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Last month I mentioned that you shouldn't overpay for HDMI cables: The cheap ones are generally just as good as their pricey counterparts. Of course, the best deal is when you don't pay anything at all, like with eCost's free-after-rebate Azio 6-foot HDMI cable.

Shipping is way overpriced at $9.50 (for a cable? C'mon, eCost), but in the end you're getting an HDMI cable for $9.50--a great deal any way you slice it.

The rebate offer (PDF) is good until June 30, though who knows how long eCost's stock will last? For … Read more

Remember the Logitech iPod AudioStation? First it was $50 (after rebate), then $29.99 (after rebate). Now you can scoop one up for a measly $19.99 (after...you know). Shipping will run you around $14, which seems steep given the price of the hardware itself, but your out-the-door total is still pretty low.

The AudioStation (originally $150) is an iPod speaker dock paired with an AM/FM tuner. It includes a wireless remote, an audio input jack (for connecting non-iPod players), and composite and S-Video outputs (for watching iPod videos on a TV). It charges your iPod, of course, … Read more

I've yet to see a 500GB external hard drive for less than $80, even on Black Friday. But Buy.com has the Micronet Fantom Titanium II 500GB USB drive for $69.99 shipped (after a $20 mail-in rebate). That's a lotta storage for not a lotta cash. (Somewhere my old grammar teacher is feeling faint.)

This 7,200-rpm drive promises solid performance and near-silent operation, as it's housed in a fanless enclosure. It's not much to look at, but, hey, you're paying for gigabytes, not glamour. CNET hasn't reviewed the drive, but a couple users gave it high marks.… Read more

Time was, a MiniDV camcorder would set you back $300 minimum. Now you can scoop up a JVC GR-DA30 for a measly $119.99 (plus 10 bucks or so for shipping). It's a manufacturer-recertified unit with a less-than-stellar warranty, but it's also a pretty impressive camcorder for the money.

The GR-DA30 features a 30x optical zoom (!), a sliding 2.4-inch LCD on the rear of the body (!), and a battery JVC says will give you 115 minutes of shooting time (again, !). It also promises video-noise reduction in low-light environments, though I'm skeptical about that: I've yet … Read more

Running out of storage space on your notebook hard drive? Would an extra 160GB do ya? Newegg has the Maxtor OneTouch III Mini Edition on sale for $49.99 shipped. It's a compact, travel-friendly drive stocked with backup, sync, and system-rollback software.

I own one of these babies, and it's a slice of portable-storage heaven. However, I do wish it had an integrated USB cable instead of the separate one that's included. On the plus side, this is a new unit, not a refurb, and it includes a one-year warranty. CNET gave the OneTouch high marks, praising … Read more

If you're still watching movies on your junky old DVD player and wondering why they look so rotten on your big, fancy HDTV, here's the answer: Old DVD players don't produce enough pixels to take advantage of that high-resolution screen. Does that mean you have to junk your movie library and step up to Blu-ray? Not necessarily.

Instead, consider a stop-gap solution like the JVC XV-N650B, an upconverting DVD you can grab for just 30 bucks. Without getting overly technical about it, upconverting means the player scales the low-resolution DVD video so it looks better on HDTVs. … Read more

How low can GPS receivers go? Newegg cracks the $80 barrier with the Delphi NAV200, currently selling for $79.99 with free three-day shipping. Even more amazing, this is a new unit, not a refurb, and you don't have to wait on a rebate.

Ah, but is the NAV200 any good? Will it get you where you're going? All signs point to yes, though CNET's review dings it for its slow operation and lack of text-to-speech capability. The reviews on Newegg's site are mostly positive, but sluggish performance is a recurring theme.

Maps of the U.… Read more

Walmart is currently offering a $100 gift card on Blu-ray players (including the Sony PlayStation 3). That means if you buy the Magnavox NB500MG9 for $298, you're effectively getting it for $198.

The catch is that it's an online-only gift card, meaning you can't use it for, say, groceries. However, you could probably eBay it for cash.

The player itself delivers 1080p output, upconverts regular DVDs, and supports Profile 1.1. It includes both HDMI and component-video outputs as well as a coaxial digital audio output. Curiously, it doesn't appear anywhere on Magnavox's Web … Read more

If there's a Krispy Kreme near you, don't be surprised if it's the nexus of a stampede. Today, June 6, is National Donut Day (who knew?), meaning you can score yourself a free circle of glazed goodness. Check the Krispy Kreme store locator to find a shop near you.

Alas, my closest KK is 18.77 miles away; the gas would cost more than the donut. What does any of this have to do with technology? Nothing... but it's a free donut, people!