The Cheapskate

Save up to $5 on each game in Konami's impressive iPhone catalog.

I once wrote for an app review site where the guidelines insisted price shouldn't factor into a game's rating. Nuts, right? That's like saying as long as you like the car you're test-driving, forget about the sticker.

For a cheapskate like me, price absolutely matters, which is why I'm happy to see every game in Konami's iPhone catalog temporarily on sale for 99 cents each.

That includes Metal Gear Solid Touch, which is widely regarded as one of the top iPhone shooters. It normally sells for $5.99 (and was $7.99 at launch).

Other 99-cent titles include:

• DanceDanceRevolution S
• DanceDanceRevolution S+
• Field Prowlers Police Rush (a brand-new game)
• Frogger
• Krazy Kart Racing
• Power Pros Touch
• Silent Hill The Escape
• Silent Scope

These prices are good until Saturday (November 21), at which point they'll return to their previous levels: anywhere from $2 to $6.

Most of Konami's games have earned pretty high ratings from users, but there are some--like Frogger and Power Pros--that I just wouldn't buy for $2 or $4 (respectively). (Again: cheapskate.)

But 99 cents? That's my trigger point, the number that pushes me into what-the-hell mode. So I'm stocking up.

How about you? Does price factor into whether you'll buy an iPhone/iPod Touch game? If so, what's your magic number?

iPodMeister promises to turn your unwanted CDs and DVDs into bona fide gadget goodness.

Like many people, I have a fairly sizable collection of CDs sitting in a storage room collecting dust. It's literally been years since I even touched a CD, let alone played one. So why am I hanging onto them?

Forget Craigslist. Forget eBay. Forget garage sales. Do you want to spin that jewel-cased straw into gold? Head to iPodMeister, where you can trade your old CDs for a brand-new hard drive, iPod, or even iPhone.

Here's how it works: You pack up your CDs (or DVDs), then e-mail the company to let them know how many boxes you have. It then sends you prepaid FedEx labels. That's right: iPodMeister covers the shipping cost.

The number of discs you send determines what kind of booty you can get in return. The minimum, 150 discs, gets you a 1TB hard drive or an iPhone 3G. (Actually, you get a check covering the cost of an iPhone 3G, as iPodMeister can't do activations and all that.)

Scrape together 250 discs and you can land an 8GB iPod Touch or 16GB iPod Nano (current-generation models in both cases). For 350 discs, you can cover the cost of an iPhone 3GS. See the iPodMeister Web site for the complete list of trade options.

Interestingly, iPodMeister also gives you the option of digitizing your CD collection, meaning you get back not only your free gadget, but also a set of DVDs containing your music in (presumably) MP3 format. But that "costs extra" (meaning more discs). My guess is most folks have already ripped their CDs to MP3s.

I'll admit that all this sounds a little too good to be true, but I've yet to find a single complaint about the company. For your reference, check out Consumerist's recent interview with iPodMeister, this guy's review of the service from March, and the company's Facebook page.

I will say that the iPodMeister site looks atrocious and, suspiciously, offers no contact information except for an e-mail address and toll-free number. But with a little Google recon, I had no trouble finding an address and local number.

Did I mention I'm packing my CDs as we speak? It may take a couple weeks to complete my trade, but I'll definitely report back once it's done (so bookmark this article if you want to learn what happens).

In the meantime, I'm just kind of happy that I can clear out some boxes and don't have to spend a dime on shipping.

If you've tried iPodMeister, please share your experience in the comments!

Like audiobooks? Here's your chance to get two for free.

(Credit: Audible)

I'm a longtime fan of Audible, an audiobook-download service that lets you burn your own CDs and/or transfer books to portable devices (iPods, BlackBerrys, etc.).

The company has offered various free trials and promotions over the years, but this is the best one I've seen: Sign up for a 30-day trial of AudibleListener Gold and get two free audiobooks.

So here's how it works: You sign up for a new account (which does require a credit card), then download the Audible software (available for Windows and Mac, or as an iTunes add-on if you're doing the iPod/iPhone thing). You'll automatically receive two credits in your account, which you can use to download the books of your choice.

