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Enlarge ImageThe Nixplay Seed works in both landscape and portrait orientations, and its power cable doubles as its stand!
Nixplay
First- and second-generation digital photo frames were pretty lousy. I think a lot of people bought them, found them disappointing, then dismissed the whole product category.
That’s too bad, because a good digital photo frame is a great thing. I’ve owned a few over the years, and they remain a popular focal point in our home. Most of my extended family members have them as well. We love sharing photos with each other.
If you’re going to get one, you might as well go big. For a limited time, you can get the Nixplay Seed 10-inch digital photo frame for $118.99 shipped. That’s after applying the coupon code CNETUS30 at checkout. Regular price: $169.99. Cheapskate exclusive, folks!
This is a brand new model from Nixplay, and it’s available in your choice of color: black, blue, mango or mulberry.
Unlike digital frames of yesteryear, this one is fully connected. It taps into your home Wi-Fi network to slurp up photos from Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Dropbox and other online sources. It also has its own e-mail address that friends and family members can use to send new photos. A companion app (for Android and iOS) lets you upload photos directly from your phone.
In other words, gone are the old hassles of adding new pictures. The Seed is also noteworthy for working in either landscape or portrait orientation. A power-saving option activates the screen when there’s motion in the room and deactivates it when there’s not. And the power card ingeniously doubles as the frame’s stand, allowing for just about any viewing angle.
Because this is so new, there aren’t that many reviews to be found — but the handful on Amazon are extremely positive. The coupon code is good through Sunday.
As I said, I’m a big fan of these. And sales are rare. This would make an amazing gift for the grandparents, but I suspect that once you put one in your own home, you’ll never want to be without it again.
Enlarge ImageIn case it’s not abundantly clear: smartphone not included.
Aukey
Bonus deal: If you use your phone in your car (and, be honest, you do), at least keep it up at eye level so the road is still in view. All you need is a sturdy dash-mount. Like this one: Aukey’s smartphone dashboard mount is just $4.49 (shipped free with Prime) when you apply coupon code MKNIPOFG at checkout. It can stick to your windshield or dashboard and accommodates even phablet-size phones. Reviews are extremely positive, though you’ll have to judge the veracity (some reviewers admitted to receiving a free or discounted sample).
Bonus deal 2: The digital-tape-measure deal from yesterday sold out fairly quickly, but there are two other models also available at a discount: the Etekcity Layout-Smart Class II Laser Distance Measurer (164 feet) for $44.99 shipped with coupon code CNETDEA1 and Etekcity Layout-Smart Class II Laser Distance Measurer (262 feet) for $64.99 shipped with coupon code CNETPROM. Not saying these are the best products in their class or that there aren’t less-expensive options, merely that the vendor wanted to extend more deals to Cheapskate readers.
Bonus deal 3: I wasn’t super excited about the Chromecast Audio until yesterday, when it started supporting multiroom music streaming. Now a few of these gadgets can transform your existing stereos and speakers into a poor-man’s Sonos system! They normally run $35 apiece, but for a limited time, and while supplies last, B&H has a Chromecast Audio 2-pack for $55 shipped. Yes please.
