Hasta La Gadget!

The Cheap Geek column now features cut-and-paste plus a search bar. What’s the problem? I just got around to it. Look, I’ve been busy.

1. Father’s Day is coming up soon. If you really, really love your dad, here’s what you should do. Buy the Sharp Aquos LC42E77U 52-inch LCD HDTV from Sixth Avenue Electronics. Use coupon code “AFL5” to get it for $1,350.90 with free shipping. This gorgeous screen offers full HD 1080p (1920×1080) resolution, high brightness, and wide viewing angles. Then, when it’s all set up, invite your dad over to watch a game on it. Or just tell him about it on the phone. There’s no reason to have him over; you know how he scares the kids.

2. Radio is a continuing problem. Local station are full of commercials and have super-small playlists. Satellite radio is nickel-and-diming its customers for things like online streaming, which used to be free. The only option is Internet radio, which is free if you already have WiFi in your home. To get a world of radio stations in any room, get the Aluratek Wireless Internet Radio, which Buy.com now has for $79.99 with free shipping. This is the Home Theater Edition, so it needs to connect to a home theater or a set of external speakers.

3. I thought the days of roof antennas were over, but maybe not. Some homes don’t get  digital TV signals well, so the best solution is to install a powerful roof antenna. Buy.com has the Winegard HD-1080 HD antenna for $31.99 with free shipping. If you don’t have cable or satellite, and rely on over-air signals, it’s a smart way to go.

I don’t normally look at DVD deals in this space, but there are good prices online. Amazon has the Love Boat season one, volume one, for $26.99. When I was young I liked Gopher, but now I think Captain Stubing is hilarious.

1. Today’s deals are aimed at the last-minute Father’s Day shopper. If you’re feeling generous, go for the HP G60-230US notebook. NewEgg.com has it for $449.99 after $50 mail-in rebate, and it comes with free shipping. This notebook is loaded with a 2.0GHz Intel dual-core processor, 3GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a big 16-inch screen. It even includes a LightScribe drive, perfect for dads who like to burn CDs and DVDs.

2. Was that last one a little too much to spend on Dad? I hear you. How about this: NewEgg.com is selling a Microsoft Zune bundle. You get a 30GB first generation Zune plus a kit that lets Dad play his Zune’s songs over the car stereo. You can get all this for a low $99.99. Dad doesn’t need to have an iPod; he’ll be cool with this.

3. What? That was still too much? You say you’d like a gift that looks expensive and techie but is actually way cheap? Got it. Buy.com is selling the iRobot Looj gutter cleaning robot for $39.99 and it comes with free shipping. Even better, if you pay using PayPayl you get $10 off instantly, making the price $29.99. For that Dad gets a cool robot tool and the illusion that you paid a lot of money.

Yesterday I made a passing reference to Sarah Palin in this space and got eight responses, six of them bizarrely hostile. Thank you. You don’t know how much that meant to me. I didn’t think anyone read the introductions.

1. You’ll shoot some gorgeous high-definition video this summer if you pick up the Canon Vixia HG20. It records in 1920-by-1080 full HD resolution and offers a 12X optical zoom. You don’t even need to worry about storage cards, since it saves to a 60GB internal drive. Naturally, it includes image stabilization and a variety of shooting modes. J&R has it for $599 with free shipping.

2. With monitor prices this low, you might want to get an extra one so you can line them up and have a super-wide viewing experience at your desk. Buy.com is selling the Samsung 2033SW 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor for $153.99 (after $20 mail-in rebate) and that’s with free shipping. It has a piano black finish that should enhance any office.

3. Your Xbox gaming console becomes a DVD player in one step when you buy the Xbox DVD Playback kit from Buy.com. It’s going for $5.19, including shipping. The kit includes a remote and a sensor. Plug in the sensor and you’re ready to start watching.

I just want to promise the readers that I would never make a joke about one of Sarah Palin’s daughters. Unless I thought of a really good one.

1. Here’s a way to get even more out of an already good deal. Dell is selling the Olympus SP-565 UZ for $90 off, bringing the total to $229.99. That’s a good price, since the 10 megapixel camera offers a 20x wide-angle zoom, anti-blur technology, and face tracking that works with up to 16 faces. But wait, if you enter the code FMSZTHZ7$1QFBT at checkout, you’ll get $30 more off, dropping the price to $199.99. That promotional code expires on June 17, so get moving.

2. Bargain laptops typically offer smaller screens, but here’s a good deal on a 15.6-inch notebook. Office Max is selling the Acer Aspire AS5735-6694 (catchy name, Acer) for $479.99, a $200 savings off the list price. It comes with a 2.0GHz Intel Core2 Duo processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, 4GB DDR2 RAM, and a 250GB hard drive.

3. There are great deals to be found with refurbished computers. Consider the HP Pavilion a6707c desktop. Buy.com has it for $394.99, with free shipping. It’s tricked out with a 2.4GHz Pentium E2220 processor, 4GB RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and Windows Vista Home Premium. You’ll even get a keyboard and mouse.

Sure, there’s lots of free content online, but this column actually saves you money. Is it too much to ask that you Twitter about it to all your friends?

1. If you’re one of the many people frantically looking for a new TV in advance of the digital TV transition, let me help you out. NewEgg.com is selling the Toshiba 22LV505 for $369.99 with free shipping. This is a 22-inch LCD HDTV with a built-in DVD player. This is a pretty awesome deal, right? It offers a 1680×1050 pixel 720p resolution, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and a slot-loading DVD player that can also handle CDs and MP3 discs. It’s a great value for a surprisingly small price.

2. Or maybe you’d like a smaller TV–much smaller. NewEgg.com again has you covered with the Axion 7-inch Handheld LCD TV, which also gets digital signals and is selling for a modest $119.99 with free shipping. If you’re planning a camping trip, but the idea of staring at a campfire all night doesn’t thrill you, take a portable TV set along.

3. Music lovers, it’s time to treat yourself to some seriously good headphones. German manufacturer Ultrasone is offering 40 percent off five pro models, and throwing in free shipping as well. To see the on-sale headphones, visit the Ultrasone site, click the Shop USA icon, then click Promotional Items. You’ll see the discounted price once the item you want is in your shopping cart.