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. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.
Quick housekeeping note: Last day to enter the Cheapskate’s audio-gear giveaway! You could win a seriously sweet Bluetooth speaker or briefcase turntable.
End of note. Start of daily deal.
Enlarge ImagePhones not included, natch.
Unifun
I’ll just come out and say it: The deal pickings are mighty slim today. They’d have to be for a mobile charger to land front and center. Because, like you, I’m pretty tired of mobile chargers.
And, yet, this one strikes me as a worthwhile offering for a couple of reasons. For starters, it’s shockproof, dustproof and waterproof (though I certainly wouldn’t dunk it if I could avoid it). That makes it a good option as we swing into the cold, wet, snowy months ahead.
Second, it sports an LED flashlight. It’s a minor perk, but dang if flashlights don’t come in handy all the time — especially now that it’s winter and we have about three hours of daylight.
Finally, the price: The Unifun U821 10,400mAh mobile charger is on sale for $9.99 when you apply coupon code 9TCN9DCA at checkout. Shipping is free for Prime subscribers. I’ve seen other chargers with similar capacities at that price, but not ruggedized. And not cool-looking orange and black, either!
The U821 offers both 1A and 2.1A USB outputs, so you can charge two devices at once. It has hundreds of user reviews, most of them very positive (it averages 4.2 stars out of 5).
Bonus deal: Calling all makers! My CNET colleague Bonnie Burton spied a great deal: name your price for a Humble Bundle Maker Media book bundle. As always, you can choose between three tiers, with more bundle for your buck the more you spend. My advice: pony up $15 (or more) to get everything, and help a worthy charity while you’re at it.
Enlarge ImageSega
Bonus deal No. 2: Calling all readers! While we’re on the subject of bundles, StoryBundle is back with another solid sci-fi e-book bundle. For a mere $12 you get all nine titles in the collection, including at least one Philip K. Dick Award-winner. All the books are DRM-free, and a portion of your proceeds can go to charity. Win-win!
Bonus deal No. 3: Retro-game time! Whether you’re looking for a cool gift for younger kids or you’re feeling nostalgic for the consoles of yesteryear, here’s a sweet deal: Dollar General (wait, Dollar General?! H’okay) has the Sega Genesis Ultimate Portable Game Player 2015 Edition for $28, plus $5.50 for shipping (unless you pad your cart to at least $40, in which case shipping is free). Regular price: $40. This little handheld packs a whopping 80 games (include various Sonic and Mortal Kombat titles), and can even play more via an SD card slot.
