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.
Yeesh. Sorry about yesterday. The printer sold out mere minutes after my post went live. It drives me bonkers when that happens.
Enlarge ImageiClever
Today, I don’t expect a sellout, and quite frankly this isn’t the most exciting item in the world. Some days, deals flow like promises from a politician; other days they’re as sparse as promises fulfilled by a politician. This falls into the latter category.
That said, it’s certainly practical. For a limited time, Hisgadget (via Amazon) has the iClever BoostCube 36W 3-port USB wall charger for $9.99. That’s after applying coupon code ZFBCE475 at checkout. Shipping is free for Prime subscribers.
If you’re looking for a car charger as well, add the iClever BoostDrive 3-port USB car adapter to your cart, than redeem coupon code J2MCJT7F. (Yep, you’ll end up using both codes.) Final price for both: $16.99. Regular price for both: about $29.
More and more these days, I find myself needing multiple USB ports when I travel. You know, one for the phone, one for the tablet, one for the mobile charger I’m going to carry with me during the day.
The BoostCube accommodates all that, complete with folding prongs for easier travel and “smart” 2.4A ports that promise to identify what’s charging and supply the requisite juice.
There’s not much more to say, except that if you’re still using smaller, older wall chargers, you’re likely to find them very slow to charge your newer devices. You need something like this.
As for the reviews, it’s hard to argue with a 4.9-star average from over 50 buyers. That said, at least a handful admitted to receiving the product for free in exchange for a review, but overall I think the comments add up to a simple truth: the product works as advertised. That’s all that matters, no? (Full disclosure: I did not receive one of these. I just like a 40-percent discount.)
Bonus deal: Return of the under-$100 Chromebook! Groupon is once again offering the refurbished Hisense C11 Chromebook for $99.99, shipped. It’s a bare-bones laptop, to be sure, but still perfectly suitable for around-the-house Web stuff, middle-school computing, dirt-cheap YouTube/Netflix viewing and so on. If you grabbed one of these the last time around, hit the comments and let your fellow cheeps know if it’s worth a Ben Franklin.
Bonus deal No. 2: Shut up and don’t take my money, Google Play! Another week, another awesome free album: This time it’s “Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits.” As usual, you’ll need to have a credit card on file with Google, which seems to rub some people the wrong way. If you’re one of them, you can use a Google Play gift card instead. That’s not free, but at least that same credit card number you’ve given to Amazon, Netflix and the rest of the Web won’t fall into Google’s evil hands. Or something. (Seriously, someone explain to me why this is bad.)
