Educational and entertainment gadgets are part of the day-to-day life of most college students. While you are probably familiar with popular gadgets such as the iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Xbox, there are other, less familiar gadgets worthy of your consideration.
Livescribe’s 4 BG Echo Smartpen
This handy device records everything you hear and write, including the delightful snoring sounds of your classmates! Easily find what you’re looking for in your messy notebooks by tapping on a word. This allows you to listen to what the instructor said while you were busy writing. The pen works by writing on special Livescribe paper. This is one of the most popular gadgets for college goers right now! You can also transfer the images of your notes and the audio form the lecture to a computer. Type in specific phrases or words in the search window and the Livescribe Desktop highlights every place you wrote them in your notes. This product costs between $150 and $170, plus the cost of the special notebooks you’ll need to purchase.
Stash Safes
Keep your valuable items hidden in a diversion safe. Yes, you can buy a piggy bank, but it might attract unwanted attention. Instead, place your valuables in a Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup Can, a Pringles Can, or a Book Stash Safe. The price of these products range from $15 to $30.
Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition with 6 inch Touch Screen
Easily search for book titles with the swipe of your finger. Access books from Sony’s eBookstore, browse more than 500,000 free public domain titles from Google, or use the device to check out books from public libraries. The digital reader includes a built-in Oxford American English eDictionary. A virtual keyboard is available which allows you to take notes and highlight sections. This gadget weighs less than 9 ounces and costs around $244.
Flip Camcorder
Use this small camcorder to make hilarious movies with your friends. If they’re unsavory, don’t put them on YouTube; prospective employers check social media websites! Years later when your a successful CEO of a Fortune 500 company, reminisce by watching recordings of the good times you had with college friends.
iHome iP49
This is a portable, rechargeable audio system for iPhones and iPods that also includes a clock radio. The company reports that the radio offers studio quality sound. The alarm lets you wake up to your iPhone, iPod, or an annoying buzzer. Use this alarm to ensure you make it to your 5 AM Yoga class.
Moshi Voice Control Alarm Clock
Activate Moshi by saying “Hello Moshi,” but try not to be sarcastic! Moshi responds by saying “Command please.” Here are some of the functions the clock can perform by giving it voice activated commands:
Tells you the current time. Sets the time. Sets the alarm. Tells you the time the alarm is set at. When using your voice to turn off the alarm, Moshi also gives you the current time, date, and temperature. Activates one of three available sleep sounds, which then plays five minutes of soothing sounds to help you get to sleep. Turns on the night light.
Moshi costs between $40 and $50.
Identiflyer Singing Alarm Clock
If you partied a little too much but need to get up before dinner the next evening, consider purchasing a soothing, singing alarm clock. Sounds much better than an annoying buzzer, doesn’t it? Insert the Beautiful Songs Birds card into the clock and select from a variety of bird serenades. The clock works with 24 song cards. The hourly mode feature plays a different bird song every hour. This product costs around $30.
Zeloc Itty Bitty Book Light Volume 2
Use this product to study while your roommate is sleeping. This tiny bright light clips on to a book, shines on two pages, and doesn’t create a shadow or a glare. It costs between $20 and $30. The company also offers an Itty Bitty Book Light LED Edition, which sells for $35. Prices vary, so check out several Web stores or the bricks and mortar versions before you buy one of these useful gadget. This is a guest post by Brian Jenkins who has been a member of the BrainTrack.com writing team since 2008. He contributes feature articles on a variety of topics related to the college experience. For more information about BrainTrack, check out our Facebook page.
