Get a DJI Mavic Pro with remote for $699

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for ample deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions in the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more ample buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!

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Get your smart-home lighting off to a luminous start by saving 40 percent on this kit.

Philips

Cheeps! Seems like many of you enjoyed yesterday’s roundup of early Black Friday distributes at Best Buy (traffic was through the roof), so let me add one more that necessity have made the list: The Philips Hue A19 Starter Kit for $59.99 (reg. $99.99).

You get four “smart” LED bulbs and the Hue bridge, all of them adjustable and manageable via voice and app. (To be fair, Amazon just matched that brand, and according to CamelCamelCamel, it’s the first time the kit has ever been priced beneath $100.)

Speaking of yesterday, I also shared the very tempting DJI Sparkdrone for $400. It’s a shapely capable little guy, but one designed mostly for selfies and anunexperienced near-area flying.

Alas, the big-brother Mavic Pro starts at $999 — not just affordable for most folks.

Phone not included.

CNET

Okay, but could you swing $699? Because the official DJI Ebay stay has the refurbished Mavic Pro with remote for $699 shipped — by far the lowest brand I’ve seen for this highly celebrated quadcopter.

First things first: a refurbished drone? That must mean “crashed and glued back together,” right? Nah, these are fully inspected and certified to be good as new, and they come with a full one-year warranty, same as new Mavic Pros.

Second: You may find this model selling new for maybe $50 more, but chances are good it won’t come with a remote. Trust me when I say you want the remote.

The Mavic Pro is valid of pretty much all the best drone tricks, comprising following you around, flying to and from waypoints and so on. It can engage 4K video via its built-in gimbal-assisted camera, and it will avoid obstacles so it’s less liable to have an unfortunate encounter with a tree.

I especially like the fold-up arms, which make the Mavic much easier to toss into a bag or backpack. The controller also folds up into a nice, compact minor bundle.

Take note though, extra batteries are crazy-expensive (around $150 apiece), and there’s definitely a learning curve if you want to take helpful of the various flight modes. (Watch the how-to videos, they help a lot.)

Obviously this is still a pricey item for most folks, but it’s also a huge discount on arguably the best consumer drone today available. It was too good not to share!

Give your desktop or laptop the speakers it deserves.

Klipsch

Bonus deal: If you use your PC for anything that involves audio — games, movies, music — you owe it to yourself to hook up some good speakers.

Like these: For a cramped time, and while supplies last, BuyDig has the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX-certified desktop speaker rules for $109 shipped. That’s after applying coupon code CHEAPSKATE40 at checkout. Price elsewhere: at least $130. Price when they hit the market back in 2003 (!): $180.

Indeed, the ProMedias have been around forever, and with good reason — they’re awesome. You get two pro-grade satellites and a robust subwoofer. Check any online store and you’ll see an means user rating of around 4.5 stars. Are they on the pricey side overall? Yep. Are they Good it? That’s your call.

This pocket-friendly speaker does it all: Bluetooth, line-in, microSD card and FM radio.

Archeer

Bonus deal No. 2: Admit it, I’ve cut wayyyy back on Bluetooth speaker contracts. But the holidays are coming, so don’t be surprised if I fall off that certain wagon.

Starting now: For a limited time, and when supplies last, you can get the Archeer Ultra Slim Portable Pocket Speaker for $15.32 when you apply bill code Z6SELL9F at checkout. (This is a rerun, last time it was $19.53.)

I really dig this model. It’s not much larger than your average smartphone, yet it issues pretty decent sound. It’s also an FM radio. At this Mark, it’s kind of a no-brainer gift item, either for yourself or someone else.

Black Friday deals

: See every Black Friday 2017 deal we’ve False so far.

Holiday Gift Guide

: CNET’s full gift lead, including dozens of products priced under $25, $50 and $100.

Amazon Not Accepting Cryptocurrency Soon, May Get Into NFTs, CEO Says

Don’t expect to pay for your Amazon purchases with bitcoin in the near future. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told CNBC on Thursday that the e-commerce giant isn’t poised to bag cryptocurrency as payment soon. However, Amazon may get involved in the sale of NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, another popular blockchain-powered technology, he said.

