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This story is part of Father’s Day Gift Guide, featuring our top picks for dads who love tech.

Misplacing stuff — your wallet, car keys, TV remote, dog — is objectively terrible. And while you probably shouldn’t clip a Tile tracker to your pet (there are dedicated devices for exactly that purpose), Tile’s family of Bluetooth-powered locators can help you keep tabs on almost everything else. 

Here’s a sweet little bundle: Get a Tile tracker four-pack (two Tile Mates and two Tile Slims) for $58 when you apply promo code CNETMSB at checkout. 

See it at Daily Steals

This particular bundle lists for $75 and occasionally goes on sale at Amazon, but this is the lowest price we can recall seeing. You’ll get a pair of Tile Slims — which, true to their name, can slip inside a wallet — and a pair of the more keychain-friendly Tile Mates. The latter’s batteries are good for about a year and can easily be replaced. The Slim has a nonreplaceable battery, but Tile says it should last a formidable three years.

Tile trackers pair with your phone via Bluetooth, and you use the Tile app to locate a tracker (and whatever it’s attached to). If it’s your phone you need to find, you just double-tap the button on your Tile. It’ll make your phone ring even if it’s set to silent. You can also track your Tiles via voice using your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device — just say, “Alexa,” or “Hey, Google,” and then, “Ask Tile to find my keys,” and you should learn where they’ve crawled off to.

I’ve had pretty dodgy experiences with older, first-gen Bluetooth trackers, but modern Tile models are much more dependable. And $58 for this four-pack is a really good deal.  

First published earlier this year. Updated with the latest deal.


CNET’s deal team scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest promo codes from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.


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Get a 4

Technology can’t solve every problem, but it can solve some of them. For example, I’m sure you know how aggravating it can be when something goes missing. Like, say, your phone or your keys. 

Problem solved: Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy once again has the Tile Mate tracker four-pack for $39.99 shipped (plus tax), a savings of $20. (Individually, they usually run $25 each.) Update: Although I was informed by Tile that this sale pricing would be in effect today, as of this morning, Best Buy is still showing the regular $59.99 price. Stay tuned for further updates.

See it at Best Buy

You also have the option of getting a slightly different bundle: two Tile Mates and two Tile Slims for $39.99 — a savings of $30.

See it at Best Buy

For the uninitiated, the Tile Mate is a small, square, battery-powered tile designed to live on your keychain, or maybe attached to your purse or backpack or what have you. The Slim is slightly larger, but also thinner, and therefore better-suited to slipping into a wallet or sticking to the back of, say, your tablet or even passport.

They connect via Bluetooth to your phone, establishing a full-time connection. (Yes, your phone might end up needing to be recharged a little more often. Totally worth it.)

When you can’t find your phone, you double-press the button on the Tile. That makes the phone ring loudly, even if it’s set to mute. Can’t find your keys/bag/wallet/what-have-you? Use the locator feature in the Tile app to make the Tile itself beep.

There’s also a community feature that can help you recover Tile-attached items that are really lost (or even stolen). Mostly, however, these trackers are great for “local” finding, like when you can’t remember where you put your phone and don’t want to turn the house upside-down looking for it.

Unlike previous Tiles, these 2018 versions let you replace the battery (which you’ll need to do every year or so). They also promise better range.

I’m a fan, and for $10 apiece, you just can’t go wrong.

Originally published on Feb. 1, 2019.Update, April 5: Changed availability information.


Read More: All the latest Best Buy coupons

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest promo codes from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.


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Get a 4

Let’s talk storage. Do you work with video files? Images? Audio? That stuff seems to grow exponentially, probably because it’s so damn easy to create. (I’m looking at you, phones capable of capturing 4K video.)

How about a game console — got one of those? Now you need as much storage as humanly possibly to store your growing game collection, downloadable content and so on.

External drives don’t come much bigger, or cheaper, than this: For a limited time, and while supplies last, GameStop has the Western Digital Elements 4TB desktop USB 3.0 hard drive for $71.97 — the lowest price I’ve seen.

See it at GameStop

What more can I say except four terabytes for 72 dollars? OK, I’ll add that it’s a USB 3.0 drive, which it would have to be — a USB 2.0 interface would be cruel and unusual punishment (though it does support that if, for some reason, you have no 3.0 ports).

The drive has a 4.7-star review average from nearly 50 customers, suggesting that if you’re pairing this with a console, you should be more than satisfied with it.

WD doesn’t provide any backup software, and if you want to use the drive with a Mac, you’ll have to reformat it.

Those little wrinkles aside, this is quite a lot of storage for a relative drop in the bucket.

