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gdgt's best deals for July 15: Samsung 24-inch 1080p HDTV, ASUS Nexus 7
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include a dirt-cheap, dorm-ready 24-inch Samsung HDTV and a low price on an ASUS Nexus 7. It's also worth noting that the Kindle Fire HD, which we've featured before, has hit a new low at $159.99 at Best Buy, where it's available for in-store purchase only. Want the latest deals delivered to your inbox? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Some sites still selling third-party Apple accessories
Ok, ok, it's not exactly news that there is Apple gear being sold on the Internet. But given that popular electronic accessory retailer Monoprice recently decided to stop selling Apple accessories, you might be looking for a new place to buy your cords and hookups. That's right -- TUAW contacted Monoprice the other day after a few readers reported that they couldn't buy iPhone and iPod-related gear, and Monoprice confirmed that it has "decided to suspend offering these products as part of our business plan. We will let you know if and when we resume selling these products. Truly sorry for any inconvenience it may cause you." Bummer. Fortunately, we also received word earlier this week that competitor Cable Wholesale is selling unofficial Apple gear, and their prices look to be competitive if not at least equal to the cheap costs that led us to Monoprice in the first place. Even if you don't want to buy from them, but still need an AV cable or a car charger without paying through the nose for official products, there are still sites online selling what you need.
Bending the battery: Using a dock extender to flex your iPhone
Do you use a bottom-connector battery extender? Have you been bothered by the awkward phone geometry that involves? For me, I've found it really hard to deal with the added length, especially with the (tiny!) storage compartment on the top handle of my Jeep stroller. For me, the longer phone-plus-battery length simply doesn't work, which means I can't fit the phone in. That's awkward because I like to use TrailGuru as I walk to go pick up my youngest from school in the afternoon. After a bit of hunting, I've located a way to detach the battery from the phone to create a bending solution that does fit. I recently picked up a Male-to-Female dock extender from DealExtreme for under four bucks (with shipping included). The cable lets me "fold" the battery into place for afternoon walks or stick it into my pocket while using the iPhone on a tether. As far as stroller and backpack use goes, it seems to be working quite well. As for tethering, it's a fairly thick cable, and brings with it all the standard tethered irritations. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of tethered use but when you need that extra battery charge, it's a slight improvement over having the battery pack stuck directly into the bottom of the unit. DealExtreme ships from HongKong, so it generally takes a week or so for packages to arrive. I've bought lots of things from them and they've been reliable shippers. When purchasing from Chinese suppliers, do keep in mind that the individual item fail rate is going to be higher than you might expect: not a constant issue, but something you should factor into your purchases, and something I've certainly experienced.
Review: Monoprice's iPhone leather-cased battery backup is another great deal
We like Monoprice around here. They are a wonderful source for cables and iPhone battery backups as well as lots of other accessories and add-ons. We covered their 2200 mAh battery dongle a few months back and nearly everyone who bought one was quite happy including our own Auntie TUAW. The price was great at US$14.50 when reviewed and currently up just about 75 cents to a still absurdly cheap US$15.23. One problem people had with it was that if left in your pocket, the dongle could get loose and stop charging the iPhone. Pushing it back into place corrected that, but it was an inelegant solution. Getting ready for my trip to the Macworld Expo I wanted something that would stay in place dependably no matter where I put it, so I went back to Monoprice.com, and found a leather case cover with a 2200 mAh battery built in that the iPhone snaps into. The price is ridiculously low at US $20.75, just US $5.52 more than the dongle. This has been on sale for at least as long as the dongle, I hadn't heard anything about it, but decided to give it a try.
Dear Aunt TUAW: What's the low down on battery packs?
Dear Aunt TUAW, Boxcar is killing my battery life (at least, that's what I'm guessing -- I love Boxcar, but since I began getting 20+ notifications a day, I'm seeing the battery drain quite a bit faster). What kind of battery pack can you recommend to help my poor iPhone stay online and available? I need to stay connected. Thanks in advance from your favorite nephew, Mikey Read on for Auntie's reply
How to relocate a HD set-top-box and still have it work with an HDTV
We know how it goes, you pick up a nice big HDTV and a wall-mount only to get it all setup then realize you still need a place to put your HD set-top-box. Or maybe you have a nice piece of furniture nearby to hide the box in, but since it is out of sight you need to get the IR remote working. Or you could even be like us and refuse to have any equipment with a loud fan in your home theater -- yes we're talking about you Mr. Xbox 360. Luckily there is a workable solution and with a little money and some elbow grease, you can hide that box in a place that will be out of sight and out of mind.
Deal of the Day: PSP component cables for $10
You need component cables to take advantage of the TV out capabilities of the new PSP-2000. So, why not get the cables for cheap? MonoPrice, a specialty retailer, is somehow selling these babies at under $10, before shipping. Of course, for the best deal, you'll want to order 50 ... Remember: component cables will only work on EDTV/HDTV systems. Regular TVs can not display game content.[Via CAG]
Where to get A/V cables
Many, and I mean, many of you have left comments concerning where to get cables for your HDTV. Monoprice.com has been a favorite of many of you but there are other places when quality is a concern. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the cables that Monoprice sells are good but, lets be honest here, there are better out there. A couple of months ago we showed you how to make great quality component cables. BlueJeansCable.com takes out all the guess work, and fun, of constructing these cables. They use Belden cables with Canare ends; just like we did. Last but not least is Monster Cable. Say what you will but these are great cables. Yes, they cost a good amount of money and sometimes their business practices can be questionable, but they make one heck of a cable. HDMI, DVI, and optical are digital so cheap low-priced should preform as good as expensive ones, right? Not from my experiences. Radio shack was clearencing out some cables so I picked up a few optical/s-video kits only to return them as the optical cable just did not sound right. I found it is all in the connector so before you order that ultra-low price HDMI cable, make sure it has a good connector.
