I stopped into my local Best Buy this afternoon and was amazed at the great selection  of prepaid cellular phones. As recently as a year ago the prepaid phone aisle was limited to cheap plastic throwaways. Fast forward to now, and the shelves are lined with current model BlackBerry and Motorola phones available on no contract prepaid plans.   Boost Mobile has been one of the leaders in selling affordable prepaid phones that don’t make you ashamed to use them in public.  Last week we looked at the i465 (great texting device and solid call quality). This week we’re looking at the Boost Mobile i9. It’s essentially a Motorola Razr fitted with the walkie talkie feature that Boost is known for. What’s amazing about this phone is that it’s one of the thinnest flip phones that Boost has ever offered. Continue Reading

Dell Small Business has a real steal for anyone that’s in the market for a smallish high-def LCD TV. GearSponsor LogicBuy notes  the Samsung 2494SW 24-inch 1080p HDMI LCD Monitor is going for $259.99 – plug in the 20% off coupon code: K9K2253HCF96V2 (expires 11/11 or after first 1,500 uses) = $207.99 plus FREE shipping. That’s about $80 cheaper than what I could find on Amazon.

Samsung 2494SW 24-inch 1080p HDMI LCD Monitor

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I’m a big fan of getting outside and walking. I find that listening to music or podcasts helps to pass the time, so like most people with MP3 players I always take my iPhone or Zune HD with me. I have recently started carrying my Zune HD because I love Zune Pass, which provides for nearly unlimited music downloads and automatically creates artist mixes – even from music I don’t own. WaterField’s new suede jacket is the perfect fit for my Zune HD. It’s thin enough to act as a shield and fits inside other WaterField cases. Continue Reading

Amazon has this Garmin Nuvifone G60 available for $99 after the obligatory 2 year service agreement. The phone’s primarily for Garmin lovers who prefer the interface of their beloved GPS device over  competing smartphone’s with similar (free) services. The 3.5-inch anti-glare, resistive touchscreen display is big enough to easily see your maps – and there’s 65K colors and 272 x 480 WQVGA resolution. Given that some of the early Droid reviews have given meh reviews to the map feature maybe the Garmin will have a fighting chance competing against free.

Garmin Nuvifone G60 via Gearsponsor Logicbuy

This 42″ LG Plasma TV is an intriguing deal for a few reasons. First it includes a Panasonic Blu-ray player and hook-up kit – both expensive options that many buyers will need. Secondly it includes free shipping- order it from here just to watch the UPS guy lug all 112 lbs up your steps. The site claims that if purchased separately you could expect to pay over $800 (Amazon lists the TV alone at $605).

42″ LG 42PQ30 Plasma TV with Panasonic Blu-ray and hook-up kit – $619 via GearSponsor Logicbuy

According to the press release the Freehands Gloves for Techies were created after their designer grew tired of answering his iPhone with his nose. This year the company has added models of gloves that look trendy and you won’t be embarrassed to wear. There are 7 men’s styles and 5 women’s to choose from. Each glove is insulated for winter wear. Pricing ranges from $18 to $40.

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Shape Services released an iPhone and iPod Touch application over the weekend that they claim will help convert the mountain of business cards you’ve collected into names in your iPhone address book. The description of the application says it will “import contact information right from business card to your iPhone contacts! Just take a photo of a business card and a New Contact is added!”. So how well does this $5.99 program work in real life? Continue Reading

Even though many of us are already taking videos on our smartphones, the Creative Labs Vado HD comes in handy for both convenience and affordability. The pocked camcorder is on sale at Amazon in 4GB and 8GB models. It captures video in high-definition 720p HD quality. Available in either 8 GB (up to 2 hours HD recording and playback) or 4 GB model ($99 Creative Labs Vado HD White). The Vado features high-quality HDMI connectivity and an HDMI cable, which allow you to connect your camcorder into your HDTV and immediately enjoy your videos and pictures in full 720p HD quality. You don’t need any special software or downloads–just plug it in and play.

