It's no surprise today's students have access to hundreds of electronic gizmos to help ease them back into the classroom this fall.
But besides an Internet-connected computer, which is more of a luxury than a necessity, what other tech toys make the grade?
The following are a few sugestions.
Save for later
Post-secondary students who want to archive a professor or instructor's lecture might opt for a powerful, pocket-sized digital voice recorder. The Sony ICD-PX720 ($89), for example, provides up to 280 hours of recording capacity (long play mode) and saves it all as MP3s for easy transfer to and from a computer (USB cable and software included). Other features include LCD display, multiple bookmark support and long battery life.
Wild about Wi-Fi
Say goodbye to wires with the HP Photosmart Plus All-in-One ($179), a multifunction printer, scanner and copier with integrated Wi-Fi connectivity. Print documents, photos or web research from any nearby laptop, netbooks or even iPhones and iPod touch devices with the aid of a free, downloadable application. Or snap in memory cards, USB drives or connect a camera to print without requiring a computer. Print speeds top 30 pages per minute for black ink or up to 28 pages per minute in colour.
Nice mice
Logitech's latest computer mouse for PCs and Macs can be used on any surface -- even glass. The compact Anywhere Mouse MX ($79) features something called Darkfield Laser Tracking technology, which offers precision control of multiple surfaces. This mouse also boasts fast scrolling, plus wireless connectivity thanks to a teeny "unifying" receiver that stays in your laptop so you won't lose the dongle (and if you like, add a compatible wireless keyboard or another mouse, too).
Durable drive
Not all external hard drives are created equal. Designed to work with both PCs and Macs, the rugged ioSafe Solo ($149) is a virtually indestructible 500GB hard drive that's waterproof (down to 10 feet for three days) and fireproof (up to 1550 degrees Fahrenheit). Along with the 3-year warranty, ioSafe offers a free data recovery serving up to one year from purchase in case of any data loss. Dorm room residents can even bolt down the drive or use a cable lock for greater security.
Still the one to beat
Yes, we're well aware there are many newer smartphones on the market but Apple's iPhone 3G (from $99 with 3-year Rogers term) still gets our vote as the quintessential digital Swiss Army Knife. It offers a slick touch-based interface, stunning web browser, messaging options, fast HSPA/Wi-Fi speeds, iPod functionality, GPS navigation, camera and more than 75,000 downloadable applications from the App Store (part of iTunes), including many student-focused apps.
