By Gary Kaye, Richard  M. Sherwin, Susan Davis and Christine Eads

(Additional research from IntheBoombox.TV)

Jabra Revo Wired Headphones with Dolby Digital Plus  

Jabra has teamed up with Dolby to create some great headphones. By using the Jabra App on your smartphone you can create your own listening experience with things like an equalizer, surround sounds, and Dolby processing.  These phones have a fabric protected cord with a built-in microphone so you can answer calls on your smartphone and then go back to controlling the music.  They come with a second jack so the listener can share the music with a friend.  We’ve seen then selling for anywhere between $199 and $268.

Ventev Provides Anywhere-Anytime Quick Power Accessories

Ventev Mobile Accessories, a new name in mobile accessories has debuted several  iPhone 5 battery cases and a Portable Power Source With Rapid Charging Capability. The new devices, available now at Amazon and at Ventev’s web site have some unique colors and styles, but also include the latest in high speed charging convenience.

The Ventev Powercase line of battery cases – protective cases with built-in portable battery chargers – provides an additional 6-8 hours of talk time for the iPhone 5. The charging port design allows easy access to the device’s 3.5 mm jack enabling most headsets to fit without an adapter. The 6-hour Powercase 1500 (1500 mAh), available in grey, and 8-hour Powercase 2000 (2000 mAh), available in black or grey provide a lightweight design that offers both power and protection. The two-piece case features Ventev Mobile’s signature soft-touch finish, while the device buttons remain fully functional through the case. The Powercase boasts an LED battery level indicator and micro USB charging port. An on/off switch enables users to control when the device is being recharged, and current protection prevents overcharging.

The Powercell 5000 dual-USB portable battery charger (5000 mAh Li-ion battery) provides 15-plus hours of additional talk time in an extra-slim, super-lightweight design that easily fits into the pocket or purse. It can charge any two devices at the same time using the consumer’s own cables. The 1A port is optimal for smartphones, while, uniquely, the 2.1A rapid port can charge iPads, tablets, and other high-powered devices at the fastest rate possible. The Powercell 5000 can recharge from any USB port using the included cable, and it holds its charge for over 6 months when not in use.

Hisense Scores Big With New 7-inch Tablet

If a 7- inch Tablet is your size of choice, the best new model we’ve tested is the Hisense Sero Pro. A Wal-Mart exclusive for a while, its brightness, speed and price and features equals or bests any Kindle or even its look alike Nexus 7. In fact with its Wal-Mart App, it really becomes Wal-Mart’s Kindle. Using a 1,280×800-pixel-resolution display, 8GB of storage (should have more), The Sero Pro includes a 1.3-GHz quad-core Tegra 3 CPU. The two-megapixel front-facing camera, 5-megapixel rear camera, Mini-HDMI, Micro-USB, and a microSD port. NFC, Bluetooth 3.0+EDR, and 1GB of operating RAM comes with 7-10 hour battery life  (we got nearly that on first try) and ships for $149 making the Sero Pro about $50 cheaper than some of its rivals.

Panasonic ZS25 Lumix Compact Camera

This 16 megapixel point and shoot camera comes with some features that should make your traveling grad pretty happy.  It has a Leica lens that starts with a 24mm wide angle, wider than many other point and shoot cameras. It also has a 20X zoom.  You can shoot full HD video with the camera, and it has built in stereo microphones so when you play it back you can hear how it really sounded.   We’ve seen it priced from $241 to $300.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad and iPad mini.  

If your grad already owns an iPad or iPad mini, this could help them move that device from entertainment to productivity. It will also help protect their investment.  Logitech has designed these Bluetooth wireless keyboards so they double as a cover for the devices.  Take it off, snap the tablet into the slot and you have a tablet stand and working keyboard.  The silver cover matches the iPad case design. Price for the iPad version is $100, the mini version is $80.

Soundmatters FoxL Dash 7 portable speaker. 

FoxL has set the standard for compact high fidelity portable Bluetooth speakers.  It’s newest model, the Dash 7 is an ideal companion for a smartphone or tablet. It is only ¾” thick and weighs just 7.1 ounces. This pocket sized speaker can lie flat for omnidirectional sound, or can be placed on its stand for directional sound. It can run twelve hours on a charge.  It has the ability to do conference calls on your smart phone.   Price $219.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S.

Lenovo’s Yoga design first turned heads when it was introduced in a 13” model.  Now it comes in an 11.6” version as well.  It’s a Windows 8 touchscreen Ultrabook multimode PC that works as a traditional laptop, as a touchscreen device, and more. The Yoga 11S’s design and touch display allows the screen to flip all the way around, fit snug against the bottom, and operate like a tablet. Use the PC in four distinct modes: laptop, stand, tent, and tablet.  We’ve seen it priced anywhere from $550 to $800

Luci Solar Lantern.

