Recently in Electronics Category

A new Web site called RepairPal estimates the cost of car repairs. It takes into account the vehicle's make, model and your location. The site claims to provide "impartial, fair price estimates, the most comprehensive auto shop directory, and expert insights and advice from certified mechanics."

I got an estimate for replacing a front headlight on my MINI, which indeed is broken, and RepairPal said it would cost between $63 and $78. When I called the dealer, however, they said it would be $90. Hmmm...

RepairPal says they spent "more than a year researching, collecting, converting, cleaning, analyzing, and structuring many sources of data" to come up with accurate estimates. Read more about their methodology here.

Maybe they need to keep tinkering with their formula. Or maybe the dealer is ripping me off. Either way, I'm hoping Hubby will be able to fix it. He's very handy!

RepairPal also suggests repair shops. Thanks, Ryan!

Get a $10 credit to buy online music at Rhapsody.com if you are one of the first 100,000 people to create an account with them. The credit is good through July 4, 2008 and requires you to register a credit card. Create an account here.

Rhapsody plans to start selling music a la carte (99-cents per track or $10 per album, just like rival iTunes). But unlike iTunes, once you download an MP3 from Rhapsody you can copy it as many times as your ears desire.

The site started as a music subscription service that charged $15 per month to download an unlimited amount of music onto your MP3 player. For $13 a month you can listen to an unlimited amount of music from your computer but not put it on your MP3 player. I believe they will still sell the subscription service in addition to a la carte pricing.

All things Mac are on sale at MacMall, a site that claims to be the number one Mac reseller. Computer are up to 30% off, accessories are up to 42% off, iPods are up to 17% off. The sale ends at 6pm PST today.

For sale products MacMall shows upfront how its prices compare (favorably) to Apple. A 20-inch iMac Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz with 1GB memory and a 320GB hard drive is $1,214 after a $75 rebate. The site claims Apple sells it for $1,500.

I checked Apple and the same computer is $1,250. No rebate required. Hmmm, it's probably best to check all their prices against Apple and other retailers. In some cases they will come ahead and in others, they won't.

Read more about MacMall here.

Time to stop procrastinating. California's hands-free cell phone law goes into effect July 1 and that does not leave much time to procure a device that, should you choose to ignore, could net you a $20 ticket..

You basically have five options, including a place to get basic hands-free devices for $4, says a story from the San Jose Mercury News. Buy a wireless Bluetooth headset (from $10 on eBay to $150 in stores). Fancy models often features noise reduction, a longer battery life, and better design.

You may opt for a wired headset, which is a cheap option for new phones and may be the only option for older phones. Just make sure the jack fits into your phone. Some wired headsets let you listen to music in between calls. (New sets range from $23 to $180).

If you don't want wear an ear piece consider portable speakerphones ($65+). Your phone needs to have Bluetooth capability to make this option work. Some high end GPS systems include speakerphones. You can also install speakerphones in the dash of your car, before or after you buy the vehicle ($150+).

The cheapest option is to let your phone go to voicemail when you are driving. ($0).

Basic hands-free devices are free at FreeHeadset.org, which charges you $4 for the shipping and handling. The site is devoted to promoting safe driving and also sells fancier devices at a discount. You can search by phone model and if they don't have it in stock they will e-mail you when they do. Paying with a credit requires you to use Google checkout.

Thanks, Sarah!

The two-year cell phone plan Hubby and I have ends in a few weeks and I turned to MyRatePlan.com to find the best cell phone plan for us.

You enter your zip code and the features that you want and the site spits out a chart that compares prices by carriers and minutes. You can add or subtract features and the chart automatically updates the results.

Most plans offer some kind of free phone when you sign your life away for two years. AT&T is the only one that provides roll over minutes. If we want free text messages we have to go with Sprint or Verizon. If Hubby insists on getting the new iPhone our only choice is AT&T.

The AT&T $60 family plan sounds right up our alley. We get 550 rollover minutes (about what we use), two free Blackberry Pearl 8110 phones, unlimited nights and weekends, free calls between the two of us, and free long distance. Both our lines are included, unlike our Cingular plan where we pay $10 a month for the second line.

Adding 200 text messages is $5 per phone. The "free" phone deal also requires one of us add a $30+ per month data plan for six months. I wonder if Hubby upgrades to the iPhone if AT&T will waive that requirement.

LetsTalk.com also sorts through plans by price and features but the comparison is harder to digest. Keep in mind that these prices are for when you buy the plan and phone online. Prices may be higher in stores.

