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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. Follow the Cheapskate on Twitter for more deals and deal updates.

Today’s deal is really a main deal and two bonus deals, but the latter went long, so I took a little liberty with the headline and indulged my love of alliteration. Forgive my foolish foibles, friends. (Lord, I need help.)

First up: Although Staples seems to burn me almost constantly with great deals and obnoxiously limited inventory, I can’t help but share this.

For a limited time, and while undoubtedly limited supplies last, Staples has the Dell E310dw laser printer for $49.99 shipped (plus tax). It’s not available in stores, but as of this writing (around 5:30 a.m. PT), it’s in stock online. Price elsewhere: at least $90. Dell proper will charge you $99.99 for it.

This ultra-compact monochrome laser, which looks very much like similar models from Brother, offers 600-dpi output, a 250-sheet paper tray and multiple connectivity options: USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi. The latter includes Wi-Fi Direct support, which greatly simplifies printing from mobile devices.

Most impressively, the E310dw includes an auto-duplexer, meaning it can produce double-sided prints. That’s really rare in a printer with a $50 price tag.

CNET hasn’t reviewed it, so I’ll turn you over to PC Mag’s review from summer, 2015. Verdict: Except for less-than-perfect text quality, the E310dw is a superb small-office printer. For the record, over 130 Staples customers collectively rated it 4.5 stars out of 5.

I really hope these don’t sell out before you get a crack at them. If they do, well, you know I’ll continue to scour the Earth for similar — or even better — deals. Remember that cheap things come to those who wait!

I love any tablet that can stand up for itself.

Lenovo

Bonus deal: One of my all-time favorite non-iPad tablets is on sale! For a limited time, and while supplies last, Adorama (via Ebay) has the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 10 for $172.99 shipped. The tablet is new, not refurbished, and lists for $229.99.

Why am I so geeked about this model? Although the 10-inch display is a little low-res by modern standards at 1,280×800 pixels, the Yoga Tab 3 offers phenomenal battery life, excellent front-facing speakers, an ingenious rotating camera and a cool cylindrical edge that includes a kickstand and hook-hole. (Yes, hook-hole: This is the world’s easiest tablet to hang on a wall.) Read CNET’s review of the 8-inch model if you want a good sense of how the tablet performs.

By the way, Amazon’s 10-inch tablet (the Fire HD 10) has the same screen resolution, but sells for almost $60 more. I like the Yoga Tab 3 for offering a true Android experience and advancing tablet design beyond the usual slab o’ screen.

Bonus deal 2: I promised you another wicked-good drone deal, and here it is: Tomtop has the Skytech TK110HW folding quadcopter for $47.99 shipped when you apply promo code RM5505BR at checkout.

That’s $2 more than last time, but the benefit here is that it’s coming from a US warehouse and should therefore arrive in just a few days rather than a few weeks. Ebates users can shave another 3.5 percent off the total price.

If the Elfie is my favorite pocket drone (and it is), the TK110HW is my favorite outdoor drone. It comes with a remote, though you can add your phone into the mix for extra capabilities. One of those extra features is flight-plan plotting, which I haven’t yet had the chance to test, alas. It also offers push-button takeoff and landing, headless mode, auto-hover, a 0.3-megapixel camera (bleh) and folding arms for easy transport.

It’s fast, fun, good-looking and a sweet deal at $48 out the door. If you want a folding drone you can fly outdoors, skip the Elfie and get this. Update: Some folks are heading to Tomtop via Ebates and landing a price of $34.99, albeit with shipping from China. Take note, however: That version does not come with a remote! You can still pilot via app, but I think the remote is a big part of the appeal.

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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.

Quick housekeeping note: My apologies regarding yesterday’s very short-lived Corel video-editor deal. Still not sure if that was a price mistake or what, but it got pulled shortly after my post appeared. If you missed out, fear not: I’ve got a pretty sweet alternative coming up soon. Very soon.

Also, a quick survey: On a scale from 1-10, how interested are you in VR-friendly desktops? I ask because I think VR (in the form of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift) is going to be huge, but many of us are going to need new PCs if we want to get in on the action. And those could be pricey, so if there’s any interest I’ll keep an eye out for deals.

OK, on to business. I found some pretty amazing deals today, enough that I couldn’t pick just one to feature. Thus it’s time for another exciting three-deal Thursday!

