The Cheapskate

Confession time: I try to stay away from games like Civilization because I can't afford to get sucked into them. I have friends who've lost entire weekends to Sid Meier's legendary series. If I'm going to carve out time to game, I need to run, gun, and be done.

You, on the other hand, have time to burn, right? So check this out: From now until 1 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 27, you can play Civilization V online for free. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the offer.)

That's more

HDMI inputs are like $100 bills: you can never have enough.

One usually goes to the cable box/DVR/TiVo; another to your Blu-ray player. And it's not unthinkable that you'd also have a game console, Roku box, and Apple TV. (What, just me?)

If your HDTV has only two or three HDMI ports, you're looking at a lot of cable-swapping. What a hassle.

To overcome this input deficit, get yourself a port splitter. Like this one: today only, Daily Steals has the Kinovo 501BN 5-port HDMI switch for $19.99, plus $4.99 for shipping. It more

Ever wonder why USB 3.0 hasn't really caught on? Most flash drives and external hard drives are still chugging along on USB 2.0, and most of the latest laptops have just one USB 3.0 port. Some have none at all. (I'm looking at you, brand-new Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5511.)

That's a shame, because in real-world tests, USB 3.0 has proven to be around 3.5 times faster than USB 2.0. That means a full-system backup that previously took an hour should get done in less than 20 minutes.

Maybe things will change now more

Whoa! Amazon is selling the refurbished Kindle with Special Offers for $69. And if you claim a free voucher from Amazon Local (available today only), you can get it for $49!

Start by heading to Amazon Local (the city doesn't matter) and clicking Get Voucher. Make sure to complete the process of "placing your order" (an Amazon account and credit card are required), keeping in mind that you won't be charged anything for the voucher.

When that's done, click Your Vouchers (top-right corner of the page). It may take a few minutes to finish processing and actually more

Cheap things come to those who wait. It was just a few weeks ago that I wrote about this very tablet, which was selling for a then-attractive price of $239.99

Now, while supplies last, Acer (via eBay) is offering the refurbished Iconia A500-10S08u 10.1-inch Android tablet for $199.99 shipped. That's an awful lot of tablet for less than 200 bucks.

And it makes me ask: What's the best screen size for a tablet? I mean, your two Benjamins can also buy you a 7-inch Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet. The playing field has rarely been more

Asking me not to post a killer deal is like asking me not to draw breath -- even when it's a product I know most of you already have.

Yep, I'm talking flash drives. They've dipped to amazingly low prices of late, which is why I just can't pass them up. Therefore, without further ado:

1. Staples has the Kingston DataTraveler 101 G2 8GB flash drive for $4.99. Shipping adds a hilariously ridiculous $9.95, but you can avoid that charge by opting for in-store pickup. (You'll still have to pay sales tax, natch.)more

Quick: What's your favorite song right now?

If you don't mind sharing the answer with your Facebook friends (and, admit it, you probably have already), you can get a $2 Amazon MP3 credit.

Just type in the name of your favorite song (or, really, any song, past or present), then click Share & Claim. Presto: Two bucks you can spend on more music.

What's the catch? No catch, though you will have to authorize Amazon's Facebook app if you haven't already. (I can already hear the Facebook haters crying foul, but remember that this giveaway is more

DVDs or on-demand movies? Some pundits would have you believe it's one or the other, but you can walk the line and enjoy both. All you need is a Blu-ray player that has apps.

Like this one: While supplies last, Quick Ship Electronics has the refurbished Sony BDP-BX58 Blu-ray player for $64.99 shipped. It's without question the most loaded set-top box I've seen at this price.

How loaded? Well, it's a Blu-ray player for starters. It supports regular and 3D discs, the latter kind of fun if you know where to score 3D movies to watch at home.more

This is an update of a deal I posted last year.

Google TV: doomed product or stealth Apple TV/Roku competitor? Probably the former, given that the set-top box never really caught on, even after Logitech slashed the price from $299 to $99.

And now it's even less. Newegg has the refurbished Logitech Revue With Google TV for $73.99 shipped. That's the lowest price I've seen on this Internet-meets-TV appliance. Doomed? Maybe. Deal? Definitely!

In case you're not familiar with the Revue, it goes above and beyond Apple TV- and Roku-style media streaming by offering more