Toronto Computers & Electronics Deals

Here's a handy freebie! Dell Voice is a new program/service from Dell and Fongo.com that gives you a free phone number, free local calling, and free Canadian long distance (see list of cities below) with your smartphone or desktop. Calls between Dell Voice numbers are also free. The key thing to understand is that calls are made over data networks (an active internet connection) instead of voice minutes. That said, it has the advantage of giving you a real phone number that others can call directly -- even from landlines. Most VOIP services don't have this (at least, not free options in Canada).

The service runs as an application on your smartphone, tablet, or PC. You'll be able to call many Canadian cities for free (listed here). Your number also has free voicemail and caller ID. It's not necessarily useful for everyone, but as far as freebies go, this is pretty good! For example, If you take your phone to the US and are somewhere with free WiFi, you can make and receive calls to and from your home area code at no charge. The service currently supports Android, iOS, and Windows (PC). BlackBerry support is expected in the near future.

A lot of RedFlagDeals.com readers have put it through its paces. Share your thoughts or find out what others are saying in this forum discussion thread.

The Canon PowerShot 300 camera has been on sale a fair amount dating back to November or December. That's just good news for consumers though, as it is a great compact point and shoot camera. Forum member rahzel points out that Amazon.ca has this camera on sale again. The Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Black) is on sale for $149.00 with free shipping.

This is one of the lowest prices we've seen to date and it's definitely worth checking out. The camera comes well-reviewed, too (4.7/5 based on 20 reviews on Amazon.ca). Reviewers cite good build quality, fast shooting, good battery life, and excellent image quality for a compact camera.

While you're there, you can grab a Lexar Platinum II 8 GB 100x Class 6 SD/SDHC Flash Memory Card for $10.42. That's a good deal by itself, but wouldn't normally qualify for free shipping since it's under $25. If you pair it with the camera though, you're all set!

This is a good deal on a popular product, so it might not last long at this price. Act fast!

Right now at BestBuy.ca, you can get this Philips 40" LCD 1080p 120Hz HDTV for free with any King Koil Mattress purchase of $849.99 or more. Plus, your mattress and TV come with free delivery! The eligible King Koil mattresses available at BestBuy.ca range from $873.99 to $1,542.99. This gift-with-purchase offer is available online only.

Here's how to get your free Best Buy Exclusive LCD TV:

• Add any King Koil Mattress that is priced $899.99 or more to your cart
• Add the 40” Philips TV (model # 40PFL5706, web # 10171480) to your cart
• The value of the TV will automatically be discounted between the mattress and TV (no coupon required)

Keep in mind the Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) applies to display devices (TVs); the fee (varies by province) will be calculated at checkout. To learn more about the environmental handling fee, visit BestBuy.ca.

If you're looking for an affordable set of speakers for a smaller room, Tiger Direct has the Logitech LS21 2.1 Stereo Speakers on sale for $19.97 after using the coupon HEN55882 at the checkout. At $20 we don't expect high-quality sound but for small rooms or for students living on residence, these should be adequate.

Reviews on the web were mixed with some citing distortion at mid to higher volumes while others raved about the value at this price. However, we'll continue to qualify this deal with, "It's only $20." For more information on the LS21, you can hit up the Logitech website. True audiophiles will probably spend that $20 elsewhere on a more expensive and encompassing set but if you're in the market for something inexpensive for a small room, this should be just fine.

The deal expires on Feb 24 at 11:59pm EST.

If you're in the market for a Sony PlayStation 3, you might want to check out Amazon.ca where they've got the 160GB stand-alone console on sale for $219.99 as their Deal of the Week. Though this doesn't quite hit the $199.99 mark we saw during Boxing Day, that was then and this is now and it's still a lower price when compared with other retailers. We've also seen various bundles with games, controllers and accessories but, if you're looking at strictly the system, this is an option you should look into.

The PS3 isn't just a gaming console as it doubles as a media centre and Blu-ray player, which might make it easier to justify to your wallet, significant other, or both. With March Break coming up, this might be a good time to reward your kids for doing well in school too!

The deal is live now and Amazon.ca offers free shipping on orders over $25.

Forum user Firestorm spotted a great deal on Adobe software for students and teachers. Right now, there's a coupon code out that will bring the price of their design software down to incredibly affordable prices.

To get these discounted prices, you will need to use the education store and confirm that you are eligible for the education pricing. Use promo code SAVE80EDU to get the following prices (note that these are the Student and Teacher editions of the software):

• Photoshop CS5 Extended Student and Teacher Edition - $39.80 (regular student price $199)
• Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium - $89.80 US (regular student price: $449)
• Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium - $89.80 US (regular student price: $449)
• Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium - $89.80 US (regular student price: $449)
• Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection - $179.80 US (regular student price: $899)

A quick note before you buy: to use the Student & Teacher Editions, you have to be enrolled in university or college, primary or secondary school, or be employed by an accredited school, university, or college. Find out more about eligibility .