After the 30-day trial expires, you'll start getting billed $14.95 per month for your Gold membership, which entitles you to one audio credit, 30 percent off any additional purchases, and a free subscription to The New York Times or Wall Street Journal (the audio versions, natch).

If you routinely buy one audiobook every month, the Gold plan is pretty solid. For example, Jonathan Tropper's "This Is Where I Leave You" (a terrific read, by the way) costs $23.95 on iTunes. If you used your Audible credit, it'd effectively cost you $14.95. Already burned through your credit? Your membership price is $19.59--still cheaper than iTunes.

Of course, you can always cancel your account before the end of the trial, end up paying nothing, and walk away with your two free books.

But if you spend a lot of time in the car, on the train, or even on the biking/hiking/jogging trail, nothing beats a good book. Like I said, I'm a longtime Audible fan. It's a great resource for scoring audiobooks for less than you'd pay elsewhere.

Sony's 46-inch KDL-46V5100

(Credit: Sony)

If you had been waiting for a low price on a midlevel LCD to make the jump to a flat-panel set, Sony may have what you are looking for.

Sony Style has a refurbished 46-inch KDL-46V5100 for $799.99 with free shipping, a good $150 cheaper than the closest low price for a new unit. This 1080p (full HD) unit has a 120Hz refresh rate and a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000 to 1. This TV comes with plenty of connectivity, featuring four HDMI inputs, two component video inputs, and one PC input.

CNET's David Katzmaier gave this TV three and a half stars, saying that while its design was a bit pedestrian, it produces relatively deep black levels and accurate color in bright areas. "The commendable picture quality of Sony's entry-level 120Hz-equipped LCD makes it a very good value," Katzmaier wrote in his review.

The model is listed on the site at $1,379.99 but the price drops to $799.99 when you add it to your cart. It comes with a 90-day warranty.

In the market for a new phone? You picked the right weekend to go shopping. I've got three pretty smokin' deals--something for everyone. Check 'em out:

• BlackBerry From November 14 to 20, Wal-Mart is offering a $100 gift card when you buy a BlackBerry. Eligible models include the AT&T Curve 8310, T-Mobile Pearl 8120, Sprint Curve 8330, and Verizon Storm 2. Given that some models are actually free (with two-year contract and activation, natch), you actually stand to make $100 on the deal. My buddy Dave over at Business Hacks has more details.

• Droid Forget that $149.99 deal on the Motorola Droid. From now until midnight, November 16, Overstock is offering the Droid for $119.99 shipped (plus activation and the obligatory two-year Verizon contract). Alternately, you can get the HTC Eris for just $19.99.

• Palm Pixi Normally $99.99 with a two-year Sprint contract, the Palm Pixi is available from Wirefly for just $24.99. (Actually, it will be available as of midnight Saturday.) If you've read any reviews of the new phone, you know it's pretty much a non-slider version of the Palm Pre. It also lacks Wi-Fi for some crazy reason. (What is it with Palm and Wi-Fi?!)

OK, phone fans, there you have it. My question for you: Will you pull the trigger on any of these deals? If so, which one(s)?

A 42-inch plasma for under $500? That's one helluva deal.

(Credit: Panasonic)

Hurry, hurry, step right up! No, I mean it: hurry, because Dell is offering the 42-inch Panasonic Viera TC-P42X1 plasma TV for $499 shipped only until 1 p.m. PST Friday, i.e. today.

That's assuming they're in stock that long. This is a decidedly Black Friday-caliber deal, one of the best I've ever seen on a TV of this size.

Note: you have to add the TV to your cart and proceed to the checkout to get the $499 price. And you'll probably have to cough up sales tax.

CNET hasn't reviewed this particular model, but does note a review of its virtually identical, larger sibling: the TC-P50X1. The verdict on that model: "The best black-levels-to-dollars ratio of any HDTV we've tested."