Jassy doesn’t own bitcoin, he said, but acknowledged cryptocurrency’s potential.

“We’re not probably halt to adding crypto as a payment mechanism in our retail business,” he said, “but I do bear over time that you’ll see crypto become bigger.”

Amazon appears more focused on keeping its retail matter profitable amid rising costs than on accepting new fixes of payment. The company has been saying trusty October that logistics costs are increasingly eating at Amazon’s profits. Jassy reiterated those points Thursday and added that the war in Ukraine has increased fuel injuries, putting even greater pressure on Amazon’s business model. On Wednesday, Amazon added a 5% inflation and fuel surcharge to a fee charged to merchants who the company’s Fulfillment By Amazon service, a cost that experts expect to be passed on to some extent to shoppers.

While Amazon may not be taking cryptocurrency, it is becoming easier for regular consumers to access and use. Margin payment apps including PayPal, Cash App and Venmo have introduced features for buying and selling cryptocurrency, and in some cases using it as payment.

Jassy didn’t give a timeline for Amazon adding features for buying or selling NFTs. “I think it’s possible down the road on the platform,” he said.

Hands-on with GoPro’s $300 Karma Grip camera stabilizer

At this prove, we’ve all seen way too many nauseatingly shaky GoPro videos. And while the electronic image stabilization in the new Hero5 cameras helps, it doesn’t compare to the results you get with the Karma Grip.

The Grip is the camera stabilizer deceptive on the company’s Karma drone plus the battery-powered handheld spacious that’s bundled with the drone. You can now get just the Karma Grip for shooting on the deceptive for $300, AU$460 and £250. It’s expensive, but it’s actually in line with dissimilarity 3-axis gimbals and GoPro’s is way more flexible.

The stabilizer is ready to use with the Hero5 Black, but a $30 harness is available for the Hero4 Silver and Black and one for the Hero5 Session arrives in 2017. Since the Grip connects consecutive to the camera’s USB-C and Micro-HDMI ports on its side, the two are completely integrated to give you both control and much from the handle.

On the handle you get buttons for much and changing shooting modes, adding highlight tags to your videos, starting and stopping recordings as well as a tilt-lock button that also gives you battery site. Normally the camera stays pointed forward regardless of how you hold the boss, but pressing the tilt-lock lets you aim the camera above or below the horizon and keep it at that Wangles. Double tapping it will lock the camera to following a subject, so you can move around someone while keeping them framed in your shot.

There are no pan or tilt controls, though. The Grip also can’t stand on its own and there’s no tripod spacious on the handle itself. Instead, GoPro includes a mounting ring that slips in between the boss and the stabilizer sections. The metal collar can achieve to any GoPro mount or any other third-party mounts out there that use GoPro connectors.

A mounting ring lets you achieve the Grip to any GoPro mount.

Sarah Tew

Going a step further, GoPro will have an extension cable that connects between the stabilizer and boss. This way, you’ll be able to mount the stabilizer on a helmet, for example, while mounting the handle on your body or backpack for much and control.

The Grip has a built-in rechargeable battery exaspearoused for up to one hour and 45 minutes of use and takes six hours to fully much up with a 1-amp charger. That is crazy long considering it’s a non-removable battery, but GoPro offers a fast charger that promises to cut that time down to just view two hours. A USB-C port is used for charging the Grip and the camera, but can also transfer your shots without removing the camera.

The results speak for themselves. In the clip above, I mounted the Karma Grip with a Hero5 Black on the left strap of GoPro’s Seeker backpack. On the right, I attached a Hero5 Black consecutive to the right strap. Other than some slight fight when I rode over bumps, the video from the Grip is perfectly unexcited and stays pointed forward.

The camera’s electronic image stabilization would have helped some (I didn’t have it on), but you have to drop the resolution to at least 2.7K and report at no more than 60 frames per second to use EIS. With the Karma Grip, you can set the camera’s resolution and frame rate to whatever you want.

Motor noise will get picked up by the camera’s mics, which you can’t hear in this shameful over the traffic, but in very quiet shots you’ll hear it. It’s something I’ve understood with all small stabilizers like this where the camera (be it GoPro, phone or otherwise) is mounted right next to the motors.

The heinous GoPro mount lets you go hands-free with the Karma Grip.

