $299.99.

Right now, Wal-Mart has the Motorola Triumph prepaid Android phone for $188, plus $2.97 for shipping (unless you opt for site-to-store, which is free). Sales tax also applies.

Unlike a lot of prepaid Android phones, the Triumph pulls no punches in the features department. Granted, specs alone don't tell the whole tale, but they tell a lot. The Triumph features a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 32GB of more

Cord-cutters of the world, this one's for you.

If you're looking to tap those sweet, sweet TV signals that get broadcast over the airwaves for free, and you want to watch and/or record them on your PC, there's one important ingredient: a tuner.

Most PC TV tuners are single-system affairs, meaning they plug into a USB port and deliver the goods to just that system.

Wouldn't it be great if you could plug a tuner into your router, then share the over-the-air TV goodness with all your computers?

Ta-da: IceMonkey has the recertified SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual TV tuner for $69.99 shipped. more

In the world of utilities, WinPatrol is something of an anomaly. It's been around forever, as evidenced by its goofy, Windows 95-era interface and hideous, Internet 1.0-era Web site. Yet it's amassed a huge fanbase, with more than 1.6 million downloads from CNET alone.

What makes the program so popular? For starters, it gives Windows tinkerers a robust set of tinker-tools, yet has a footprint of less than 1MB. Also, creator Bill Pytlovany comes across as just a regular guy who wrote a program, not some faceless developer.

Although the free version of WinPatrol offers plenty more

With all due respect to my colleague Donald Bell, I don't believe Apple should dump the iPod Touch.

Rather, I still think it's a killer product, perfect for kids and other users who want the iPhone experience without the iPhone price. In fact, thanks to apps like Skype and Truphone, all you need is proximity to Wi-Fi and you can make phone calls from a Touch.

Apple hasn't released a new model since 2010, nor has it budged on prices -- but you can still score a deal. While supplies last, Apple has the refurbished 8GB iPod Touch fourth-gen for $169 shipped. more

The only thing better than a dirt-cheap software bundle is a dirt-cheap software bundle for a worthy cause.

An outfit called Groupees is offering the Be Mine 2 bundle, which includes five solid indie games and a boatload of extra content, all for a minimum donation of $4.

Here's the worthy-cause part: Every $2 pays for a meal courtesy of Feed Them With Music, a charitable organization that organizes concerts and other events aimed at feeding the hungry. So if you pony up, say, $10 -- a more-than-fair amount given what you're getting -- you're covering five more

Confession: I love flash drives. I have one on my keychain. I have one shaped like an Angry Bird. I keep a small box of them near my desk. Can a guest spot on "Hoarders" be far behind?

Okay, I'm not that bad, but I'm definitely a sucker for cheap storage. Hence today's deal: Newegg has the Corsair Flash Voyager 32GB USB drive for $16.99 shipped. That's after redeeming a $12 mail-in rebate (PDF).

Don't like rebates? That's cool. Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you tomorrow.

The Voyager is a ruggedized, more