Looking for free Wi-Fi outside your home or office? Check out WifiFreeSpot.com to find out where you can pick up a free wireless Internet connection when you are out and about. You can search by state and city. Here is the list for the Golden State.

Most public libraries offer free wireless Internet or computers you can use and Starbucks also sells Internet service (free for frequent coffee drinkers).

It would be fun if the site featured Wifi spots near the beach. So many jobs these days can be done from a laptop!

Uh oh. The new "cheaper" iPhone actually costs more because of a higher monthly plan fee, according to a story by Yahoo. Here's their math:

"Old iPhone: $399 (for 8GB of storage), plus $60 per month for 450 voice minutes and unlimited data. Two-year total (since you'll be signing a two-year deal for either handset): $1,839.

New iPhone: $199 (for 8GB of storage), plus $70 per month for a basic voice plan (presumably the same 450 minutes) and unlimited data. Two-year total: $1,879."

Of course, the new iPhone is faster and probably looks different so everyone will know you are totally hip (until the next version comes out in about six minutes). That's gotta be worth the extra $40. Smirk smirk.

Despite the price increase Daily News blogger Steve Rosenberg predicts the iPhone 3G will "kill off what little is left of the Palm platform," start a war among cell carriers other than AT&T to offer plans compatible with the iPhone, and maybe even push Google to offer it's own branded-handset.

I'm just depressed that cell phone service costs so much. I did the math and the plan Hubby and I share costs $1,140 a year - and we got free phones!!

You've probably heard that at midnight on February 17, 2009, television stations will stop broadcasting in analog and start broadcasting in digital. Translation: your old tube won't work - unless you get a converter box, which cost about $50 or $60.

Thanks to Congress you can defray most of the cost of a converter box with a $40 voucher. Get the voucher here. If you have multiple TVs you can get two coupons.

Getting the coupon will require me to jump through a bunch of hoops, you're probably thinking. Hubby says it's actually really easy and did it in about 10 minutes. You fill out the form, give them your address and answer a few questions about your TV. They send you a form in a few weeks and it's good at stores that accept the coupon.

The idea is that digital broadcasting will provide a "clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders," the converter program site says.

Do you need a converter box? "A TV connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service does not require a TV converter box from this program," the site says. If you don't want to get the converter box you can buy cable, satellite or other pay service, or purchase a digital TV.

Caveats: not all sellers of converter boxes accept the coupons but many national chain stores do, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, and Sears. Find a retailer here.

Oh baby oh baby oh baby. The new 3G iPhone is $200. That's a lot of money, but not compared to how much the original gadget cost - $600. It comes out July 11 and I'm guessing plenty of folks will line up to buy it for themselves, unlike last time when half the people in line were going to sell theirs on eBay. (If you don't mind an older iPhone, this may be a great time for a bargain!)

Not that I'm getting the new iPhone, even though my cell phone plan expires next month. I usually opt for a freebie phone that comes with signing my life away for two years. And right now I'm saving for a bicycle. Hubby, on the other hand....

Starbucks is rolling out its plan to offer free Wi-Fi for "frequent customers" starting tomorrow, June 3. Not sure if it will be at all stores immediately.

There are a few strings attached, however. You have to register your Starbucks Card online (basically a gift card) and use it at least twice a month. If you do you will get two consecutive hours of free Wi-Fi everyday. Not enough to make the green machine your home office, but enough to get a little work done.

Read all the details here. You can also buy two consecutive hours of Wi-Fi for $4. Find a Starbucks near you.

MetroPCS is handing out free hands-free earpieces starting Monday June 2 and going until Sunday June 8. You don't have to be a customer to get the freebie, you just have to drop by one of their 12 company stores and ask for one.

The deal comes just in time to satisfy California's new law requiring drivers to use a hands-free device starting July 1. Also, wireless safety week is June 2 to 8.

Caveats: the freebie earpiece may not be compatible with all phones. Find a MetroPCS store near you. Note, the deal is only at company stores so if the name of the store is not MetroPCS it is NOT participating. Company stores include locations in Panorama City, Culver City, MacArthur Park, Fullerton and East LA.

Thanks, Greg!

This came in via the comments section, but I thought it needed it own post.

Bargain Hunter readers can receive half-off an animal massage session from Buddha Dog Animal Massage. Regular rates start at $30. Sessions are with a Registered Vet Tech and Certified Animal Massage Therapist, are at your location in the L.A. area, and will include Acupressure, TTouch, Stone Massage and Reiki, as well as a consultation, physical exam, and a walk before and after if desired (recommended). Massage is especially helpful for arthritic and senior animals, as well as growing young animals, athletic and competitive dogs, working dogs, recovering animals, and fearful and stressed animals, but offers healing benefits to all animals. For more information, please see http://buddhadog.com or call 818-300-4478. Thank You!