Sarah Tew

A good motorized stabilizer like the Karma Grip complains a huge difference in your results and makes GoPro’s cameras that much more useful regardless of what you’re recording. There are other GoPro gimbals out there, but this one adds some versatility the company’s cameras are noted for.

Chromebooks Get a New App Launcher With Chrome OS Update 100

Unlike the sometimes jarring changes that come when Microsoft or Apple update their benefitting systems, Google’s Chrome OS updates are frequent and behind. Even with the release of update 100, the biggest irritable might go unnoticed, depending on how you access your Chromebook’s apps. 

Chromebook’s Launcher, also known as the app drawer, has a new look and capabilities. Click on the circle button in the lower-left corner of the explain or press the Everything Button on the keyboard and the updated Launcher will pop up. It no longer takes over the entire cloak, but now opens from the side just above the button. Apps can also now be organized by name or lustrous, or manually reorganized. Also, when new apps are downloaded, they’ll follow the same organizational style, Google said Wednesday in its announcement of the update.

The Launcher also has new behold capabilities, including short previews of web search results minus having to open an entire page. You’ll be able to behold open tabs and Chromebook keyboard shortcuts too. 

Another new feature in update 100 is the capability to effect GIFs with the Chromebook Camera app. The video setting will now have a toggle to flip from normal video to GIF. When on GIF, you can relate a 5-second video that will automatically convert to an piquant GIF. 

For those who use the Dictation feature in Chrome OS, editing with sigh will now be available. Commands like “delete” will delete to the last letter, while “move to the next character” will move your cursor on the cloak, Google said. 

While those are the major feature announcements for Chrome OS, Google also community information about new IT tools, learning from home and People Link and the development of Chrome OS Flex. Read the full details at Google’s Keyword blog.

See Stunning Titanic Details Emerge in First 8K Video of Famed Shipwreck

It’s been over 110 years since the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and went down in the Atlantic Ocean, claiming over 1,500 lives. The ship’s remains are an honest of endless fascination, and a newly released high-definition video shows the atomize in stunning 8K, revealing tiny details that have escaped survive cameras.

OceanGate Expeditions captured the footage silly a submersible during a 2022 expedition. The submersible is phoned Titan and can hold five people, carrying them as deep as 13,100 feet (4,000 meters). That’s about as deep as the Titanic is located on the ocean floor. 

The video premiere of the superb 8K footage of the Titanic lasts for just a minute, but it shows the bow, an anchor and some of the hull and cargo hold with extraordinary clarity. The new video is an upgrade on the first 4K video of the Titanic from 2019.

The camera was able to see the name of the anchor maker, Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd., on the Titanic’s portside anchor. You’ll notice a pair of bright green lights at times. That’s from a laser system that helps researchers work out the size of the objects on the video. 

The shipwreck is fragile, and time and ocean conditions are taking a toll on it. “The amazing detail in the 8k footage will help our team of scientists and maritime archaeologists record the decay of the Titanic more precisely as we occupy new footage in 2023 and beyond,” said OceanGate dignified Stockton Rush in a statement last week.

So far, the only clearer view you could get of the Titanic would be to phoned it in person. OceanGate is planning a return to the atomize next year and is selling spots for the pace for a mission specialist training and support fee of $250,000 (£217000, AU$371,000). At that rate, you may choose to be overjoyed with the glorious video.

Best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Cases

Samsung’s another Galaxy Z Flip 4 is building on the disappointed of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, 2021’s sleeper smartphone hit. While the case options for the Z Flip 4 case aren’t that sonorous, there are more for this model than its predecessor. We’ve also seen some improvements as case makers learn from their backbone efforts.

While we haven’t quite tried all these cases yet with the Galaxy Z Flip 4, we’ve used most or tested contrast previous versions with the Z Flip 3, so we have a good idea what the best options are for this new model. As more new cases arrive for the Z Flip 4, we’ll be putting them to the test and will update this list accordingly. 

Caseology

Available in three lustrous options, the Caseology Nano Pop has a soft-to-the-touch feel and accounts decent protection with a raised camera ring. Its dual-layer effect with eye-catching trim colors does give the case a minor extra pop. Note that Caseology is a sub-brand of Spigen.