This little collapsible solar powered LED lantern was one of the more amazing products we saw at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.  It is very lightweight (4.5 ounces), and folds practically flat so it takes up very little room in a backpack.  It can be used for lighting a tent (15 square feet), or a task light. A single eight hour charge can provide anywhere from 6 to 12 hours of light, and it will hold its charge for months.  Price $14.95

 Western Digital My Passport Ultra – 1 TB

Western Digital’s new line of My Passport Ultra portable drives are its thinnest, smallest drives yet.  In a world where your data is one of your most important assets, the WD ultra offers built-in software for continuous backup, it offers password protection, and it offers cloud backup protection through DropBox, so your graduate’s pictures, videos, music, and documents are doubly safe.  The Ultra has four available colors.  And with 1 TB of storage, costs $130.

Garmin Montana 650t 

This could be the only GPS device your son or daughter may need.  Put it in the car and it will give you turn by turn spoken directions.  Put it on a bike and it will display your route and all the trip data you’ll want.  Put it in your hand and it will give you everything you expect from a handheld GPS including tracking, elevations, a barometer, a camera, geocaching and plenty more.  And it has a bright 4” screen that’s pretty easy to read even in bright sunlight.  But this kind of versatility doesn’t come cheap. Price $600.

But Mom and Dad may want to stay ahead of the GPS pack with the Garmin nüvi® 2597LMT. In our tests it out performed Tom-Tom in ease of use and speed and unlike the new Magellan, uses voice driven navigation for safety and comfort. The unit has 5.0″ dual-orientation display, excellent high res glass, and detailed maps of North America with free lifetime¹ updates. In addition it features Garmin Real Directions with Garmin Real Voice and free lifetime² traffic alerts.

Its voice-activated navigation was clearer than any Smart Phone voice navigation, while also including the latest, Bluetooth and Smartphone Link compatible technology.

Street & Trips 2013

Graduation is a great time to go on a road trip, whether to visit friends or see the country.  And while a GPS in your car will help you route from point A to point B, your grad may want something a little more comprehensive to plan that big trip.  Streets and Trips has 1.9 million points of interest including campgrounds, national parks, even casinos.  You can download the latest construction delays, or even upload the trip you’ve created to a supported GPS device.  Streets and Trips will let you pick the way you want to travel, whether fast or scenic.  Price is $39.95

Kensington Contour™ Overnight Backpack 

This backpack is great for making a quick getaway.  It stores enough gear for an overnight trip and also carries up to a 15.6” laptop computer.  The computer fits into a zipper pocket that can flip out when you go through airline security so you don’t need to take it out.  It comes with four major and two minor zipper compartments.  The big compartments have lots of mesh pouches to you can organize your gear and easily find it.  It also has a water bottle holster and a pouch and port for a music player as well.   We’ve seen it priced between $80 and $100.

Asus Memo Pad Smart 10” Android Tablet

This lightweight tablet computer comes with the latest version of the Android Operating System, Jellybean.  It has a fast processor, making it very comfortable to watch streaming video without any hiccups.  It has two crisp built-in stereo speakers for a solid entertainment experience, and comes with a variety of productivity and entertainment apps, including the ability to take notes on the screen.  We’ve seen it priced online starting at about $280

 HTC One Android Smartphone

This phone not only works well, but it looks great and sounds even better.  It has an all-aluminum body, a 4.7” diagonal screen that plays full HD video.   It is also the first smartphone we’ve seen with two front facing speakers that deliver the best sound we’ve heard from a phone.  It has a fast Qualcomm processor and comes with a variety of bells and whistles.  The HTC One runs on AT&T’s 4G LTE network and is available from ATT.com for $200 with a two year contract.  The phone is also available from Sprint and T-Mobile.

 Casio G-Shock Watch with Bluetooth

While many millenials have given up wearing wristwatches, here’s one that’s sufficiently hi-tech that your new grad might be happy to wear it on his wrist.  The device features a Bluetooth link to your smartphone that alerts the user to incoming calls and emails.  It also features an alarm that goes off when it looks like you’ve left your phone behind. It will set your time zone automatically Casio claims the battery will last for two years.  We’ve seen it priced from $170 to $200.

Harman Infinity Primus P163 Bookshelf Speakers

Now that your son or daughter has finally moved out of the dorm room it might be time for a decent sound system.  These bookshelf speakers do well for a standalone stereo system, or they can be used as front speakers in a surround sound 5.1 or 7.1 system.  The Primus 163’s are considered a great value, and have a solid reputation for their accurate mid-range sound reproduction. Harman advertises them for $140 apiece but we’ve seen them priced online for as little as $86.