As the semester begins to swing into full gear, students and faculty are flooding back into classes. Luckily, no one needs to go back empty-handed this semester. Fun, useful, or just plain interesting gadgets have been perfected for the college experience. Best of all, these gadgets are portable, powerful, and more affordable than ever. Here are five of the top picks for dorm rooms, class rooms, and everything in between. It used to be that students would have fun by saving on student car insurance. Now, they can have fun finding the coolest gadgets!

Motorola Atrix 4G + Lapdock

 

 

Price: $400 – $699

At first glance, the Motorola Atrix 4G looks just like any other smartphone. The only difference comes with the unusually powerful dual-core processor. The processor more closely resembles a tablet or laptop processor than a smartphone, and that is because it was made for a laptop.

The Atrix 4G has a holster dock named the Lapdock. With the Lapdock accessory, the Atrix 4G instantly transforms into a fully-functional laptop computer. After class, the Atrix can be unplugged and used as a generic smartphone to stream videos, text, surf the web, and more. When purchased in a bundle, both the smartphone and the lapdock accessory comes in at around the same price as a low end laptop, meaning that there is almost no reason not to get one.

BUY Motorola Atrix 4G + Lapdock

 

Xbox 360

 

 

Price: $199 – $399

Many individuals equate taking a game console off to college as shooting a student in the foot. They provide unnecessary distraction at a time when students should be focusing on their academic and social life. Luckily for those that own an Xbox, this gaming console does much more than play games, and there is even something that will make the parents happy.

The newest 4 GB Xbox comes in at a respectable $299 and includes some amazing hardware and features to go along with it. It comes WiFi ready, so there will be no cords littering dorm rooms or being lost during moves. It also has the ability to stream movies from online services such as Netflix at the click of a button. Last but not least is the Microsoft’s groundbreaking Kinect accessory.

The Kinect is a high-definition camera that turns the human body into a controller. Gamers can dance, jump, roll, and shoot their way through games, merely by acting it out. Parents will also be glad to hear that the Kinect can be used as a free video chat program if another Xbox is purchased for the home.

BUY XBOX 360

eReader

 

 

Price: $99 – $199

As tuition, housing, and other cost of living prices continue to soar, there remains one place that students can cut costs by as much as 95%, the textbooks. eReaders are not just for skimming through novels anymore, they are now a students best friend. Companies such as Amazon and Barnes & Nobles have begun renting and selling digital textbooks for thousands of classes in every subject imaginable. Textbooks can be rented and instantly downloaded for as little as $1 a week.

There are two clear winners in this field, the Nook and the Kindle. The Nook has a color screen, which is a necessity for any classes that are going to rely heavily on color pictures. Amazon’s Kindle store has a much larger selection of textbooks, but the Kindle remains completely black and white.

BUY Kindle

BUY Nook

 

iPad 2

 

 

Price: $499 – $699

This has been the year of the tablet, and the iPad 2 sits at the top of a very long list of impressive devices. This sleek gadget is the perfect compliment to take notes, send emails, or even video chat with family back at home. It can completely replaced a laptop if the optional keyboard is purchased. Students will also be able to enjoy thousands of apps to keep organized and keep in touch.

For students that really want to get more bang for their buck, skim through the Apple’s app market for programs to save on groceries, car insurance, gas, clothing, and more.

 

BUY Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G – 16GB (AT&T) – White

 

Livescribe Pulse Smartpen

 

 

Price: $59

Last but not least is Livescribe’s Pulse Smartpen. This is a nifty gadget that could potentially change how students operate within a class forever. Slightly larger than the average pen, the Smartpen is packed with features that resemble a laptop or tablet. With a single click of the record button, 2 GB worth of lecturing can be recorded and then sent to a laptop or computer. Notes that were physically written are stored within the pen itself and can also be uploaded as digital notes into the computer.

BUY Livescribe Pulse

 

The top gadgets for this school year were made to multitask. Students will find that they can save time, stress, and just a little bit of money this year if they look to technology for help.

If you’re looking for more school gadgets, check out the Edible Pen Concept Design!