1. GoPro or go home

Just about two years ago, the GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition was the “affordable” alternative to GoPro’s then-flagship Black Edition: The action cams were priced at $299 and $399.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, which I’m guessing won’t be long, based on the number already sold, GoPro has the refurbished Hero3+ Silver Edition for $149 shipped, available on eBay. (Take note that shipping is estimated between April 21 and May 4.)

As refurbs go, this is as good as it gets: factory-sealed with a one-year warranty, same as new GoPros. And although this is no longer the state-of-the-art model, CNET awarded it a 7.5 rating and praised its “excellent HD video with recording options up to 1080p at 60fps and the same design as the company’s other cameras so you have access to a large selection of accessories and mounts.”

I don’t know about you, but when I’m strapping a camera to a drone, I’m a lot more comfortable with a $150 passenger than a $400 one.

2. Flex for less

While you’re hanging around eBay, see if this strikes your fancy: Lenovo has the Lenovo Flex 3 2-in-1 11.6-inch laptop for $179 shipped (plus tax, where applicable), though you can also choose to collect it from a store. That price includes a one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal, normally worth $70.

Even without that, this is pretty amazing. True to its name, the Flex features a 360-hinge, meaning you can use it in tablet mode, tent mode and so on. And it comes with Windows 10 preloaded, not Windows 8 as it did when it debuted last year (back then it cost $299, incidentally).

Make no mistake, this is not a super-slim powerhouse. Rather, it’s a somewhat chunky slowpoke, at least compared with systems that have faster processors. Depending on your needs, however, that might not matter. Indeed, although CNET hasn’t reviewed it, Slashgear called it “a budget laptop that doesn’t feel like a budget laptop.”

And that price — wow. Did I mention this is new, not refurbished?

3. iPhone charging goes Tylt

It’s baa-acck! And still just $5.50 out the door.

Tylt

Time for a rerun! This was really popular when I shared it a few weeks back, and I’m happy to see it’s available again.

Like I said then, a dead phone can really muck things up. Solution? Always carry a mobile charger. For a limited time, and while supplies last, iTech Deals has the Tylt Energi 1,800mAh MFi-certified mobile charger for $5.50 shipped. That’s after applying coupon code TYLTIPHN at checkout.

The Energi features built-in folding wall prongs for charging and a built-in Lightning cable for powering your iDevice. Oh, and there’s a USB port for powering other devices. Tylt is a premium charger, and the Energi originally listed for $49.99. Crazy-good deal.

If you grabbed one of these last time, let me (and your fellow cheeps) know if iTech Deals was a reliable vendor and, just as importantly, how you like the charger!

Bonus deal: Amazon Prime just keeps getting better. The latest proof: If you’re a Prime subscriber, you can get a three-month Audible subscription for free. (Unsurprisingly, this is for new Audible customers only.) That subscription nets you one free audiobook download per month. After that, the service will run you $14.95 per month unless you cancel.

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Father’s Day is coming up quick — it’s Sunday June 21 — but you still have time to score Dad some great gifts. I’ve rounded up three deals I think would definitely appeal to the big guy, but if you need more ideas, check out our CNET Father’s Day gift guides.

1. Click on, click off

Earlier this week I shared a bonus deal that proved very popular, and in fact sold out very quickly. Because many of you were bummed about missing out, I managed to put together a rerun (of sorts)!

As I said then: Who says home automation has to be complicated — or expensive? For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon has the five-pack of Etekcity wireless remote-controlled AC outlets for $21.48 shipped. That’s after applying coupon code DEALBEST at checkout.

Plug your lamps, appliances and whatnot into these outlets, then use either of the two included remotes to switch them on or off. User reviews are overwhelmingly positive, even from people who paid the regular $30 price.

Best tech gear under $100 for Father’s Day

+22 more

See all photos

2. Measure twice, cut once

Also from Etekcity, here’s a gadget that has “Dad” written all over it: The Digital Laser Distance Measurer for $49.99 shipped when you apply coupon code LASERBLO.

This nifty digital tape-measure works at distances of up to 50 meters and can store up to 50 measurements. It can also solve for things like area, height and volume. Needless to say, every dad’s toolbox needs one of these.

Only about a dozen buyers have reviewed it, but the average rating is an impressive 4.9 stars.

3. Camo charger

What with all those long days Dad spends moving, shaking, toiling, tilling and so on, his phone is probably going to need some extra juice. But a big, bulky mobile charger is impractical; he needs something slim and pocket-friendly.

Like this: Poweradd is offering the Pilot A1 2,500mAh mobile charger for $9.99 shipped (via Amazon Prime) when you apply coupon code PICJHOBO at checkout.