Your thoughts?

google-wifi-6504-001google-wifi-6504-001

Josh Miller/CNET

Bonus deal: If you’ve been scoping out mesh-network systems to improve the Wi-Fi coverage at home (or even at the small office), here’s a deal you’ll want to check out: Ending today, Daily Steals (via Facebook) has the Google Wi-Fi mesh network three-pack for $219.99 shipped. That’s the lowest price anywhere by at least $30.

See it at Facebook

What’s meant by “three-pack”? The system includes three nodes to distribute around your home, thus creating a Wi-Fi “blanket” that, hopefully, reaches all corners at full strength.

Read CNET’s Google Wi-Fi review to learn more. TL;DR: This is the best Wi-Fi system you can get.

Read more: CNET’s complete guide to Black Friday 2018

Read more: CNET’s Holiday Gift Guide 2018

The best tech Christmas gifts for 2018

Echo Dot (third-generation)Echo Dot (third-generation)

Amazon Echo (2nd Generation)Amazon Echo (2nd Generation)

Amazon Echo Show (second generation)Amazon Echo Show (second generation)

+51 more


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CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!


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Love shopping online but don’t have time to compare prices or search for promo codes? Our CNET Shopping extension does that for you, so you always get the best price.


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Get a 4

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!


tile-4-pack

Get 50-percent off this 4-pack of Tile trackers — a rare deal!


Tile

Cheeps, it’s the home stretch. If you haven’t figured out who’s getting what next Monday morning, well, it’s crunch time. But have no fear: I’m here to help with all your gift-giving needs.

And here’s one that has the potential to solve a big problem. For a limited time, you can get a Tile Mate Bluetooth tracker four-pack for $50 shipped, with guaranteed delivery by Dec. 23 if you order by Wednesday. Regular price: $100! (Pro tip: Ebates is offering a 5 percent rebate on Tile purchases, bringing your effective total down to $47.50. And TopCashback is offering 10 percent back!)

If you’re not familiar with Tile, it’s probably the best-known brand in the Bluetooth-tracker product category. And if you’re not familiar with Bluetooth trackers, they work like this: Each one pairs with your phone, meaning you can use your phone to locate things like keys, purses and backpacks.

It works the other way, too: If you can’t find your phone, you double-press a Tile and it’ll make your phone beep — even if it’s set to mute.

There’s also a cool crowdsourcing element. You can leverage the larger Tile community for help locating things that might have been lost or stolen out in the world.

Full disclosure: I’ve never used one of these. But I know a few folks who swear by them, and I think I might just gift a four-pack to someone I love dearly who’s always misplacing her phone. (Like, always.)

For what it’s worth, you can also get a single Tile for $20, saving you $5. But the four-pack comes with a gift pouch, and I suspect that anyone who often loses one item probably often loses other items as well.

If you’ve used Tiles (or similar trackers) before, hit the comments and let me know what you think of them. I like any tech that solves an honest-to-goodness real-world problem, and I like any deal that saves me a solid 50 percent.

Your thoughts?

dell-e525w.jpgdell-e525w.jpg

Back on sale for $130!


Dell

Bonus deal: My favorite* printer is back on sale and back in stock, at least as of this writing. (Historically, the deal and the inventory don’t last long.)

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Staples has the Dell E525w color laser all-in-one printer for $129.99 shipped (plus tax). Price elsewhere: at least $200.

The E525w is a small-office workhorse, able to print, scan, copy and fax by way of an auto document feeder (ADF) and 250-sheet paper tray. It’s fast; it supports all the wireless options (including AirPrint and Google Cloud Print); and replacement toner is super cheap if you opt for third-party cartridges.

So what’s with the asterisk? This printer is a big, boxy monstrosity, something you’ll want to keep out of sight if possible. But in terms of bang for the buck, there’s no better option.

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CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Twitter!


syncwire-4-port-usb-international-charger

Syncwire

Let’s keep it simple today, shall we?

Modern travel means multiple gadgets — and very often not enough outlets to charge them all. That’s why a multi-port wall adapter is essential.

Like this one: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Syncwire (via Amazon) has the SW-AC01 4-port international USB wall charger for $10.79 when you apply promo code CNET2017 at checkout. Regular price: $17.99. That’s a Cheapskate exclusive, my friends. Civilians get only 15 percent off, and that’s when they buy two.

I don’t throw around the word “perfect” very often, but this little guy seems pretty close. It’s compact, with folding prongs and up-facing ports — the latter ideal for hotel rooms, where AC outlets are so commonly located down low and/ or behind furniture. Plugs with out-facing ports can be difficult to shoehorn in there, and you have to contort yourself to actually see the ports.