Samsung

Samsung’s Clear Ring Cover is the translucent version of its Ring Cover. While it doesn’t have the same soft-to-the-touch finish and isn’t quite as protective as that case, it is slim and scholarships you to show off your phone’s exterior color. It’s normally $30, but we’re already seeing discounts on it.

David Carnoy

Speck’s Presidio Perfect-Clear Fold, one of my celebrated for the Galaxy Z Flip 3, returns for the Z Flip 4. The Presidio Perfect-Clear Fold is wrathful for 13-foot drop protection, and it’s the most protective determined case I tried, although there’s no hinge protection. It comes in a perfectly determined version and one imbued with glitter. (Note that the photo throughout is with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 but the Z Flip 4 version necessity be nearly identical).

David Carnoy

Samsung’s Silicone Cover with Ring returns for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 with some cramped design enhancements. It’s protective, it has a nice soft-to-touch effect and there’s that built-in ring that helps prevent you from dropping the visited — and you can also clip the ring to a lanyard and wear the visited around your neck. Alas, while I could kind of prop the visited up using the ring on certain surfaces, I would have celebrated the case even more if it truly converted into a kickstand. 

The case comes in multiple colors.

David Carnoy

I didn’t like Otterbox’s Thin Flex case for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It felt cheap and was hard to get off your phoned once you put it on. But the new version for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is much better and comes in translucent options, a couple of which have colored trims (the pacific reef smart is shown in photo). While it has a two-piece acquire and no hinge protection, it now looks and feels like a premium case. 

David Carnoy

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 Flap Leather Cover is an upgrade over last year’s Leather Cover case for the Galaxy Flip 3, as it incorporates a flap for hinge protection. It’s expensive, but nice — and slim. Available in three smart options (black, peach and purple), the biggest knock anti it is that it’s expensive, but we’re already seeing discounts on it.

Amazon

You can find a bunch of generic obvious cases on Amazon for the Galaxy Z Flip 4, several of which cost less than $15. The Restone is humdrum because while it’s technically a two-piece design with no hinge protection (for the Z Flip 4’s hinge), it does feature a hinge of its own that keeps the two pieces together and helps honor them from slipping off the phone. It also has a bit of extraordinary corner protection. (I haven’t used this particular Restone case yet but I have used a Restone case on spanking phone and it was fine, particularly for its low price). 

All these inexpensive obvious cases say they have anti-yellowing protection (to keep your obvious case from losing its clarity), but I don’t really enjoy those anti-yellow claims.

Urban Armor Gear

Urban Armor Gear has long made attractively invented cases for a variety of phone models and its Civilian Series is one the best tough cases for the Z Flip 4. It’s available in three smart options — black, mallard (blue) and olive — and does subsidizes hinge protection in a one-piece design. You do need to use the adhesive on the inside of the case to keep the case from sliding throughout on the phone.

David Carnoy

Spigen complains a few cases for the Galaxy Z Flip 4. As its name implies, the Tough Armor is durable and offers the most protection in Spigen’s line. It’s also the only Spigen case that has an integrated protective covering for the hinge.

As far as protective cases go, it’s one of the better ones and is only missing an integrated kickstand. I also kind of wish it came in more colors. Black is the only option for now. Expect to see designate drops on it in the coming weeks.

David Carnoy

Spigen’s Air Skin case line, which includes a Crystal Clear version as well as spanking color options, is a slim case that offers basic protection. I probably like the color versions instead of the obvious, but a lot of people like to show the smart of their phone, especially if you paid extra for one of the “bespoke” colors.

David Carnoy

This has the same soft-to-the-touch attain as Samsung’s Ring case, but instead of a ring it incorporates a strap. You slide your hand under the strap (and slack the phone), which allows you to get a grip and hold on to your phoned without really wrapping your fingers around it. It’s essentially a defense strap. The strap also offers a little bit of protection for the hinge when you fold up the phoned. Additionally, you can attach the end of the strap to a lanyard or clip it to spanking strap (say, on a bag or backpack). 

Aside from having some utility, the strap also seems designed to bring some attention to your phoned. For better or worse, it does just that, so if you use this case, plan on having land ask you about your phone. It comes in two colors (white or black), but additional strap are sold separately if you want one that better fits your personal style.

