Summer is winding down, and with the approach of fall comes back to school shopping, and a new crop of gizmos geared toward students. Our tech guru Steve Makris sorts out the best back to school tech gadgets from cellphones and voice recorders to home wireless.
- What’s new with affordable texting phones?
– The HTC Wildfire smartphone from Bell ($29.99 w/3 yr plan) is compact, with a generous 3.2 inch, touch HVGA display with Facebook friend tags, sharing your favourite Android Market discoveries and long battery life.
– Type away with the LG Optimus Chat smart phone from Telus (free w/3yr plan) and Koodo $175 or $25 on tab plan. The full QWERTY slide out keyboard, 2.8-inch capacitive touch screen, WiFi hotspot, Android Market apps and more make this your digital chatter box.
- Can a new mouse or keyboard spice up my life?
– Check out the Logitech Limited Edition Wireless Mouse M305 series ($34.99) with gorgeous artwork, ambidextrous comfort grip, wheel tilt and programmable buttons. Comes with storable USB nano-receiver and is just right for laptops.
– You might also like Logitech’s compact and colourful wireless keyboard K360 series ($29.99) with three year battery life.
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– Microsoft’s Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 Studio Series – Artist Edition is a no-nonsense compact with the nicest left/right click feel, on/off button, storable USB and striking artwork from international artists ($29.99).
- What about comfortable headphones?
– The Klipsch Image One “on the ear” headphones ($159), have effective noise isolation (compared to pricey total noise cancelation models), require no batteries and feature balanced sound quality and clarity with rich bass. The built-in controller works with Apple iPods and iPhones (it has a microphone) so you can use it for music or switch to talking on the phone. It also comes with a compact travel case.
– If you like bass, the Philips-O’Neil Stretch TR55LX “around the ear” noise isolation headphones ($89.99) will work for you. They have rugged tangle-free cords and soft cushions. The self-adjusting headband is clever, but won’t fit large heads, like mine, so try before you buy.
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- What is the best WiFi I can get at home?
Today’s WiFi routers have come a long way. Not only are they smaller, but top of the line models are packed with features beyond “just getting on the Internet”, such as large video file sharing at home.
– The Belkin Wireless Dual-band N-N750DB ($129.99) uses simultaneous multi-beam technology with two different frequencies (2.5 GHz and 5 GHz) to reach dead spots in your home. This means better connection and faster downloads and smoother video. It has two USB ports for more flexibility to direct connect and share printers while also sharing external media storage and playback. You also get four nifty apps: Self-Healing networks, Video Mover for streaming media to your networked TV, Print Zone from anywhere in your home and Memory Safe USB plugged sticks or drives.
– Cicso’s E4200 ($189), which is more compact than the Belkin, also uses Dual-band technology for maximum speed connections, incorporating six internal antennas. For the extra cost it has the smarts to know when you connect an Ethernet cable to it and even figure out its length for maximum performance and has its own speed test. Parental controls are included as well as a guest access account, separate from your personal family network. Like the Belkin top model, it has the fastest Gigabit speeds and its unique ECO-friendly power saving mode is smart.
- Which are the best protective covers for my smart phone?
– The best designed no-nonsense cases for your smart phone are from Otter Box. They come in up to three protection and price level models for most popular smart phones in half a dozen colours. For example, iPhone4 cases vary from $19.95 for the slim Impact series, to $49.95 for the three-shell ultra rugged Defender series.
– For smaller budgets IDeal cases are the slimmest with classy designs from $22.99.
- I plan to do a lot of audio recording in class, what’s the best bang for my buck?
– The Olympus VN-7100 ($39.99) and VN-7200 ($49.99) record up to 600 or 1100 hours respectively, have the longest battery life, can be indexed during or after recording, skip quiet periods, fast/slow playback, and have great organizational features.
– The Panasonic RR-US571R costs more at $99.99 for 544 hours of recording, but records and plays back MP3 files and can connect to a PC via USB for drag and drop storing of files.
- What should I look for in a printer for school?
– Last year’s Epson Stylus NX625 is hard to beat for $129.99. It has WiFi, automatic two-sided printing that saves you time, paper and filing space. It’s descent for occasional photo printing and includes photo enhancement tools like Automatic Photo Correction and photo restoration. You can also print wirelessly from your iPhone.
– Save on your ink with two print printer makers. Kodak’s wide selection of printers use ink jet cartridges, much cheaper than competitors and save you about 40 per cent on your printing costs.
– Lexmark’s Pinnacle Pro901, as low as $149.99 features a large 4.3″ LCD touch screen, fax and one-touch apps, a 50-page doc feeder and an optional high-yield black ink cartridge for only $5.75 that can handle a 500 sheet pack. Cheap!
- I can’t stand the coldness of these new eco-friendly lights. Why can’t they make one feel like an incandescent bulb?
– Good news, the Philips AmbientLED 12.5W (60W) looks so odd but produces incandescent-like light, does not fade fabric, and is dimmable. You won’t need a new one for 15 years while drawing 80 per cent less energy than your old 60W bulb. In the long run you will be ahead for the $45 price.
- What is the coolest hi-tech for my brightest smile in class?
– Philips portable Sonicare Air Floss ($99.99) will even impress your dentist with its powerful yet gentle shots of water and air between your teeth. One charge is good for two weeks of use. Flossing never looked so civil.
- I want the smallest MP3 music player that does it all.
– The current Apple iPod Nano ($159-$189 for the 8GB or 15 GB versions) is the current king for cool, small and light. It has Genius – a feature that sorts out a mix of music for you – FM radio, and the iTunes empire. It also features a unique two finger swipe control, which is handy when outdoors while clipped to your clothing.
– But budget-minded folks should check out Sandisk’s new 4 GB Sansa Clip Zip ($49) with a micro SDHC memory slot for up to an additional 32 GB of music. Swap SD music cards if you like. It’s optimized for Rhapsody, eMusic and Napster music services, has FM radio and records audio as well. It’s a little chunkier than the Nano with a smaller screen, but if you want massive portable libraries to clip to your t-shirt, this is the one.
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