This nifty little pocket-square comes in five styles, and, admittedly, several of them are better suited to Mom. But mouse over the two camo options; they’re a bit more manly.

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Today’s deals couldn’t be more different. A little something for everyone, I’d say: budding musician, cash-strapped videographer, and, um, guy who likes big monitors.

1. Schooled of rock

I’ve been wanting to learn guitar for as long as I can remember, and even went so far as to buy one. But finding a regular time to meet with an instructor has proven very challenging, which is why a gizmo like the Jamstik comes in handy: It provides instruction on my schedule.

In case you’re unfamiliar with it, the Jamstik is a six-string “guitar” that pairs with iOS apps to teach you the fundamentals. It normally sells for $299, but StackSocial is offering the Jamstik Wireless Smart Guitar for $199 shipped. Want to learn more about it? Here’s my post-CES Jamstik preview from last year.

2. Shut up and take my monitor!

I hesitate to even share this deal, as I suspect it will be sold out by the time I finishing typing this senten–

Oh, good, still in stock — at least for the moment. For a limited time, and while supplies yada-yada, Computers.Woot has the refurbished AOC E2752SHE-B 27-inch LED desktop monitor for $149.99, plus $5 for shipping. Not sure I’ve ever seen a price this low for a monitor this big.

The key specs: 1,920×1,080 display resolution, two HDMI inputs (and one VGA) and a headphone jack in case you want to enjoy some audio in peace.

Now for the rub: This refurb comes with a 90-day warranty, versus one year for a new one — and the latter is currently selling at Amazon for $179.99 (already a crazy-good deal on such a big monitor). Thoughts?

3. A new way to go green

Calling all wanna-be moviemakers! For a limited time, Green Screen Systems is offering video-editing app HitFilm 2 Express (Win) for free. Original price: $149.

Note that the download version is free, but you can order a boxed copy for $10.

The software offers robust video editing tools: multiple video and audio tracks, drag-and-drop transitions, animated titles, sound mixing, and so on.

But where this editor leaves your CyberLink PowerDirectors and Pinnacle Studios in the dust is with its sweet, sweet array of special effects, which range from computer-generated gunfire and blood spatter to green-screen compositing (natch) and “procedural” lightning.

There’s definitely a learning curve, but you just can’t beat the price.

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Hi, cheeps! No, I’m not dead or in the hospital, though it was kind of so many of you to ask. As I mentioned on Monday, I’m traveling this week. But I’ll be back to full-strength deal sharing next week.

In the meantime, I bring you three of my favorite kind of deal: bundles!

1. Mac time

I love a good software bundle, especially when it mixes a little of everything: productivity, utilities, maybe even a little fun.

That’s the Ultra-Premium Mac Bundle in a nutshell. It serves up seven insanely useful Mac apps and one fun one for $44.99. Combined value: $469. Whaaaat!

The roster includes screencasting and video-editing tool ScreenFlow 5, data-recovery utility Data Rescue 4, and the latest entry in the mega-popular Civilization series, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth. (That title normally sells for $50 all by itself.)

I’m not a Mac person, but I know a sweet bundle when I see one. This one: sweet.

2. Book time

Are you a fan of science fiction, fantasy or horror? The Humble Bundle folks are about to fill your library with goodness: the Humble Subterranean Press Book Bundle lets you name your own price for a mess o’ books from — you guessed it — Subterranean Press.

This DRM-free e-book collection includes anywhere from five to 17 titles, depending on how much you pay. I say pony up $15 to get the whole kit and kaboodle (aside: anyone know what a kaboodle is?), thereby ensuring you’ll enjoy the works of not just Harlan Ellison and Jack Vance, but also Clive Barker and John Scalzi. Total value: nearly $100.

Plus, a portion of the proceeds goes to Worldbuilders, a charity that supports Heifer International. Win-win!

3. Game time

While you’re visiting the Humble Bundle site, click over to the Humble Square Enix Bundle 2 — as compelling a game collection as I’ve seen in a while.

For as little as a buck, you get Hitman: Absolution, Supreme Commander 2 and Hitman GO for Android — very highly rated games, all. Beat the average (currently $7 and change) for at least three more titles (there’s a mystery “coming-soon” game in the mix), or pay $15 to add Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs to the mix.

Again, worthy charities get some love as well. Even if you’ve already played a couple of these games, this is still a great collection, especially for a price that’s about what you’d pay for a movie ticket and small popcorn. (It’s all about value for your buck, people.)

Cheapskate out. See you back here on Monday!

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