Creative Labs Vado – 8GB – $129 or
Creative Labs Vado – 4GB – $99 via Gearsponsor Logicbuy

Have you figured out Google Wave yet? If not, don’t despair (Need an invitation?). There are lots of people using Google Wave who haven’t figure it out. As one chapter in the new Complete Guide to Google Wave begins – “Wave’s Downfall: A Universally Confusing Initial User Experience“. One problem with Wave is that until you have lots of friends or business colleagues using the service there isn’t much to share or collaborate on. The other problem is that Google Wave is still very much a developer preview where users are expected to figure out how to use the service. Luckily Gina Trapani and Adam Pash (both of Lifehacker) have compiled a preview edition of The Complete Guide to Google Wave. The preview edition of their book will be available for purchase as a DRM-free PDF in November of 2009. The first edition will debut in January as both a PDF and a softcover print book, with new editions to follow throughout 2010. The online version of the book is free and available now online. The Guide contains over 8 chapters that will help any Google Wave user better understand this often confusing service.

The Complete Guide to Google Wave via Download Squad

This Linksys wireless router offers simultaneous dual band Wi-Fi connections and is like having two wireless routers inside one box. Most computers (and many mobile devices) support Wi-Fi. Some make exclusive use of the 2.4 GHZ frequencies – however many devices now will allow use of the less crowded 5 GHZ (check your device specs first). This Linksys can support multiple devices with different frequency use. It lets you use the more common 2.4 GHZ connection for connecting to less speed intensive destinations like checking email and posting Halloween pictures to facebook. Use the less crowded and presumably faster 5 GHZ connection for music, gaming and high-definition video. There are also four Gigabit Ethernet ports for cabled connections as well as a USB port for connecting and sharing a hard drive or memory stick. Use coupon code AFFHOL09WK1 for $15 off which brings your net cost to $94.99.

Refurbished Linksys WRT610N Ultra Dual-N Band Wireless Router w/USB Port

I don’t think I’ve ever owned a pair of earbuds. Instead it feels mostly like I have them on a very short term rental. Just when I find a pair that fit and perform to my liking one of my kids “borrows” them. I must have a dozen pair of earbuds scattered around my house – none of which I’m able to find. This deal on a pair of iPhone/iPod earbuds (with microphone) works out to about $4 per pair. These aren’t official Apple branded earbuds but at this price it’s worth picking up a few sets as spares for the next time your favorite’s get borrowed.

iPhone / iPod earphones (2 pack) – $7.95

Have you ever experienced the sinking feeling at hearing the sound of a phone cracking as it hits the pavement? One solution is to wrap your phone in an OtterBox protective case. They make them for iPods, iPhones, BlackBerries, Nokia, Palm, HP, HTC and now Samsung Instinct S30. The cases are designed to protect your phone from what happens when it meets Mr. Pavement at 5 or 10 mph. The Samsung Instinct S30 case uses a soft silicone inside a hard shell to absorb the shock of sudden impacts from drop. Available now for $34.95 from Otter Box and worth it.

OtterBox Samsung Instinct S30 Commuter Case – $34.95

With Android 2.0’s release imminent on the Verizon Droid and the SDK available it was only a (short) matter of time before someone ported over the yet to be released OS to the original T-Mobile G1. In my experience most of these ROM ports are rough around the edges and if you REALLY REALLY want the best Android 2.0 experience you’re best bet is to buy a device with Android 2.0. Until the official Android release here’s a video to satisfy your curiosity and take you on a pretty complete tour of Android 2.0 on the T-Mobile G1.

Engadget

Attention Android owning basketball lovers — listen to every NBA game live, watch video game recaps, review live scores, get real-time team and player stats and more. This is all available with the $9.99 NBA Gametime 2009-2010 application for Android available for download now. Compatible with T-Mobile myTouch 3G (OS 1.5+), T-Mobile G1 (OS 1.5+). Versions are also available for iPhone and BlackBerry in their respective application stores. This is the perfect application for watching sports while you’re supposed to be doing boring stuff like working.

Have you priced sneakers lately? Buying one pair isn’t so bad. Add in a few kids (who outgrow their sneakers bi-monthly) and the costs are outrageous. Gearsponsor Logicbuy spotted this sale at Adidas which gets you an additional 30% off on already discounted Adidas apparel during its Shop Till They Drop sale using Coupon Code: SAVE30 (ends 11/1). This includes all new arrivals, apparel, shoes, and more. Plus Free Shipping using Coupon Code: FALL49 on orders $49 or more.

Adidas: Extra 30% (Expires 11/1)