This promo code is valid until March 2, 2012.

After being absent for a couple of weeks, Staples is back with their Saturday Door Crashers promotion. Remember, these deals are only available on Saturday and have very limited quantities. The deals are available in-store only, as per the flyer, so we wouldn't bank on them being magically available online as some in the past. Here's a list of what's on sale:

• Asus 15.6" Laptop w/AMD Dual-Core C-50, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD - $344.99
• Verbatim 16GB USB Flash Drive (Blue) - $9.98
• Seagate 1.5TB FreeAgent GoFlex USB 2.0 External Hard Drive - $79.98
• VTech CS6419-2 2-Handset Digital Cordless Phone - $22.48

The one deal that caught our eye, however, isn't a Door Crasher at all. For the next week, Staples has the Acer 13.3" Laptop with Intel Core i3-2330M, 4GB RAM, 750GB HD and GeForce 540M GPU on sale for $529.85. Though most laptops are portable this one is more so with a smaller 13.3" screen, lighter 4.1 pound frame and up to 9 hours of battery life. The dedicated 1GB graphics card is no slouch either but will only be able to handle newer games on low-medium settings. Additional features include a USB 3.0 port, HDMI connectivity and Bluetooth. It's a pretty loaded laptop if you can handle the lack of RAM -- which we would recommend upgrading.

The Door Crashers are only valid on Saturday but the laptop will be available until next Tuesday.

We've been posting quite a few laptops lately but better more deals than not, right? This latest one comes courtesy of Best Buy where they've got the Acer Aspire 15.6" Laptop with Intel Core i7-2670, 6GB RAM and 750 GB HD for $699.99. This is definitely a good price for a laptop with a second-generation Core i7, a sizeable hard drive and a decent amount of RAM. Other notable features include: built-in memory card reader, USB 3.0 port and HDMI output. If you're in the market for a laptop with a lot of processing power, this is definitely one to check out.

This laptop isn't without its faults, however. The lack of a dedicated graphics card means gaming won't be your top priority -- or shouldn't be anyway. Its portability also takes a bit of a dive as the battery is only rated at 4.5 hours and it weighs just about 6 pounds. If you can look past those issues, or don't plan on bringing it on the daily commute, this laptop should satisfy the needs of most power users.

The deal is on until February 23.

Orders over $50 ship free.

Having to work your way through half a dozen remotes when you are using your home theatre can be pretty tiresome. That's where universal remotes step in! Logitech has arguably cornered that market with their Harmony line of remotes. The Source has a pretty good deal on a mid-range model -- the Logitech Harmony 650 Universal Remote with colour LCD screen is on sale for $55.99. That's definitely one of the better prices we've seen for this model. Elsewhere, it's currently selling for about $70 to $90.

As it was released in 2010, the Harmony 650 isn't the cutting edge of Harmony remotes, but at about $55, we think it's priced quite reasonably. It offers most of the features of higher end Harmony remotes but is much more wallet-friendly. Do, however, note that this remote can control a maximum of 5 devices. If you want to check out some reviews of the product, Engadget and CNET are worth a visit..

When ordering online, keep in mind that you can have items shipped to stores for pickup at no charge.

Future Shop has a couple of decent laptop deals this week that you might want to look into if you're in the market for a new PC. The first, and more notable in our opinion, is the Acer 15.6" Intel Core i5-2450M Laptop with 1TB HD and 8GB of RAM for $599.99. It features a second-generation i5 processor, lots of RAM and tons of storage space which would be great as a home desktop replacement or for a student looking for a real work-horse notebook. It should be able to handle heavy multi-tasking without a problem and, at this price, is definitely budget friendly. Though it only has up to 4.5 hours of battery life and weighs just about 6 pounds, we'd still recommend it if you can look past those short comings.

The other laptop you might want to check out is the Lenovo 15.6" Intel Core i3-2350M Laptop with 500GB HD and 8GB of RAM for $499.99. Though it won't be able to handle CPU intensive programs like the above notebook, this is still a decent buy for those looking for basic tasks but want more power than a netbook. The 500GB hard drive is still large enough for most students but the battery life tops out at about 4 hours so you'll need to carry the AC adapter along for longer classes.

Though both laptops do not feature dedicated graphics cards, they are still decent options for those looking for an affordable notebook with some decent specs. If gaming isn't your main concern, either of these would be a good choice. We'd definitely pay the extra $100 for the larger hard drive and upgraded CPU as we tend to run a lot of programs at once.

Future Shop offers free shipping on orders over $50.

Don't forget to visit Costco.ca to check out their latest limited-time offers on everything from mops to hot tubs.

