Marketplace Blog

It's weird to get excited about a 128GB Crucial CT128M4SSD2 solid-state drive for $79.99 shipped when you can also buy a 1TB portable USB 3.0 hard drive for the same price. (See what I did there? I snuck in an extra bonus deal.)

Yet, it is exciting, because that same SSD sells for at least $100 everywhere else (including Newegg, where it's $109.99). So for well under $100, you can outfit your desktop or laptop with a blazing-fast drive that has enough space to actually be practical.

The CT128M4SSD2 is a 2.5-inch drive that … Read more

Are you using Carbonite to back up your data? Good for you: I highly recommend some kind of cloud-storage service in tandem with a local backup.

Ah, but are you happy with it? The folks at CrashPlan think you can do better, and they're willing to put their money where their mouth is: existing Carbonite customers can get one year of CrashPlan backup absolutely free.

Typically, that would cost you $49.99. And if you're looking to protect more than one computer, you can purchase a family plan for $50 -- a price that buys you unlimited storage … Read more

What price freedom -- I mean, freebie?

Suppose, for example, I told you you get could five bucks' worth of music free of charge, but you'd have to fork over a bit of time and personal info. Sound like a fair trade?

Here's the deal: Scott Products (makers of Scott paper towels, toilet paper, and whatnot) is offering a $5 Amazon MP3 credit when you sign up for Scott Shared Values, which is basically the company's coupon/reward service.

As these things go, it's actually pretty innocuous. Just supply your name, date of birth, gender, ZIP … Read more

Looking to replace an old LCD panel (or even, horrors, a tube) with something new, modern, and feature-packed? Ah, who are we kidding, "feature-packed" is code for "not in my budget."

It might be today. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon has the VIZIO E3D470VX 47-inch LCD HDTV for $598 shipped. When it comes to features, this model's about as packed as they come.

For starters, it's a 3D TV, one that relies on lightweight passive glasses rather than expensive, inconvenient active-shutter glasses. Vizio supplies two pairs, but you can expand … Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted a couple of months ago.

Finding out what all the "Downton Abbey" fuss is about. The arrival of movies like "Mission Impossible III" and "Team America: World Police" on Netflix. The early debut of shows on Hulu.

These are just a few of the reasons why you need a Roku. As I've noted before, I think these little boxes are the best way to bring streaming media into your living room. They sling not only Netflix, but also Amazon Instant Video, CNET, HBO Go, … Read more

Given the recent spate of seemingly instant sellouts and the risk of boring everyone with "yet another tablet/TV/flash drive," I'm going to broaden my focus here a bit and share the occasional niche deal.

Today, for example, I bring you something that won't appeal to everyone, but will definitely satisfy creative types. Today only, BitsDuJour has Pixarra's TwistedBrush Pro Studio 17 (Win) absolutely free. It normally sells for $79.

Update: If that link brings up a different program, use this one instead.

TwistedBrush Pro Studio is a sophisticated paint/image-editing program that gives … Read more

True story: The cable guy was over just last week, troubleshooting a signal-strength problem with our service. When he saw my CableCard-equipped media center PC, he said, "I've been wanting to do that with my computer, because Windows' channel guide is so much better than ours."

True dat. Windows Media Center offers a mighty sweet 10-foot interface, and when you pair your PC with a CableCard tuner, you've got everything you need for DVR awesomeness.

There are three such tuners on the market, and today's deal is for the most versatile of them. While supplies … Read more

What better way to celebrate Labor Day than by eschewing all forms of labor, instead kicking back with your phone or tablet and rocking some serious run-and-gun action?

To help you accomplish that nation-honoring act of laziness, Gameloft is offering three Android games on the cheap.

Throughout the weekend, you can get Gangstar Rio: City of Saints, Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, and N.O.V.A. 3: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance from Google Play for 99 cents apiece.

These titles normally sell for $6.99 each, meaning you're getting for three bucks what would normally cost you $21.… Read more

Let's see if we can get through one day -- heck, one morning -- without the product selling out, shall we?

While supplies last, Best Buy has the SanDisk Cruzer 16GB USB flash drive for $7.99 shipped, plus sales tax in most states.

Update: This appears to have sold out online, and is now available in-store only. So much for lasting the morning.

Whoops, sorry, sold out. Nah, I'm kidding -- as of this writing, it's still in stock. But just in case, I've queued up three bonus deals for you below. Because that's … Read more