Marketplace Blog

Download free 'Into the Wild' MP3 audiobook from Borders

To help kick off its new MP3 audiobook download service, Borders is offering Jon Krakauer's spellbinding Into the Wild free of charge through July 19. You do need to sign up for a Borders Digital Audiobooks account, but it's free to do so, and that's the only catch.

Well, actually, there's one more: To access the book (and any others you purchase), you have to install something called OverDrive Media Console (currently Windows-only--grrr). It's basically a download manager that organizes your audiobooks and generates multipart MP3s (which you can then copy to any portable player … Read more

Add Bluetooth to any notebook or PC for $7.99 shipped

It's the rare notebook that doesn't have Wi-Fi, but not all models offer Bluetooth. Though not a critical feature, the short-range wireless technology is handy to have for things like cordless mice and cell-phone tethering (i.e., using your phone as a modem). Meritline has a teeny-tiny USB-powered Bluetooth adapter on sale for just $7.99 shipped.

What I love about this thing is that it's so teeny-tiny: Just a rounded little nub. You can leave it plugged into a USB port and barely know it's there. This is a Bluetooth 1.2-compliant adapter with a … Read more

Score a refurbished iPod Touch for $199 shipped

The online Apple Store is clearing out 8GB iPod Touch refurbs for $199 shipped. That's a pretty sweet price considering that they sell new for $299. And I'm here to tell you: The Touch is the single greatest thing since sliced bread.

Essentially an iPhone without the phone, the iPod Touch does music, videos, photos, e-mail, Web browsing, and tons more, and looks Jessica Alba-sexy while doing it. The new 2.0 software update adds support for games, e-books, Internet radio, the New York Times, and countless other applications. (My current favorites: Aurora Feint, Bejeweled 2, and eReader.)… Read more

Print, scan, copy, and fax with network-compatible all-in-one, $70 shipped

Now here's a deal for home-office and small-business users: Newegg.com has the Brother MFC-465cn multifunction printer on sale for $69.99 shipped. It's a new unit, not a refurb, and you don't have to deal with a single rebate.

Though quite a compact unit, the MFC-465cn packs in mucho features, including a 2-inch color LCD, media-card slots, a bypass tray that accommodates 4x6-inch photo paper, a 10-page auto document feeder, and an Ethernet interface. (Too bad it's not wireless; that would be icing on the cake.) Brother promises print speeds of up to 30 pages … Read more

Get an 802.11n home router for $28.99 shipped (after rebate)

If your home network can't quite reach all corners or you need faster throughput for file copying or video streaming, it might be time to consider a router upgrade. Buy.com has the TRENDnet TEW-632BRP Wireless N Home Router on sale for $28.99 shipped (after a $15 mail-in rebate).

In case you're unfamiliar with it, the new 802.11 Wi-Fi standard (currently known as Draft-N) promises better range and faster throughput. The TEW-632BRP is backwards-compatible with older 802.11 hardware and comes with four Ethernet ports, two external antennas, and the usual raft of security features.

Bear … Read more

Five great free apps for the iPhone and iPod touch

Over the weekend I updated my iPod touch to the 2.0 software, and I consider that $10 well-spent. Now I can access all the same great apps as iPhone 3G owners. Thankfully, many of them are free; I've rounded up five I really like. (Note that all links require iTunes.)

AOL Radio Stream radio from over 200 stations spanning 25 music genres. It can even round up local stations. Who needs an FM tuner now? eReader As a longtime fan of reading e-books on my PDA, I'm overjoyed I can now do the same on my touch. … Read more

Back up everything you own with free set-and-forget utilities

Data disaster can strike anywhere, anytime. If you're not making regular backups, you're asking for trouble. Trust me. In that spirit of doom and gloom, I've rounded up five free backup utilities for preserving different types of data. All of them are "set-and-forget" programs, meaning once you've installed and configured them, they'll do their thing in the background. Doesn't get much easier than that.

Amic Email Backup This highly automated tool backs up most popular e-mail clients at scheduled times and can restore the library to another computer (great if you have … Read more

Jabra stereo-Bluetooth headset cuts the cord for $37.99

In the perfect world that exists only inside my head, all cell phones and MP3 players incorporate A2DP, also known as stereo Bluetooth. Consequently, they're all compatible with stereo Bluetooth headsets like the Jabra BT8010, which CNET rated 8/10, and which CompUSA and TigerDirect (different outfits, same owner) currently have on sale for $37.99. That's a pretty big savings over the original $149 list price.

During business hours, the BT8010 functions as a fairly standard headset, albeit one with a cool OLED display and jog dial. When you want to get your groove on, you just … Read more

Block outside noise with Sennheiser sound-isolating earphones, $7.99 shipped (after rebate)

Far and away the best deal on "canal-phones" I've seen yet, Newegg has the Sennheiser CX 300 on sale for just $7.99 (after a $15 trade-in rebate). The icing on the cake: free shipping.

As I've noted in the past, I absolutely love these kinds of 'phones, which fit snugly enough inside your ear canals to reduce outside noise. The CX 300 comes with three sleeve sizes so you can achieve an optimal fit. However, that's about all it comes with: You don't get a carrying case nor even a cord wrap.

Even … Read more