No, thank you, Buddhadog!!

This might sound freaky to some of you, but honestly, it can work. I had a crazy Maine Coon cat called Chuy who had some sort of obsessive tail twitchiness that the vet wanted to control with drugs. Instead, I took him to a pet chiropractor in Pasadena who used a form of spinal massage that calmed him right down. All she had to do was lay one hand on him and he would start this insane purr and relax into a puddle of happy grey fur. So, if you have a hyper, weird, sickly, depressed or otherwise out-of-sorts animal, this might be the ticket.

--Post by Mariel

Get free computer games at Popcap.com. David, who emailed me to tell me about this deal, says "the site offers a solid mix of puzzle games and arcade favorites." Click on the "online" tab to find their free games. There are a few dozen. Download the game you want to play.

You get 60 minutes to play the game free. I tried Insaniquariam and believe me, after three minutes I had enough! But I'm not the computer game type. You can pay $30 to download a "complete" version of a game if you want. Read more about them.

Thanks, David!

Got wind of a number of outlet sales through the Entertainment Book, which, by the way, I have only used once. Doh! The Best Buy Outlet includes many flat panel televisions for hundreds of dollars below retail.

The Footlocker Outlet has sneakers for $40 off and bargain prices in clothing, fan gear, and accessories. At the Sony Outlet there is currently an extra 10% of VAIO notebooks and desktop PCs that are already marked down up to 40%. Some are refurbished. Sale ends May 27.

The Disney Outlet has toys and products up to 80% off. Eddie Bauer Outlet has spring stuff on sale between 40 and 70% off. I'm sure a lot of their spring line is wearable year round in LA. Their Web site is messed up because they just re-did it so use these links to shop women's clearance, men's clearance, and bags and gear clearance.

In general outlet stock turns over quickly and is very limited so go in with a very clear idea of what you want. If you find it - zing! And by that I mean don't delay!!

Who knows how long the Sharper Image, which filed for bankruptcy in February, will be around. With their fate uncertain the retailer has put out a lot of coupons to boost business. So if you have always yearned for a black imitation leather chair that squeezes your calves and sends rollers up and down your back while humming lightly, check out these coupons.

$10 off $50 or more until Jan 31, 2009. Online, in stores and over the phone.

$15 off $75 or $30 off $150 until May 31, 2008. Online, in stores and over the phone.

$20 off a purchase of $100 or more until Jan 31, 2009. Online, in stores and over the phone.

Note, just because the coupon expiration dates are far into the future does not mean they will be around that long. If a coupon is being used heavily a retailer may rescind the offer.

Caveats: read the fine print.

A few Wii games are buy one get one 50% off at Circuit City, like Super Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Kart with Wii Wheel, and a few others. No cash to buy the games? See below.

A few Wii games are also marked down to $20, including Winter Sports the Ultimate Challenge, Rayman Ravings Rabbids, and No More Heroes. Unclear when the sale ends.

Circuit City will give you a gift card when you trade in your old electronics. How much is your stuff worth? Click here.

Circuit City has a few memory cards with steep discounts, including a 1GB card for $8, above, and a 2GB card for $16. A 4GB card is $35 and a 12GB card designed for professional photographers is $200.

Unclear when the sale ends.

A friend balked at paying $20 per cell phone accessory at the phone store and instead turned to CellularFactory.com, which has lower prices than what you typically see in a cell phone store. A $20 phone clip in the store was $3 online and $15 earbuds were $2, he said. For a grand total of $12 he got all the cell accessories he and his wife desired.

But is the site cheaper than the bargain basement otherwise known as Amazon.com? Well folks, it is hard to tell. I tried to compare the prices of several items and they are labeled differently on the two sites so it was difficult to do an exact comparison. I recommend checking both sites to find what you want at the best price.

Cellulary Factory has $4 shipping or free shipping on orders of $15 or more with coupon freeship (unclear when this expires). Returns are accepted within 10 days of receipt as long as it is unused. A 15% restocking fee applies. Read the full policy here. Thanks, Chris!

A few stores on Ventura in Tarzana are having a joint parking lot sale today, tomorrow and Wednesday from 11 to 5, April 22 to 24. A flyer for the sale said there will be clothing, shoes, makeup, gifts, decorative accessories and eye wear on sale from 30 to 70% off. The sale is in the rear parking lot. Participating stores include Oriyan Shoes, Optical Time, Janette Mallory Home Furnishings, Skin, and Alexander/Harrison.

