Author: Mike Flacy

    Editor-in-Chief for The CheckOut. During my free time, I love to write about pop culture, home theater, digital photography, social media, mobile technology and cool gadgets!

    If you are interested in having The CheckOut crew review one of your products, send me an email to reviews at bensbargains dot net. (Of course, replace at for @ and dot for .)


    Connect with me over:



    Check out my most recent posts:

  • Kinivo BTX450 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
    Superb Sound: Kinivo BTX450 Portable Speaker Review

    The Kinivo BTX450 portable speaker landed on our doorstep recently and we decided to put it to the test. It’s a bit larger than a typical portable speaker, but the heft is nice and well balanced. Weighing...

    • Posted 12 years ago
    • 1
  • Black Friday TV shopping
    Black Friday Ad Blitz: Best Buy, Walmart, Target and more

    If you haven’t been keeping an eye on Ben’s Black Friday Hub this week, you may not be aware of the crazy blitz of Black Friday ads released by retailers. Several major stores released advertisements on Monday,...

    • Posted 12 years ago
    • 2
  • BLACK-FRIDAY-shoppers
    Black Friday is Dead: Welcome to Black November

    Shoppers are going to miss out on killer, Black Friday caliber deals throughout November by waiting for doorbusters. You read that title correctly. Black Friday is dead! Kaput! Finito! Don’t get us wrong, it’s still going...

    • Posted 12 years ago
    • 2
  • ebay-collections-watches
    eBay Launches Pinterest-esque Collections to Showcase Users, Products

    Looking for a way to encourage more product discovery when searching through the site, eBay has rolled out a new service for users called Collections. Featuring products picked out by celebrity and expert curators, these collections are...

    • Posted 12 years ago
    • 1
  • Star Wars and Thomas Kinkade Art: Rancor Massacre
    As Seen on the Internets: Star Wars and Thomas Kinkade Collide

    Created by U.S. based artist Jeff Bennett, this collection of artwork combines the hotel-wall fodder that is Thomas Kinkade art with awesome elements ripped from the Star Wars universe. Seen romping through serene countryside, Star Wars characters and objects...

    • Posted 12 years ago
    • 4
  • ASUS-T100-running-windows
    Shut Up and Take My Money: ASUS T100 Transformer Book

    Released by ASUS this month, the T100 Transformer Book is a new 10.1-inch Windows 8.1 tablet that has the tech community buzzing due to the combination of competitive pricing and the impressive performance of Intel’s Bay Trail processor....

    • Posted 12 years ago
    • 2
  • black-friday-crowded-target
    Let’s Face it, Shoppers Want Black Friday to Begin on Thanksgiving

    Retailers, shoppers and employees are on-board for another early start to Black Friday on Thanksgiving. Did you know there are just 25 shopping days between Black Friday and Christmas this year? That’s nearly a 20% decrease in...

    • Posted 13 years ago
    • 4
  • Android R2D2 Star Wars
    20 Halloween Costumes for Google’s Android Robot

    Created by the fine folks over at Stock Logos, this collection of illustrations combines potential Halloween costume ideas with Google’s mascot, the Android robot. Pop culture references in the collection include sources such as Star Wars, Angry Birds, Avatar,...

    • Posted 13 years ago
    • 3
  • The Smart Mug
    Shut Up and Take My Money: The Smart Mug

    Currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, the Smart Mug is a high-tech twist on the traditional coffee mug. Using LED light indicators on the side of the mug, the user of the Smart Mug can keep track of...

    • Posted 13 years ago
    • 0
  • Kool-Aid
    If Major Companies / Brands Used Realistic Slogans: The Sequel

    If you enjoyed the first entry into this series (a collection of logo ideas from the Reddit community), you are going to love part two. Showing off the work of the fine folks over at Honest Slogans,...

    • Posted 13 years ago
    • 4
  • This is the enemy
    15 Frightening Zombie Propaganda Posters

    With the launch of The Walking Dead season 4 just a couple days away, we wanted to celebrate by showcasing a variety of zombie propaganda posters found around the Web. Pro-zombie, anti-zombie, we’ve got them all. Take...

    • Posted 13 years ago
    • 7
  • Stir Kinetic Desk-standing
    Shut Up and Take My Money: Stir Kinetic Desk

    While adjustable standing desks aren’t new to the market, a desk that automatically makes adjustments based off the user’s health certainly is a fresh idea. Utilizing built-in sensors, the Stir Kinetic Desk is aware when the user walks...

    • Posted 13 years ago
    • 0