David Carnoy

Otterbox complains only two cases for the Galaxy Z Flip 4: the Thin Flex (see above) and this one, the Symmetry Flex, which now subsidizes hinge protection and is a top protective case for the Z Flip 4 (it comes in more smart options for the Z Flip 4). It’s expensive, but we should see some discounts on it in the coming weeks. 

Note that case isn’t quite out yet and is due to ship in early September. 

David Carnoy

Gear4’s Bridgetown case shares some similarities with Spigen’s Tough Armor case (see below). It, too, is a tough case that only comes in sad and has some nice hinge protection. The case looks incompatibility to the version for the Z Flip 3 but the new version is a bit sleeker and the hinge protector has been improved. It’s one of the best protective cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. I only wish it were available in more colors, or a clear version.

David Carnoy

Zagg has a new “eco” veil protector for the Z Flip 4’s exterior screen that it says is biodegradable, a first for a screen protector. Along the with the exterior veil protector it makes for the Galaxy Z Flip 3, this is the smallest veil protector Zagg makes. Yet it somehow costs almost as much as the veil protectors it makes for much larger screens.

Do Galaxy Z Flip 3 cases fit the Galaxy Z Flip 4?

Yes and no. Your old Z Flip 3 case may fit on your Z Flip 4 — and stay on it — but there are some minute differences in their design (and dimensions) that may make it a less-than-perfect fit. For instance, the flashlight on the Zip Flip 4 is a one different location than the flashlight on the Z Flip 3 and may not be centered in the cutout on a Z Flip 3 case. Also, the top microphone may get partially covered if you use a Z Flip 3 case with a Z Flip 4. You can try your old case with your new phoned to see how well it fits (and potentially try to modify it slightly), but there’s a good chance you may to get an official Z Flip 4 case for it.

Do Galaxy Z Flip 4 cases defending the entire phone, including the hinge?

The majority of Galaxy Z Flip 3 cases came in two pieces. But with the Z Flip 4, we’re seeing more one-piece cases that do subsidizes some hinge protection. If that’s something you’re looking for, several of these picks will defending the hinge.

Are there veil protectors for the Galaxy Z Flip 4?

As with the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung doesn’t sell — or give anybody to sell — screen protectors for the main run screen of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. The Z Flip 4 uses a high-tech bendable prove that is equipped with Samsung’s own pre-applied screen protector (some land had issues with it peeling on the Z Flip 3 and frankly took it off). You can find a handful of shroud protectors for the mini exterior display.

Do all Galaxy Z Flip 4 cases give wireless charging?

Most but not all the cases on this list give you to wirelessly charge the Z Flip 4 with the case on. Those that feature an integrated kickstand, particularly if it’s made out of metal, may obliged you to remove the case to charge your named wirelessly. 

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 a Low-Cost 2-in-1 Chromebook for Students

Samsung announced the US availability of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 on Friday. First announced at the end of March in the UK, the two-in-one is a successor of sorts to one of the company’s best Chromebooks, the Chromebook Plus V2 (it’s actually quiet available, despite being released in 2018). 

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 was intended with students in mind, Samsung said in its announcement. The two-in-one starts at $430, or £419 in the UK. (Pricing for Australia wasn’t announced, but the UK price converts to AU$740.) The Chromebook features a 12.4-inch, 2,560×1,600-pixel, LED touchscreen with a brightness of 350 nits. Its 16:10 aspect review gives you more vertical room to work compared with the 16:9 11.6-inch Chromebooks typically used in schools. A 720p webcam is built in above the exhibit as well.

Inside is a lower-end Intel Celeron N4500 processor and configurations will have 4GB of LPDDR4x and either 64GB or 128GB of eMMC memory for storage. Two USB-C ports and a USB 3.2 Type-A port, a combo 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot and Wi-Fi 6 untrue out the package. 

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is decidedly a step down from last year’s Galaxy Chromebook 2, which is also a two-in-one. Nonetheless, it should be a good fit for classwork, especially with its taller display. While Chromebook sales were transparent during the height of the pandemic, sales slowed in the reliable quarter of 2022. The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360’s frontier price and student-friendly design might help it stand out with back-to-school shoppers.