Visit them at 18641 Ventura Blvd between Reseda and Burbank in Tarzana.

If you have an electronic gadget to recycle that doesn't fit into the freebie envelopes I blogged about yesterday, check out My Green Electronics. The site lets you search for places to recycle your gadgets by zip code. For each place it gives you the address, phone number, email, and the products they accept. No prices are listed, but don't assume that means it is free.

You can also find "green" electronics (they are Energy Star certified) to buy and calculate the monthly and yearly cost of plugging in all your handy devices with their green calculator. My monthly cost came to $4.75 and my yearly cost added up to $56.59. By far the biggest energy sucker is our standalone DVR, which we keep plugged in despite having put our TV in the closet! Sigh. It's time to unplug it, Hubby.

While waiting in line at the post office yesterday to mail in my taxes - yes, I'm a big fat procrastinator - I spotted a cardboard box dispensing small plastic envelopes that you can use to recycle cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras, ink jet cartridges and other small electronics. Seal your expired gadget in the envelope and send it off at no charge. An electronics recycling firm called Clover Technologies Group pays for the postage.

USPS started the program last month and is testing it out in 10 cities, including LA. If it's successful they'll take it nationwide. You can take as many of the envelopes as you like.

On the subject of taxes, here is a funny joke I spotted in yesterday's paper. It is from Mark Parisi's "Off the mark" cartoon. A man is looking at his computer screen that asks "How much jail time are you willing to serve? +0-1 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years?" The caption below reads "Gilbert reaches a pivotal moment on his tax preparation software." The thought of evading taxes did not cross my mind even though Hubby and I got slammed this year, but for a split second while looking at the numbers I had a smidgen of understanding for those who do. Then I sighed and pulled out my checkbook.

Seems like many retailers are timing sales with tax day. If there is a store you love shopping at, today is a good day to check their Web site for sales. Dell is using tax day to kick off 10 days of deals, which change everyday.

An Inspiron 530 with an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor and 3GB memory, 500GB hard drive, and a19-inch glossy widescreen flat panel monitor is $699 after a $300 discount. An XPS 420 with an Intel Core 2 Quad-Core Processor at 2.4ghz, 3GB memory, a 500GB hard drive, and a 20-inch glossy widescreen is $1049 after $369 in savings.

Dell's final deal of the day is a Dell 22-inch widescreen flat panel monitor with webcam (model SP2208WFP) for $289 after $60 in savings. Note, these sales end today. Check back for the next nine days to see what else they put on sale.

This iPod is so old it's the one I have! But it is a lot more affordable than current generations and it still plays music. If you need/want video, put more pennies in the piggy bank. Geeks.com is selling a refurbished 40GB fourth generation iPod, above, for $120. Comes with a USB cable and earphones.

The same refurbished iPod is going for $190 at Target. Not sure how long this pricing will last. If you are in the market for an iPod, watch the product tracker on the left column of Mr. Dealio.

The talented testers at Shop Smart magazine, which is published by Consumer Reports, checked out 81 flat screen TVs in four different price ranges. They recommend the following eight.

For under $1,000 consider the Olevia 537H or the Vizio VW37LHDTV. For this kind of money you will mostly find 32- to 37-inch 720p LCD screens. To get a bigger set in this price range you'll have to go with off brands.

Your best bets for a budget between $1,000 and $1,500 are the Panasonic TH-42PX77U or the Sony Bravia KDL-40S3000. In this range expect to find "excellent quality" 720p LCD sets with 40- or 42-inch screens, 42-inch plasmas from established brands and slightly bigger sets from lesser known brands.

In the $1,500 to $2,000 range the mag recommends the Panasonic TH-50PX75U or the Sony Bravia KDL-46S3000. For this kind of money you'll see 720p LCD sets up to 47-inches and plasmas around 50-inches. Rear projection sets will go up to 56-inches but they take up more room.

If you have an unlimited budget check out the Sharp Aquos LC-52D9462U or the Panasonic TH-50PZ700U. Lots of cash will get you 1080p resolution up to 70-inches. (720p sets have a slightly lower resolution but color and contrast also contribute to how an image appears.)

To find the best TV consider these other factors: If you watch tons of movies consider a plasma set because images look better in dim lighting. If you play a lot of video games go for an LCD set so the video game logo won't permanently burn onto the screen. If you watch TV in a bright room consider an LCD set which are brighter and don't reflect as much as plasmas. LCDs also use less energy.

Staples has an offer to buy your old printer for $50 when you buy a new HP printer from them by May 3, 2008. Your new printer must cost at least $159. Not sure if buying two HP machines counts.