For what it's worth, the customer ratings on Dell's product page average 4.8 stars out of 5. Even at its usual price of $749, this TV is loved by most.

I should note that it's a 720p model, so if you're hankerin' for 1080p (which you can't even get from most TV sources, though you can from Blu-ray players and game consoles), look elsewhere. Of course, some would argue that at this size, 1080p is overkill. Thoughts?

In the interests of expediency, I'm going to leave it there. Check the specs on Dell's product page, and be sure to read the user reviews and CNET's related review. But my Spidey senses (cheapy senses?) say this is an outta-the-park awesome deal. Get it while you can.

Bonus: Want a Blu-ray player to go with it? Circuit City has a refurbished Samsung BD-P1590 for $100 shipped. It supports BD-Live, Netflix streaming, YouTube, and more.

The PS3 version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock includes a wireless Les Paul.

(Credit: Buy.com)

It's a great day to be a PlayStation 3 owner: Buy.com has the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle for just $18.67, plus $3.99 for shipping.

The package includes a Les Paul wireless guitar controller, meaning you don't have to worry about tripping over a cord while, um, getting your Slash on.

The game itself features 70-plus tracks from the likes of Aerosmith, Heart, Guns N' Roses, and the Rolling Stones.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, GameSpot's review of Legends of Rock praises it for having "the best tracklist of any Guitar Hero game to date."

I've never really been into the whole Guitar Hero scene, but for 20 bucks I'd almost certainly grab this bundle--if I owned a PS3. Alas, the Xbox 360 version still runs around $50.

I realize there's a fairly small audience for this deal, so check back later--I might just have something with more universal appeal.

In the meantime...rock on!

Two Pixar classics on Blu-ray for just $11. How can you go wrong?

Here's an interesting deal for anyone who has:

1. Children
2. A Blu-ray player
3. A nearby Target store
4. A love of Pixar films

With a little coupon magic, you can score the "Monsters, Inc." and "Up" Blu-ray combo packs for $10.98 (plus sales tax).

Each bundle has four discs: two Blu-ray Discs (one with the movie, one with extras), one DVD of the movie (bonus!), and one disc containing a DisneyFile Digital Copy (for viewing on, say, a laptop or iPhone).

Start by printing this $8 off "Monsters, Inc." coupon. You'll need to install a small app called Coupon Printer, but it appears to be harmless.

Next, print this $10 off "Up" coupon. It also requires Coupon Printer.

Finally, head to this Hot Coupon World post, scroll down to the Expiring November 25, 2009, section, and enter a '1' in the field next to "Blu-ray movies: "Up AND Monsters, Inc. together." Then scroll all the way down, click "Get Coupons," and print the coupon.

Now hop in the car and drive to your local Target. I'm not 100 percent sure they'll take all three coupons, but a blogger over at Frugal Find (source of this nifty deal) reported they had success using it.

As someone who has children, a Blu-ray player, a nearby Target store, and a love of Pixar films (particularly these two), you had better believe I'm looking for my car keys. How about you?

If you think these prices are good, wait until you apply coupon code ENTREE.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled tech deals to bring you this important bulletin...

Food!

Specifically, restaurant food. As many of you know, Restaurant.com sells gift certificates for a fraction of their face value. And right now, you can buy them for a fraction of that fraction.

For example, $25 certificates normally sell for $10, but if you enter coupon code ENTREE at checkout, the price drops to $2. And $10 certificates, normally $4, drop to just 80 cents. Yowza.

For those unfamiliar with Restaurant.com, the only real "string" attached is a minimum food or drink purchase. However, it's not like you have to order the lobster tail and a case of wine. To use a $10 certificate, for example, your total bill usually has to be at least $20.

What's nice is that you can print the coupons right on your own printer; they're immediately ready for use. They're also transferable, so they make ideal last-minute gifts.

In these horrendous economic times, this offer is too good to pass up. Just make sure to read all the terms and conditions before you buy your certificates, just so you avoid any nasty surprises when the check comes.

Also, I'm not sure when this coupon code expires, so if you're interested, act fast. Bon appetit!