The wall wart serves up four “smart IC” USB ports: Two 1A for phones, two 2.4A for larger devices. You also get UK and EU adapters, great if you’re lucky enough to be taking a trip abroad. (Oh, Paris… je t’aime.)

j-and-l-102-grayj-and-l-102-gray

J&L

Particularly remarkable, the product has a 4.8-star rating from over 1,200 buyers, and the Fakespot and ReviewMeta ratings of that rating are solid.

Oh, one last thing: It comes with a lifetime warranty.

If there’s something here not to like, I haven’t found it. Your thoughts?

Bonus deal: Speaking of $10 deals sold via Amazon, J&L Real is once again offering its J&L-102 magnetic sport Bluetooth earphones for $9.99 when you apply promo code 93XQNWXJ at checkout. That code should work on all three colors: gray, dark gray and camo.

These are IPX5-rated sweatproof earbuds, good for up to six hours of playtime on a charge, according to J&L. What’s magnetic about them, and why does that matter? When you pull these out of your ears and let them dangle around your neck, the ‘buds can clip together — magnetically — so they don’t bounce around. Handy!

As usual, you get three ear-tip sizes and three sets of ear “hooks” to help keep them securely inserted.

Average user rating: 4 stars. What accounts for the handful of 1-star reviews? Mostly reliability: a few users received units that were DOA or wouldn’t hold a charge after a short period of use. Alas, the warranty is just 60 days. That said, did I mention the price is 10 bucks? What do you think: Worth the risk or smarter to spend a little more on a potentially more reliable product?

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CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.


samsung-active-earphones.jpg

With an effective price of $3.75 per pair, this 4-pack is too good to pass up.


Samsung

Yesterday’s post was, um, not good.

It was actually written a couple weeks ago, and I didn’t realize that in the interim, MileUp had doubled the point requirement to earn rewards. Because I woke up sick yesterday, I dropped in that saved-for-a-rainy-day post without re-fact-checking it. My bad. For most folks, I’d say the app is no longer worth the time or effort.

Let’s hope today’s deal helps make up for that.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Groupon has a 4-pack of Samsung Active in-ear headphones for $14.99. Shipping adds $2.95, and you may be on the hook for a little sales tax as well. (Note that you’ll have to select the 4-pack option from the drop-down menu; by default, it shows one for $5.99.)

Update: As of around 11:45 a.m. PT, these are sold out — from this particular vendor. There’s another one offering a 3-pack for $16.99, still a very good deal, I think.)

Although these are new, they’re sold in OEM (meaning no-box) packaging, with only one spare set of ear gels, not the multiple sets you’d find in the $29.99 (!) retail version.

I tweeted about a similar deal a couple weeks ago, when the earbuds were selling for $5 apiece. Because everyone in my family seems to prefer wired headphones (what is wrong with these people?), and because those headphones always seem to be in short supply, I ordered, well, six of them.

They arrived yesterday. I plugged a pair into my iPhone and was immediately struck by two things: They sound really good, way better than I expected for earbuds that don’t make a seal inside your ear canal; and they’re surprisingly comfortable, more so than Apple‘s similarly designed EarPods. That’s because of the aforementioned ear gels, which are just soft-rubber covers for the ‘buds.

I also liked the tangle-resistant cord, which is a little more substantial than most and flattened to help reduce those hair-pulling tangles.

Now for the bad news: Although the Actives have an inline microphone and three-button control, the latter doesn’t work with iPhones. (Kind of the reverse of Apple earbuds, which have similar issues working with Android devices.) The microphone works, though, so you can make/take calls. But overall this is definitely a better option for the Android crowd.

Apple may want to force us into a wireless-headphone world, but I prefer options. Sometimes it’s just easier to plug and play. And there are still a lot of Bluetooth headphones that don’t work well outdoors. Heck, I’ve occasionally gotten to the gym, only to discover my Bluetooth ‘phones aren’t charged. That’s why you keep a set of these in your bag. (And why I won’t be buying an iPhone 7.)

Whether you buy one set for $5.99, two for $9.99, three for $12.99 or four for $14.99, these are an outright steal. (By the way, if these sell out, other Groupon vendors have the same product for a couple dollars more.)

Your thoughts?

Bonus deal: Ever wish your Amazon Echo Dot was portable? It can be if you plug in a Fremo Evo, a battery base that endows second-gen Dots with 6 hours of mobile operation. (Keep in mind, though, the Dot will still need some kind of Internet connectivity. Hotspot, anyone?) It normally sells for $35, but for a limited time, Cheapskate readers can get the Evo battery base for Echo Dot for $29.99. That’s after applying coupon code 6YBUAFL4 at checkout. Shipping is free for Prime subscribers; otherwise pad your cart to at least $35.

Enlarge Image

Fremo/YouTube

Read more about the Evo and Echo Dot portability in Taylor Martin’s recent post. If nothing else, it would allow you to move the Dot around the house without constantly unplugging and replugging.

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