The Back-to-School Gadget Guide | Part II
Did Part I of the Back-to-School Gadget Guide leave you thirsting for more? Here are a few more gadget ideas for students headed back to class.
As someone who remembers when pagers were the big tech accessory in college, it’s amazing what you can do with smartphones and tablets these days. From enjoying music and movies to taking notes and storing documents, both gadgets serve as excellent productivity boosters and time wasters at the same time. Then again, the propensity of smartphones and tablets to be media hubs often raise one common issue with many users: storage space. Between apps and memory-hungry media such as videos, it can be quite easy to use up all your storage. This is especially true for folks who opt for lower-memory variants of such gadgets or those who use devices that don’t have memory card slots such as the Google Nexus 7 or Apple’s iPhone and iPad. One potential solution is the SanDisk Connect Wireless Media Drive. Available in 32GB and 64GB models, the device lets you store music, photos and movies for later consumption on your smartphone or tablet. In addition to streaming your media, the gadget also can connect to eight devices and stream five different movies at the same time even without an Internet connection. Heck, it even comes with a memory card slot if you want to expand its storage further. It’s also platform agnostic — it works with the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Android devices and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. For a smaller alternative, you can also check my review of its little brother, the Sandisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive.
Cost: $80, 32GB; $120, 64GBMore »
Remember when boomboxes were the go-to music provider for teen rooms and college dorms? With the advent of MP3 players, smartphones and tablets, portable speakers are now the audio device du jour for pumping out music. For folks who want a relatively small speaker that doesn’t take a lot of real estate but still has some “oomph,” one potential alternative is the JBL Flip 2 by Harman. Available in a variety of colors, the soda-can shaped speaker can be set horizontally or vertically and features wireless connectivity via Bluetooth as well as near field communication. Sound is also nice and clean and can be further fine tuned when using a player with an equalizer. It even has a microphone and some noise-cancellation for folks who want to take calls while their smartphone is synced to the device. Battery life could be better at just five hours but it’s still a solid speaker overall.
Cost: $100-$130More »
Want something even smaller than the JBL Flip 2? One entry in the growing line of micro speakers out there is the colorful iFrogz Coda Pop. At just 2 inches tall, the Coda Pop can literally fit in your pocket, making it a great alternative for listening to tunes on the go. Don’t let its diminutive size fool you, though. This tiny speaker packs a punch for a gadget so small. Although audio quality certainly won’t be as dynamic as bigger portable speakers, it’s actually quite good for a speaker its size. It also comes with a mic for answering phone calls to a smartphone connected via Bluetooth, though mic quality can be a bit spotty. Battery life is also super short at just two hours. Still it’s a nice, affordable option for younger kids or even older students who want a pocket-size speaker. Plus, what other speaker mimics the sound of a soda pop can every time you turn it on or off?
Cost: $30More »
OK this isn’t exactly a gadget. Then again, you still need a bag to carry all those electronics and education materials you bring with you to school, right? I’ve reviewed my share of backpacks in this site like the Ogio Gambit, Booq Boa Squeeze and the super-size Slappa Stovepipe Chaos. For this guide, I’m throwing in the Ogio All Elements Pack, a waterproof backpack that provides the added perk of keeping your precious electronics dry. Just roll the foldable top like a scroll, clip it and you’re all set. It only has one outer pocket but features inner sleeves for a small laptop, tablet and other items. It also has two front straps for a more secure fit when out hiking. The padded, breathable back lining provides extra comfort though it also means you can’t throw this backpack in the dryer. I did that with the Gambit after my dog took a leak on it (bad, bad doggie) and while it survived the trip through the washer, the back cushion ripped in the dryer.
Cost: $125More »
SANDISK CONNECT WIRELESS MEDIA DRIVE
As someone who remembers when pagers were the big tech accessory in college, it’s amazing what you can do with smartphones and tablets these days. From enjoying music and movies to taking notes and storing documents, both gadgets serve as excellent productivity boosters and time wasters at the same time. Then again, the propensity of smartphones and tablets to be media hubs often raise one common issue with many users: storage space. Between apps and memory-hungry media such as videos, it can be quite easy to use up all your storage. This is especially true for folks who opt for lower-memory variants of such gadgets or those who use devices that don’t have memory card slots such as the Google Nexus 7 or Apple’s iPhone and iPad. One potential solution is the SanDisk Connect Wireless Media Drive. Available in 32GB and 64GB models, the device lets you store music, photos and movies for later consumption on your smartphone or tablet. In addition to streaming your media, the gadget also can connect to eight devices and stream five different movies at the same time even without an Internet connection. Heck, it even comes with a memory card slot if you want to expand its storage further. It’s also platform agnostic — it works with the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Android devices and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. For a smaller alternative, you can also check my review of its little brother, the Sandisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive.
Cost: $80, 32GB; $120, 64GBMore »
JBL FLIP 2 WIRELESS STEREO SPEAKER
Remember when boomboxes were the go-to music provider for teen rooms and college dorms? With the advent of MP3 players, smartphones and tablets, portable speakers are now the audio device du jour for pumping out music. For folks who want a relatively small speaker that doesn’t take a lot of real estate but still has some “oomph,” one potential alternative is the JBL Flip 2 by Harman. Available in a variety of colors, the soda-can shaped speaker can be set horizontally or vertically and features wireless connectivity via Bluetooth as well as near field communication. Sound is also nice and clean and can be further fine tuned when using a player with an equalizer. It even has a microphone and some noise-cancellation for folks who want to take calls while their smartphone is synced to the device. Battery life could be better at just five hours but it’s still a solid speaker overall.
Cost: $100-$130More »
IFROGZ CODA POP MINI BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
Want something even smaller than the JBL Flip 2? One entry in the growing line of micro speakers out there is the colorful iFrogz Coda Pop. At just 2 inches tall, the Coda Pop can literally fit in your pocket, making it a great alternative for listening to tunes on the go. Don’t let its diminutive size fool you, though. This tiny speaker packs a punch for a gadget so small. Although audio quality certainly won’t be as dynamic as bigger portable speakers, it’s actually quite good for a speaker its size. It also comes with a mic for answering phone calls to a smartphone connected via Bluetooth, though mic quality can be a bit spotty. Battery life is also super short at just two hours. Still it’s a nice, affordable option for younger kids or even older students who want a pocket-size speaker. Plus, what other speaker mimics the sound of a soda pop can every time you turn it on or off?
Cost: $30More »
OGIO ALL ELEMENTS BACKPACK
OK this isn’t exactly a gadget. Then again, you still need a bag to carry all those electronics and education materials you bring with you to school, right? I’ve reviewed my share of backpacks in this site like the Ogio Gambit, Booq Boa Squeeze and the super-size Slappa Stovepipe Chaos. For this guide, I’m throwing in the Ogio All Elements Pack, a waterproof backpack that provides the added perk of keeping your precious electronics dry. Just roll the foldable top like a scroll, clip it and you’re all set. It only has one outer pocket but features inner sleeves for a small laptop, tablet and other items. It also has two front straps for a more secure fit when out hiking. The padded, breathable back lining provides extra comfort though it also means you can’t throw this backpack in the dryer. I did that with the Gambit after my dog took a leak on it (bad, bad doggie) and while it survived the trip through the washer, the back cushion ripped in the dryer.
Cost: $125More »
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