Related Articles
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.
Enlarge ImageGogroove
Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, but few of them are suited for nightstand duty. By which I mean, few of them are also clocks.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, 2nd Street Electronics (via Amazon) has the Gogroove BlueSync RST Alarm Clock for $39.99 shipped. That’s after applying coupon code GOGROOVE at checkout. Regular price: $54.99.
Here’s what’s cool about the BlueSync RST: It’s a Bluetooth speaker, one that can be paired to your phone via NFC (assuming your phone supports that, of course). It’s also a clock radio, one with an FM tuner and dual alarms.
It also comes with a remote for across-the-room volume control, FM tuning and more. In other words, it’s a pretty full-featured alarm clock.
It’s also a surprisingly good speaker, especially given its size. Nothing gets me moving in the morning like They Might Be Giants’ “Istanbul,” and it comes through clear and robust even at maximum volume.
Here’s what’s not cool about the BlueSync RST: the 10 flat control buttons “arranged” across the top. They’re sufficiently confusing that Gogroove stuck a cheat sheet to the bottom of the clock. Even worse, the elongated snooze button isn’t raised, and it shares space with the brightness-adjustment button. Couple dumb, dumb design decisions, there.
Also, don’t lose the remote, otherwise you’ll lose the capability to switch between Bluetooth and FM radio modes. Update: My bad. There is indeed a button on the clock proper that can toggle modes.
These gripes aside, I like the BlueSync RST a lot. The 1A USB port gives me a place to charge my phone at night without the need for a separate wall charger, and the stand gives me a place to, well, stand it. This feels pricey at $54.99, but reasonable at $39.99. Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Chromebooks tend to run on the small side, usually with 11.6- or 13.3-inch screens. Occasionally you see a 14-inch model. Want something bigger? Ending today, Groupon has the refurbished Acer Chromebook CB3-531-C4A5 for $129.99 shipped. This 15.6-inch laptop includes dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 90-day Acer warranty. Just keep in mind that with a display resolution of just 1,366 x 768, the big screen won’t be super-sharp.
Bonus deal No. 2: Speaking of big screens, TigerDirect has the AOC E2752SHE 27-inch LED desktop monitor for $159.99. Shipping adds about $10. This ginormous display features a 2ms response time, two HDMI ports and a three-year warranty. And the user reviews are overwhelmingly positive: 4.6 stars on average from over 80 buyers.
Bonus deal No. 3: Are you an AT&T mobile customer? MVNO Ting would like you to know that you can potentially save a bunch of money by moving to Ting. And it’s willing to give you a $5 Starbucks gift card, no strings attached, just for checking to see if your AT&T phone is compatible. (Psst: If you’re on an AT&T-powered MVNO like Cricket Wireless, that works, too. Mine did. In fact, I was kind of surprised to learn that I could choose either CDMA or GSM networks.) Ting continues to be all kinds of awesome.