Their current ad for Sunday, March 30 through Saturday, April 5 has three HP printers on sale, from $100 to $200 (reg $180 to $300). Find a Staples near you.

A new Best Buy is opening Friday in Northridge and the first 50 customers will receive $20 gift cards. Store opens at 10 a.m. No idea how early folks will start lining up. Visit them at 19350 Nordhoff Way just west of Tampa in NorthridgeX.

Barnes & Noble is marking down all their CDs - new releases, box sets, etc - by 40% now until Sunday, March 30. In stores only. Use this printable coupon to get the discount. You do not need to be a member and the discount applies to as many CDs as you want to buy.

Caveats: not good at college bookstores or online.

Geeks.com is having a three-day blowout sale with markdowns up to 80%. A Philips portable DVD player is $68 (orig $74.50). A soft neoprene laptop case is $5 (orig $7). A wireless Bluetooth speaker lets you listen to your iPod or MP3 player anywhere, above, is $30 (orig $40). For each item the site notes how many are left. Browse all the Geek sale items.

Every Wednesday Best Buy has an online sale of a few dozen items, from laptop cases to hardware and sometimes computers. Today's sale includes a wireless Internet radio for $150 (orig $200), a wireless Linksys router for $100 (orig $130), and seven other deals. Offers expire every Wednesday at 11:59 pm CT.

Get two Nike Sport MP3 carrying cases for $6 including shipping today only from Woot.com. Everyday the site changes the deal and often it sells out hours before the changing of the product at midnight.

The case is specially designed for the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit and iPod Nano but fits most brand mp3 players, according to Woot. It has a padded divider that holds your iPod Nano, sensor, and receiver, and a spool for tangle-prone headphones. Also has a clear plastic card sleeve to hold your gym card or ID, a storage pocket and a small zipper pocket. Measures 4 1/8" x 5.5" x 2.75". Did I mention $6 gets you two of them?

Looking for a new camera, flatscreen TV, iPod or other electronic gadget but have no idea what's a "good" price? Check out Mr. Dealio for a consumer friendly run down of deals based on price comparisons. For each item a "compare prices" link lists prices at a handful of retailers. Some items also have a "new low price" link which shows you how the price has fluctuated in the past week (I wish it went back even farther!) The site also says if free shipping is included.

The main page has a rolling list of sales with the most recent up top. You can search for specific items like hard drives, monitors and MP3 players by clicking on the tabs on the left. You can also watch prices for the iPod Shuffle, Nano, Classic and and Touch under Product Trackers. Strangely, Target is not listed even though its iPod prices are competitive. Mr. Dealio also doesn't list prices for refurbished iPods, which are even cheaper. Right now the lowest price for a third generation 4 GB Nano is $142.49 from Circuit City.

The site lists deals under $40, not a bad place to look for gifts. Note, most of the deals are online so if you prefer brick and mortar shopping use this site as a starting place.

Get a refurbished 8 GB Phone from AT&T for $249. Caveats: it's refurbished. Requires you to sign up for a two year plan. Activate the phone via iTunes once you get it. Warning, this deal may sell out soon because it was listed on Slickdeals.

Apple is selling new 8 GB iPhones for $400. The 16 GB is $500.

First things first. What's a widget? Don't let anybody fool you. It's a technical term for doohickey. You can add the Bargain Hunter widget, which shows the most recent deal, to your page on 18 different sites, including Google, Blogger, MySpace, Facebook and Ning. Just like the weather, news headlines, or silly applications you may already have on your page. On my Facebook page the widget shows up in the mini feed.

Adding the BH widget will make your site more personal and make it easier to share your favorite sales and coupons with friends. Totally optional, but I do appreciate you helping me spread the word about the blog. Lots of readers are great for job security! Get the Bargain Hunter widget here.

You can also add it by clicking on the "Get the BH Widget" link on the upper left hand corner of this site. Follow the directions to install it, which takes a minute or two. Note, you must already have a home page on one of these sites to install the widget.

There are more and more options for cheap rental movies these days. Albertson's has those hulking red machines near the entry where they are happy to rent you a super crappy movie for $1 (no idea why the selection is so bad). Amazon has downloadable movie rentals starting at $2 but most everything you want to watch is $4.

Now Apple, which rents downloads for $2 to $4, is starting to offer one rental a week for $.99. The first one will be "The Hours," starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore. The cheapo movie will be available Thur to Mon, catering to weekend movie watchers. Rent it thru their iTunes page.

The electronics giant is having an outlet sale that lasts three days, now until Saturday. A lot of TVs are in the low hundreds. They seem to get bigger and pricier as