Current offers include:

• Jim Beam Digital Stainless-steel Smoker - $374.99, $449.99 after March 4
• Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with LowePro Altus 140 Bag - $649.99
• SentrySafe SFW123FTC Electronic Fire-Safe- $179.99 w/shipping, $219.99 after February 26
• Malibu Top Grain Leather Sofa and Loveseat - $1999.99, $2999.99 after March 4
• KidKraft Star Table and Chair Set - $94.99, $114.99 after March 4
• Oreck Steam Mop - $139.99, $169.99 after March 4
• Octane Fitness XR3 Seated Elliptical - $1849.99 w/installation, $2199.99 after March 4
• Evolution Spas Elements 70-jet, 6-seat Spa - $4999.99, $6199.99 after February 26
• Dell XPS 14z English Laptop, i7-2640M, 14.0" HD LED-LCD 8 GB, 750 GB- $1249.99, $1449.99 after February 27

Listed prices include all shipping and handling charges. Non-members may incur an additional surcharges on select items, you'll find information about purchasing a Costco membership here.

Dell Canada has put a fresh batch of electronics on sale this week. There are a some items for $20 or less that we think are worth a look, along with a few others. Check out some highlights:

• Dell 5-Button Bluetooth Travel Mouse - Matte Black - $14.99
• Kingston 16GB USB 2.0 DataTraveler I Gen 3 - $14.99
• McAfee Download McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2012 3-User - $12.99
• Dell - ST2320L 23-inch Full HD LED Widescreen Monitor - $139.99
• Dell 1130 Laser Printer - $79.99

We've covered the Bluetooth mouse multiple times in the past when it has gone on sale for $13 - $15. We think it's well worth the money. The mouse has 5 buttons (including forward and back buttons on the side of the mouse) and has an on/off switch which helps extend the already impressive battery life. If you work better with mouse than a touchpad, this is a great item to pair with your laptop.

Shipping is free for all items.

There are some laptop deals of note at Lenovo Canada including a hot offer on a gaming notebook (see below). It's part of a big batch of discounts on IdeaPad and Essential line products through February 22.

The gaming laptop we mentioned is the Ideapad Y470p 14" Laptop w/Core i7-2670QM, Radeon HD 7690 1GB for $799.00 with coupon code CAPDOORBUSTER2LU. Here's a closer look at what you get:

• Intel Core i7-2670QM Processor ( 2.2GHz 1333MHz 6MB )
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64
• AMD Radeon HD 7690 1GB
• 8 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz
• 14.0 " HD Glare with integrated camera 1366x768
• Bilingual Keyboard (English and French)
• Industry Standard Touchpad
• 750GB 5400
• DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
• 6 Cell Lithium-Ion
• Intel 1000 BGN Wireless
• Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR

There is some powerful hardware under the hood -- a high end quad core processor, lots of RAM, and most notably, the Radeon 7690. The Radeon 7690 is a new product and it be a little bit faster than the Radeon 6770 and GeForce GT 555M. That means it will be able to provide solid performance for gaming. If you've been looking for an affordable but powerful gaming laptop, you'll definitely want to give this a second look.

Shipping is free.

We've got a good laptop deal here if you're shopping for a 15" laptop at around the $500 mark. We're talking about a Dell Vostro 3555 15" Laptop w/AMD A8-3520M and Radeon 6620G Graphics for $499.00. This notebook can handle games decently and has more than enough power for everyday productivity tasks. Here's a closer look:

• AMD Quad-Core A8-3520M Processor 1.6GHz to 2.5Ghz, with Radeon HD 6620G Graphics
• Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit
• 15.6 inch High Definition LED Display (1366 x 768) with anti-glare
• 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHZ, 2 DIMM
• 500GB SATA Hard Drive
• 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability
• Fingerprint Reader with DigitalPersona software
• Integrated 2.0 MP FHD Webcam and Digital Array Mic
• Dell Wireless 1701 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 3.0 HS
• 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

Notebookcheck can provide more information about Radeon 6620 capabilities. If you keep settings low or modest, many modern games should be playable. We'd say it's pretty tough to find many gaming capable laptops ability at this price point.

Shipping is free.

If you missed out on your chance to save a bit on a new iPod Touch, Best Buy is extending the trade-in promotion for another week. Until next Thursday, you can trade-in your old, unused, neglected and potentially dusty mp3 players for up to $40 off any current-generation iPod Touch. This is definitely a great deal if you're in the market for the popular Apple device as they rarely go on sale. The adjusted totals look like this after the trade-in:

• Apple 8GB 4th Generation iPod Touch - $169.99 from $199.99
• Apple 32GB 4th Generation iPod Touch - $259.99 from $299.99
• Apple 64GB 4th Generation iPod Touch - $369.99 from $399.99

The trade-in event is only available in-store so you'll have to make your way to a Best Buy sometime between now and next week if you're interested.