General

It's not uncommon to own multiple PCs. For example, you might use both a desktop and a laptop, frequently hopping back and forth between their keyboards. That's kind of a hassle.

Wouldn't it be great if you could control both those machines from a single spot? That's the idea behind ShareMouse (Win/Mac), an invaluable utility that lets you share your mouse and keyboard with multiple networked PCs.

The software normally runs $30 per license, and you need a license for each system you want to control -- in other words, a minimum of two. Today … Read more

Ever wonder how the sausage is made around here? I can't reveal all the tricks of the cheapskate trade, but I do want to shine some light on the "exclusive" deals I occasionally post.

Every so often a developer or vendor approaches me to ask if I'll spotlight one of their products. If it's a killer deal, I'll usually say yes. If it's a product or service I know well and really like, I'll usually say yes.

But sometimes I'll tell the rep or owner outright: This isn't a good … Read more

Being a cheapskate can get expensive. If you're anything like me, you're intimately acquainted with the phrase, "too good a deal to pass up." And so you end up spending a lot in order to save a lot. Oh, the cruel irony.

Today, I'm going help you get a lot without spending a lot. I've rounded up three pretty sweet deals, and the most you'll pay for any of them is two bits. (That's 25 cents for those of you not familiar with old-timey vernacular.)

1. 25-cent Android apps.

To help celebrate … Read more

I'm a big fan of any program that saves me time. And because I spend most of my day in front of a PC, the best time-savers are those that cut down on keystrokes and mouse clicks.

ActiveWords Plus cuts them down considerably. This insanely handy Windows utility performs a variety of time-saving functions, including substituting text, opening files and programs, loading favorite Web sites, and more.

It normally sells for $49.95 (which should tell you something about how robust this tool is), but for a limited time, as part of a Cheapskate exclusive, you can get ActiveWords Plus for $29.95.… Read more

Our present isn't nearly as wireless as our past promised our future would be. (Oh, it does too make sense.)

For example, planning to mount a TV on the wall or a projector on the ceiling? Be prepared for a mess of wires to go with it, what with the cable box, Blu-ray player, game console, Apple TV, and other goodies you'll want to connect.

Ideally, you'd be able to wirelessly beam all your video sources to your video destination, with little to no lag and HD fidelity intact. And you can, with today's deal.

For … Read more

A few months back I wrote about a dirt-cheap T-Mobile USB aircard that sold out in mere minutes. I know a lot of readers were frustrated that they didn't get a chance to get one.

Thus I'm happy to offer a Cheapskate exclusive: the refurbished TruConnect USB Card 3G modem for $29.99, plus $5.99 for shipping. It sells new for $79.

Not to be confused with TruConnect's MiFi, which I've written about before, the USB Card is designed to plug into a laptop for on-the-go mobile broadband. You can share that broadband with other … Read more

When it comes to freebie photo software, savvy users typically look to favorites like GIMP and Paint.net.

Those are great tools, no doubt about it, but why not score a commercial product if you can? Especially if you have the chance to get it for free?

For a limited time (the site says 98 days are left, but I suspect that's a mistake), Download Crew has CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011 (Win) free of charge. This program has a list price of $99.95.

PhotoDirector 2011 comes from the company behind PowerDirector, a top-rated video-editing tool. It's an all-in-one … Read more

The iPhone 5's screen may not be huge, but it's definitely a little nicer for watching movies than the old screen.

Consequently, you may want to rerip some of your movies to take advantage of the extra screen estate. Just one problem: your old DVD ripper doesn't support the new screen resolution or aspect ratio.

Here's one that does -- and it's free. For a limited time, you can get uRexsoft's iPhone DVD Ripper (Win) free of charge.

True to its name, the utility copies DVDs to your PC and converts them to iPhone-friendly … Read more

Well, yesterday was kind of a train wreck, huh? Believe me that I get just as frustrated as you when a vendor suddenly jacks up the price on a product, as TigerDirect did yesterday on the Vizio sound bar. It's worse than a sellout, because it smacks of bait-and-switch tactics (even though the company's own promotional e-mail showed it at the higher price, so that accusation doesn't hold water).

Anyway, I still feel bad about it, which is why I'm giving you five -- count 'em, five -- deals today. Without further ado:

1. Wal-Mart has … Read more