Get a 2

Among the list of soul-crushing problems we have to deal with in a corona-infested world, inserting the charging cable into the end of your phone probably doesn’t make the top five. Even so, why bother, if you have an iPhone or Android phone with wireless charging built in? There’s no convenience quite like having a charging stand on your bedstand — just place your phone on it, and it charges while doing double duty as your alarm clock. Right now, you can snag a 2-pack of Anker PowerWave charging stands for just $26, no code required.

See it at Amazon

At about $13 each, that’s a darned good deal. This 2-pack usually runs $35, and while there are a few no-name brands selling chargers in this price range, I honestly don’t trust them. Anker is a reputable brand and this charger delivers 7.5 watts for wireless-capable iPhones and 10 watts for models like the Samsung Galaxy S20, S10 and others. It’s also is powerful enough to charge through most cases that are less than 5mm thick.

Having two chargers is handy — you can put one by your bed and another on your desk, or share the second one with your partner. But if you really only need a single charger, you can nab a single PowerWave stand for $16 when you click the coupon on the product page. The regular price is $19.

See it at Amazon

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 2

I’ve been laptop shopping recently, and was once again forced to confront the ugly question: Why am I continuing to spend $700 or more on a Windows-based laptop when Chromebooks exist? After all, these days I spend 90% of my time in some combination of Google Docs and the web. Could I get by with a laptop running Google Chrome OS? If you can walk away from Windows, you can save a bundle — like the 25% off you can get right now on an already cheap 2-in-1. I’m talking about this Acer Spin 15 2-in-1 15.6-inch touchscreen Chromebook for $299, and Best Buy is sweetening the deal by throwing in three months of Disney+. The  Spin 15 is usually $399, and you’re saving an additional $21 for the three months of Disney Plus.

See it at Best Buy

This Acer Spin is so affordable in part because there’s stuff missing under the hood that you’d ordinarily find in a typical Windows PC. There’s no core processor, for example — it’s running a Pentium. But that’s all it needs, because Chrome is such a lightweight operating system, and all your apps are web-based. It has no optical drive, but does have 4GB of memory and 32GB of flash memory for storage, as well as a built-in media reader for microSD cards.

You also get a big touchscreen and a 2-1 configuration that flips into a tablet or can be tented for presentations, and it all weighs in at just 4.85 pounds. And some might say that the best reason to get a Chromebook is because you can avoid the inevitable funky glitchiness of Windows. 

So if you’re in the market for a new laptop and also have a hankering to check out The Mandalorian, Best Buy just might have a deal with your name on it. 

Read More: Best 15 inch laptops for 2019 | Best gaming keyboards under $200 for 2019

Sarah Tew/CNET

Best for your favorite commuter

Dell XPS 13

Dell’s is a 13.3-inch laptop that’s so trimmed up that the body is basically the size of an older 11.6-inch laptop. Being part of the company’s XPS line means both its chassis and components are top notch for its class, so you’re getting great battery life and performance, too. 

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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. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page, and find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.

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Get a 2

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tethercell-with-phone.jpgEnlarge Image

Tethercell

Now here’s an ingenious idea: a Bluetooth-capable AA battery you can control with your smartphone. That’s the Tethercell in a nutshell. The gadget debuted way back in 2013 at CES, then went to Indiegogo for a successful crowdfunding campaign (with early backers paying a hefty $55 — plus shipping — for a single pair).

Today you can buy a pair of Tethercells for $44.99, plus $3 for shipping. Or less, if you’re willing to wait a bit: StackSocial has a Tethercell Bluetooth battery two-pack for $24.49, shipped.

Let me give you the caveat right up front: This being StackSocial, the estimated shipping window is two to three weeks. I’ve spoken with these guys about why their turnaround times are so long, and they assure me they’re working on it. Partially it’s the nature of how they work with vendors to get low prices on really cool products. Bottom line: If you can be patient, you’ll score a great deal. (I’ve endured some lengthy waits myself, but the product was always exactly as advertised.)

The Tethercell itself is a Bluetooth-friendly, smartphone-controlled module designed to fit anywhere a standard AA battery can. It’s not a rechargeable power cell; rather, it relies on standard (disposable or rechargeable) AAA batteries.

Yes, that means you’ll get slightly less runtime from whatever device is using the Tethercell, though if it’s something that can accommodate more than one battery (like, say, an Xbox controller), you need only one Tethercell in the group.

Once paired with your Android or iOS device, the Tethercell (and whatever device it’s in, natch) can be switched on or off remotely, put on a schedule, and monitored for overall battery life.

It’s too bad there’s no 9-volt version of this, because that’s what pretty much every smoke alarm uses — and this would be awesome for that. Even so, there’s no denying this is a supercool bit of engineering and a great item for gadget fans. At under $25 for a pair, it’s impulse buy-friendly, too.

Your thoughts?

Bonus deal: Remember the Anki Drive, the futuristic slot-cars-without-the-slots toy demoed a few years back at an Apple event? I always thought it was pretty cool, but didn’t love the idea of spending $200 just to get started. Even the current $149 price feels a little steep. Good news! Anki currently has the Anki Drive Starter Kit for $99.99. That gets you the standard oval track, two cars, two charging cases and other odds and ends. Bad news: Even on sale, additional cars and tracks cost $50 apiece. Ouch.

Your turn: For the past couple of months I’ve been using a sub-$10 smartphone accessory I absolutely love. And it got me thinking: What’s your favorite super-cheap tech gadget or accessory? Maybe a wallet-size multitool or an innovative phone stand? How about a pocket-friendly mobile charger? I’m looking for items you didn’t think could possibly be any good given the price, but turned out to be awesome. Let’s say anything under $15 is fair game.

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Get a 2

Are you the proud owner of a new iPad 2? Let’s talk warranty.

Apple backs the tablet for a year, of course, and for $79 you can add an AppleCare Protection Plan that extends the coverage to two years.

However, neither policy covers the most likely scenario: accidental damage. I’m talking dropping the iPad in the bathtub, rolling over it with the car (don’t laugh–it happens), getting sand in the dock connector, spilling your coffee on it, and so on.

Enter SquareTrade, which offers an extended warranty that includes “accidental damage from handling” (or ADH). The regular price for two years of iPad coverage is $119.99, but right now you can get a 2-year SquareTrade iPad warranty for $71.99. That’s after applying coupon code IPAD40 at checkout.

That’s also 7 bucks less than Apple’s plan, for a grand total of $36 per year of coverage. Given that you spent a minimum of $500 on your iPad 2, I think that’s a mighty attractive deal on a total-coverage safety net. (And this from a guy who rarely opts for extended warranties. But I’m clumsy as a bull in a china shop, and butterfingering my tablet to the pavement is just the kind of thing I’d do.)

Another nice SquareTrade perk: If your iPad gets stolen (another unfortunate likelihood), you can cancel the policy and get a prorated refund.

This offer is good for all iPad models (1 and 2), including those from AT&T and Verizon. However, I’m not sure how long the coupon code will remain active, so if this sounds like a winning proposition, I’d jump on it fast.

While you’re mulling it over, be sure to check out the latest iPad 2-optimized apps as well as 10 must-have apps for iPad 2 owners (they’re great for the iPad 1 crowd, too).

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