Cheap last-minute gifts for your favorite tech nerd
Tablets are great for reading -- not just books, but also magazines. Next Issue is an all-you-can-read digital magazine service that affords unlimited access to around 125 titles -- good, mainstream mags that people actually want to read.Thus, for as little as $14.99, you can gift a subscription that includes Better Homes and Gardens, Bon Appetit, Car and Driver, Cooking Light, Consumer Reports, GQ, Men's Health, and lots more. Next Issue is available for iPhone and iPad (though it's much better on the latter), Android tablets running Android 3.1 and later, Kindle Fire HD and HDX, and Windows 8 PCs and tablets.If you're shopping for a Nook owner, check out Barnes & Noble's new deal: two Nook magazine subscriptions for the price of one. It includes not only the next year's worth of each magazine, but also the last 12 issues.2. A gift subscription to NetflixNetflixIs it possible there's someone who still doesn't have Netflix? Time to show crazy old Uncle Al what all the fuss is about. Netflix gift subscriptions are available for periods of 1 to 12 months, meaning you can spend anywhere from $7.99 to $95.88 depending on your budget.And to really make it gift-like, you can choose from over a dozen eye-catching gift-card designs. Then you just add a message and decide whether you want to print or e-mail the subscription. Easy-peasy.3. A gift card that goes anywhereAh, the old standby. The gift card. Zip into the nearest drugstore or gas station and, boom, you're done. Of course, what if cousin Jethro already has a pile of iTunes cards? Or doesn't like to eat at Olive Garden? Too bad a gift card locks him into one particular place.It doesn't have to. iCard lets you buy certificates that can be redeemed for one of 250 different gift cards. The extensive merchant list covers everything from AMC Theaters to Panera Bread, to Zappos. Alas, you can't choose a custom amount -- available increments include $10, $25, $50, $75, and so on. But this is still a good way to make sure the recipient gets what he or she really wants, not whatever you plucked off the rack last-minute.iCard certificates can be printed or e-mailed.4. A gift of gameGive the gift of game.Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNETStop thinking old-school when it comes to computer games: You don't need to find a store, buy a boxed copy, wrap it, and all that. Instead, you can gift a game via e-mail.Just head to Gamer's Gate, choose the game you want to give, and click "Gift This Game" below the "Buy" button.For example, if you need a gift for someone who loves zombies, "The Walking Dead: Season Two" is now available, and for the very Secret-Santa-friendly price of $24.99. The recipient will receive a download link and activation code via e-mail.5. A gift of learningOh, come on -- you knew this was going to be on the list.Rick BroidaThe best gift of all, of course, is my book: "The Cheapskate Rules: 21 Easy Money-Saving Tech Secrets." Even if you already know some of these money-saving methods, it's a good bet your friends and family members don't.And at only $4.99, talk about a cheap gift! Just click that yellow "Give as a Gift" button on the right side of the page and you're good to go. By the way, although it's available only in the Kindle store (for now -- it's coming to other platforms very soon), anyone with a PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone can read it via various Kindle apps.Have you found another last-minute gift that's good for tech types? Talk it up in the comments!Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.Want to know more about The Cheapskate blog and how it works? Read our FAQ.
Reduce the risk of TVs falling on children (podcast)
Reduce the risk of TVs falling on children (podcast)
When we think of the "dangers" of TV and children, we're reminded of studies about kids watching too much TV or TV shows that encourage violence, overeating, or bad habits. And while there is some controversy about those issues, there is little doubt that TV becomes a real danger to kids if a set falls on them.A study published in July by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that "more than 17,000 children are treated in U.S. emergency departments each year for a TV-related injury, equaling one child every 30 minutes."Flat-screen TVs may be lighter than the old cathode ray tubes but, says Ryan Hagberg of Sanus (a company that makes mounting brackets and furniture to secure TVs), "they've become much bigger and more top heavy so they're more susceptible to being tipped over." He said that one danger is when parents put the remote on top of the TV "and a curious child wants to get to that remote to turn the TV on so they end up climbing up the stand that holds the TV and grabbing the top of the TV and pulling it over on themselves." A colleague of mine suggested another possibility: could kids be poking at TVs, thinking that they are touch screens?The study also found: There was a 125 percent increase from the number of injuries in 1990.Almost half -- 46 percent -- occurred from a TV falling off a dresser or armoire.Another 31 percent falling from an entertainment center or TV stand.Children under age 5 represented 64.3 percent of all injured patients, and boys accounted for 60.8 percent of cases.The head/neck was the most common body region injured (63.3 percent), followed by the legs (21.5 percent).There have been 215 child deaths due to TV tip overs in the last 10 years.SafeKids World Wide (whose Web site SafeKids.org is not related to my site SafeKids.com) recommends:Assess the stability of the TVs in your home.Mount flat-screen TVs to the wall to prevent them from toppling off standsFollow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure that you have a secure fit.If you have a large, heavy, old-style cathode ray tube (CRT) TV, place it on a low, stable piece of furniture.Use brackets, braces, or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture to the wall.Sanus' Ryan Hagberg said that if wall-mounting is not an option, families should consider strapping the TV to the stand or look for stands that enable you to secure the TV. Listen to interview:For more from Ryan Hagberg, click below to listen to a 10-minute podcastListen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Subscribe now:iTunes (audio) |RSS (audio)
When we think of the "dangers" of TV and children, we're reminded of studies about kids watching too much TV or TV shows that encourage violence, overeating, or bad habits. And while there is some controversy about those issues, there is little doubt that TV becomes a real danger to kids if a set falls on them.A study published in July by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that "more than 17,000 children are treated in U.S. emergency departments each year for a TV-related injury, equaling one child every 30 minutes."Flat-screen TVs may be lighter than the old cathode ray tubes but, says Ryan Hagberg of Sanus (a company that makes mounting brackets and furniture to secure TVs), "they've become much bigger and more top heavy so they're more susceptible to being tipped over." He said that one danger is when parents put the remote on top of the TV "and a curious child wants to get to that remote to turn the TV on so they end up climbing up the stand that holds the TV and grabbing the top of the TV and pulling it over on themselves." A colleague of mine suggested another possibility: could kids be poking at TVs, thinking that they are touch screens?The study also found: There was a 125 percent increase from the number of injuries in 1990.Almost half -- 46 percent -- occurred from a TV falling off a dresser or armoire.Another 31 percent falling from an entertainment center or TV stand.Children under age 5 represented 64.3 percent of all injured patients, and boys accounted for 60.8 percent of cases.The head/neck was the most common body region injured (63.3 percent), followed by the legs (21.5 percent).There have been 215 child deaths due to TV tip overs in the last 10 years.SafeKids World Wide (whose Web site SafeKids.org is not related to my site SafeKids.com) recommends:Assess the stability of the TVs in your home.Mount flat-screen TVs to the wall to prevent them from toppling off standsFollow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure that you have a secure fit.If you have a large, heavy, old-style cathode ray tube (CRT) TV, place it on a low, stable piece of furniture.Use brackets, braces, or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture to the wall.Sanus' Ryan Hagberg said that if wall-mounting is not an option, families should consider strapping the TV to the stand or look for stands that enable you to secure the TV. Listen to interview:For more from Ryan Hagberg, click below to listen to a 10-minute podcastListen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Subscribe now:iTunes (audio) |RSS (audio)
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