Computers/Hardware Deals, Sales, and News

Camp Tuhsmeheta, a west Michigan camp primarily for blind youth, and Leader Dogs for the Blind have launched an essay contest to award eight Trekker GPS units. Essays must be at least 1,000 words and may be written by youth aged 14-18 regardless of location. Check the link on this post for more details. Deadline is May 25.

Buy.com has the new Creative Zen Stone 1GB MP3 player for $39.99. Plus, shipping is free. This stylish media player weighs less than a pound and plays MP3, WMA, WAV, and Audible.com files. Also, it allows direct transfer of files using cut and paste and no software required, which is great compared to many models that require clunky proprietary software.

Buy.com still has the Samsung Nexus 25 XM Satellite Radio and MP3 Player for free after a $50 mail-in rebate. Plus, shipping is free. This radio comes with a home cradle, holds up to 512MB of MP3 and WMA files, and records up to 25 hours of XM Radio content. XM Radio activation is required to receive the rebate. Rebate ends June 30.

An Ebay seller has listed a hardly used Humanware Pocketviewer portable magnifier with a starting bid of $80, or buy it now for $130. It magnifies items up to 7X and includes a rechargeable battery. The unit weighs less than a pound. These normally sell for roughly $800. Auction ends late on May 18 if not bought sooner. Update: This item has been sold.

An Ebay seller has listed a Jordy All-in-one Headmount Magnifier with a current bid of $251 plus around $23 for shipping. This unit is a stand-alone magnification system ideal for reading signs, arrival/departure information, menus, and according to the seller, seeing deer. A working battery is also included. Auction ends May 15.

Here's an odd one. An Ebay seller has listed a Tieman MiniBraille Terminal with an opening bid of $7.50. We're not totally sure, but this appears to be a 20-cell unit that connects via a serial port and formerly made or distributed by HumanWare. We're not sure of screen reader support, but at least a Linux braille output program supports it. The item, of course, is being sold as is but may be worth a gamble for that price. Auction ends May 20.

Onsale.com has the Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder for $142.99. With about $6 for shipping, that's over $50 off retail and the lowest price we've seen by about $3. This is the 512MB version of their new line of accessible voice recorders.

The retail price of the Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind KNFB Reader has plummited to $2,595. That's $900 off the former list price. The handheld unit reads printed documents, bills, and currency using a digital camera and customized PDA. The link goes to the list of dealers for the unit. While some have updated the price on their website, others still list the old price, so call ahead to verify the new price before ordering.

Dell Small Business has the Dell Inspiron 640M notebook for $699. It features an Intel Dual Core 1.73GHZ processor, 2GB memory, 120GB hard drive, DVD/CDRW burner, 802.11G wireless, and your choice of Windows Vista or XP Home. If you're new to Dell, here's how the page works. You are shown a choice of three different configurations for this machine. The one we're highlighting is the middle one. So look for the second link that says customize with Windows Vista or Customize with Windows XP, depending on what you're looking for. The following screens are pretty simple to navigate. Write us if you have any problems. Deal ends May 16.

Buy.com has the Samsung Nexus 25 XM Satellite Radio and MP3 Player for free after a $50 mail-in rebate. Plus, shipping is free. This radio comes with a home cradle, plays MP3 and WMA files, and records up to 25 hours of XM Radio content. Rebate ends June 30.

So you need to print one address label, but all you have is a full sheet of labels. So you print that one label, but how do you figure out which label to peel off? It may be much easier to get a label printer. Buy.com has the Brother HL-500 label printer for $39.99, shipped free. It prints address, CD, and other labels up to 2.4 inches wide. You buy the labels in rolls from any office supply store and print them one at a time. The printer connects via your USB port and is supported by just about any label-making program or Microsoft Word. So print, tear, and use. Deal ends May 6.

Creative Labs is clearing out their supply of refurbished ZEN Micro portable MP3 players. Get a 5GB model for $69.99 and a 6GB model for $79.99. Add about $5 for shipping. Look for the combo box on the page to select your model and then select the purchase button that is a couple of links before it. These players include an FM radio, voice recorder, and up to 12 hours of battery life.

An Ebay seller has listed a Braille Blazer single-sided embosser with a starting bid of $9.99. The unit powers on and speaks, though the top cover is missing, so it is sold as is. Still, at this price, it may be worth taking a chance on it. Auction ends April 19.

Buy.com has the SMC EZ Stream 802.11g Wireless Audio Adapter for $34.95 with free shipping. This device hooks up to your home entertainment system and plays music over 802.11G or 802.11B networks from another computer or an Internet radio station. Music is selectable via a remote and software for managing the unit is included. This is one of those products that may or may not be completely accessible, so it may be worth researching before you buy this. If anyone has used this item, please let us know how it worked for you.

Envision America has listed three I.D. Mate II portable bar code scanners on Ebay with a starting bid of $450. These units are factory-refurbished and come with a 90-day warranty. By comparison, new I.D. Mate Omni units sell for over $1,000. You could take the I.D. Mate with you to the store to scan items or use it to identify cans, boxes, or clothing. Auctions end April 13.

TheNerds.net has the Olympus DS-30 Digital Voice Recorder for $106.85. With about $10 for shipping, that's slightly off our last mention and the lowest price we've seen for this model. This is the 256MB version of the new line of accessible Olympus voice recorders.

This didn't take very long. An Ebay seller has listed a like-new Olympus DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder with a starting bid of $199.95, plus $15 for shipping. New units cost around $250. This is the largest of the new DS-line audio recorders, holding 1GB of audio content. Auction ends April 10.

NewEgg.com has the Kingston 2GB DDR2 Memory Kit for $104.99. With about $5 for shipping, it's the lowest no-rebate price we've seen for 2GB of memory. This kit has 2 1GB sticks of PC2 5300 memory.

CircuitCity.com slashed the price on the Everex StepNote VA4103M 15.4" Widescreen Notebook PC to $399.99 after two mail-in rebates, totaling $150. It features a Celeron Mobile 1.5GHZ processor, 512MB ram, DVD burner, 802.11G wireless, and Windows Vista Home Basic. Deal ends April 7.

Buy.com has the Samsung Nexus 50 XM Satellite Radio and MP3 Player for $7.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Plus, shipping is free. This radio comes with a home cradle, plays MP3 and WMA files, and records up to 50 hours of XM Radio content. Deal ends April 8.