General

Last summer I asked readers if it still made sense to buy a desktop. After all, laptops now offer more than ample power for most users, plus that whole portability thing. And with tablets starting to take the place of laptops, a desktop seems even farther down the computing food chain.

Then, a couple weeks back, I featured a nicely loaded desktop on my Cheapskate blog -- the first one in a while -- figuring most readers would respond with a yawn.

Quite the opposite. Turns out a lot of computer users still love desktops, and definitely want more deals … Read more

Greetings from 34,000 feet! Sometimes I still marvel at being able to get Internet access all the way up here.

So, funny story, yesterday I received a press release indicating that today, and only today, Laplink is giving away its Laplink Sync utility. It normally costs $39.99.

Update: Looks like Laplink's servers are on fire (figuratively), as many people are reporting problems claiming the offer -- not uncommon with a heavily promoted giveaway such as this. Hopefully the company will do the right thing and extend it so everyone can have a chance at it.

Or will … Read more

Hang onto your wallets, cheeps, because I've got five -- count 'em, five -- deals lined up for your Friday.

Why the glut? Same as always: I found lots of really good items and couldn't decide which one to spotlight. Check 'em out:

1. One big TV. When it comes to bang for your TV buck, I think Vizio leads the pack. Especially when Vizio resellers serve up deals like this one: Dell Home has the Vizio E552VLE 55-inch smart LCD HDTV for $649.99 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). Although CNET had some nits to pick … Read more

Here's the good news: Roku and Hulu have teamed up for another sweet deal.

The "special offer for Mother's Day" includes a Roku HD box, a six-month Hulu Plus subscription, a 6-foot HDMI cable, and shipping, all for $79.99 (plus sales tax where applicable -- though I'm not sure why).

Here's the bad news: Unless you spend an extra $14.99 to upgrade to 2-day shipping, there's no guarantee the bundle will arrive by Sunday (meaning this Sunday, May 12, in case you haven't checked your calendar lately). The free-ground-shipping option … Read more

About two weeks ago, wireless Internet provider FreedomPop introduced the Overdrive Pro, a Sprint-powered 3G/4G mobile hot spot with a tantalizing price tag: $39.99 for the hardware, 500MB of data per month absolutely free, and low rates on additional data.

FreedomPop's previous products all relied solely on Clearwire's WiMAX network, which left users like me (who live where there's no coverage) out in the cold. But the Overdrive Pro changes that, and so I was excited to test-drive one.

Which I've been doing for the past few days. The good news is the Sierra … Read more

A couple weeks back we talked desktops, which many of you still favor for games and other graphics-intensive tasks.

Ah, but are you still trying to squeeze extra frames from an old, outdated video card -- or, worse, the integrated video subsystem that came with the machine?

For a limited time, Newegg has the XFX Double D FX-785A-ZDF4 Radeon HD 7850 video card for $159.59 shipped when you apply coupon code EMCYTZT3405 at checkout. Even better, you can get an additional $15 off via a mail-in rebate (PDF), for a grand total of $144.59.

That's already a … Read more

Clear your weekend -- you're going to be busy.

Busy installing software on your Mac, busy playing games on your PC or Android device, busy reading cool books about videogames. Yep, it's bundle time, and in the last few days I've seen an unprecedented five new ones hit the Interwebs. Let's get right to 'em:

MacPhun's collection includes seven eclectic Mac apps for $19.99. Combined value if purchased separately: $164.99. I'm not a Mac user, but I see a couple standouts in desktop-publishing app Swift Publisher and … Read more

I know I already did a projector deal this week, but I figured, while we're on the subject...

For a limited time, and while supplies last, BuyDig has the Optoma HD66 3D-ready projector for $437 shipped. (You'll see that price once you add it to your cart.) It's new, not refurbished, and normally runs at least $499. (Amazon is currently selling it for the same price, FYI.)

Whether for backyard use or your own man-cave home theater, projectors are awesome. This one delivers 720p resolution (1,280 x 720), same as a lot of smaller HDTVs. Obviously … Read more

Smartphones with touch screens? Great! Tablets with touch screens? Duh. But PCs with touch screens? Meh.

Recently I purchased a Lenovo IdeaPad U310 ultrabook, my first-ever touch-screen-equipped computer. I didn't necessarily want the feature, but figured I might as well give Windows 8 the benefit of the doubt. It was, after all, designed to be touched -- which explains why using it with a mere mouse and keyboard is such a dreadful experience. Plus, it was priced only about 50 bucks higher than its non-touch-screen sibling.

Having worked with the system for a couple weeks now, I'm ready … Read more