By Gary Kaye and Richard M. Sherwin
(with Jennifer Auspitz and Bob Plunkett)
Edited by Susan Davis

Listen to this episode on The Mom Squad Show

Yes, the calendar says it’s still summer, but you know that in a matter of days or weeks, your youngster, or grand-youngster will be heading to school or campus.  …or perhaps you’ll be coming home from summer vacation. Here’s a rundown of some of the great tech gear we think will make it easier to go back to school or work:

Smartphones – If there’s a single tech essential these days, it’s the smartphone.  We like two for different reasons.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active on AT&T is designed for the outdoors and features a rugged case that’s both water and dust resistant.  It also has a built in heart rate monitor and has Samsung’s  S-Health  software, adventure apps such as a compass, and it sports a 16 megapixel camera for grabbing great quality shots of all your student’s adventures.  Price starts at about $200 with a two-year contract.  We’ve seen it a little cheaper on Amazon, and a lot more ($650 and up) if you want it without a contract.

Scratch Wireless – This is one of the most cost effective ways of getting smartphone service.  Scratch relies on the notion that there are WiFi connections most of the places you want to be, and you can use VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) to make calls wherever there’s WiFi at absolutely no cost. You pay $269 once for a Motorola Android phone.  You can make all the VOIP calls you want for free, and even when you are out of WiFi range, you can text for free.  And finally, if you really need to be connected you can buy minutes on the Sprint network. Sprint itself is offering some of the best pre-paid wireless deals ever. And Sprint’s youth aimed subsidiaries like Boost and Virgin Mobile are taking customers from AT@T and Verizon every day.

Chromebook Computers.  The Chromebook standard from Google is becoming increasingly popular in educational environments, where there’s always access to cloud storage.  We like four offerings:

The Toshiba Chromebook has a 13.3” diagonal HD display and uses Intel’s Celeron processor.   Price $300.   Samsung’s Chromebook 2 – comes in two models:  the 11” version costs $320 and uses Samsung’s own Exynos 5 Octa processor.  If you’re youngster needs some additional screen real estate, the 13.3” version has a full HD 1080P display and costs $400. Asus also has both an 11.6” model (C200) and a 13’3” model (C300).  Both are powered by an Intel processor and both have a single USB 2.0 port and a single USB 3.0 port.  We’ve seen the price for the C200 at anywhere from $200 to $285, while the C300 is about $220 – $249.  The Acer unit we just tested seemed a little quicker and a little brighter. But remember, to print with any Chromebook, your printer has to be  WIFI enabled.

STM Aero Laptop Bag – To carry around that Chromebook or other small laptop, you might consider this lightweight, full featured bag from STM.  The Aero will fit 13” screen laptops, with lots of pockets for chargers, headphones, and other digital paraphernalia.  Maybe even a notebook and pen.  It’s comfortable, with sturdy straps and a breathable back, but your student won’t feel like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his back.  Price $80.

Desktop Computer.  While a laptop may be good for taking notes in class, your student may prefer something a little bigger.  Lenovo’s new C260 is an all-in-one 19.5” desktop with a ten point touch screen.  It has a DVD burner, built-in stereo speakers, and three USB ports.  It’s powered by an Intel Pentium processor, and has 500 GB of memory.  And it’s all in a package that Lenovo is pricing at $480.

Convertible Computer – This category, referred to as a convertible or two-in-one, generally means the computer is capable of functioning either as a laptop or a tablet.  The Asus Transformer Pad is a 10.1” Android tablet running Android’s latest operating system, Kit Kat (4.4).  It uses an Intel Atom processor.  The keyboard detaches so you can use it either as a productivity machine or as an entertainment tablet.  The model we tried out, the TF103C, came with 32 GB of memory.  It is quick to set up, quick over wireless, and comes pre-loaded with a ton of apps.  We’ve seen it priced at about $250 with 16 GB of memory all the way up to about $400 with 64GB of memory.

Tablet Computer – If your student prefers a tablet without a keyboard, we have two recommendations.  First is the Lenovo Yoga 10” tablet.  Lenovo claims the Yoga 10 can surf the web for up to 18 hours on a charge.  Its battery is tucked into a cylinder at the edge which makes it easy to hold.  A kickstand means it can be used on a flat surface, tilted slightly up, or standing up (great for watching movies).  It runs on Android Jellybean (4.2), and has a MTK 8125 Quad-core ARM by Media Tek.  Price begins at $259.

The other tablet we like is admittedly a bit pricier.  Sony’s Xperia Z2 Tablet at $500. This tablet is waterproof and dust resistant with built-in covers for the ports. At 10.1”, this tablet is one of the thinnest and lightest on the market, with a brilliant display.  It has 16GB of memory and runs on Android 4.4. (Kit Kat). Sony claims a battery life of roughly 14 hours, enough for a full day on campus.

 Laptop Computer – Lenovo Flex 2 – 15 – This is a full-featured laptop computer that’s both reasonably priced and packed with features.  It has a 15.6” HD touchscreen display.  Unlike many laptops these days it has a built-in optical drive.  It has a Dolby sound system, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, an HDMI output, a memory card slot, and an Ethernet port (RJH-46).  It uses an Intel core i5 processor, has 500 GB of hard disk storage.  And it can operate as a traditional laptop, or the cover can swivel so it can be used as a stand for watching videos or making presentations.  Price from Lenovo is $530.

Logitech Wireless Design Mouse – Even though laptop computers all come with touchpads, some people prefer the added control you get with a mouse.  Logitech has a new line of designer mice for 2014 with a variety of colors and designs.  Price for the M325 line is about $30 from Logitech, though we’ve seen it online for less.

Fitness Trackers – If your student is interested in staying in shape we have two good ways of keeping track.  The Garmin VivoFit ($130) will keep track of steps, calories, and distance, allowing you to set your own goals. It can monitor your sleep, and pairs with heart monitors to keep track of your heart rate. Unlike many other trackers that have to be recharged, the VivoFit has a battery that’s supposed to be good for a year.  This wrist band comes in a variety of colors.  It also keeps time, and lets you know if you’ve been sitting still for too long.  And as you’d expect, you can synch it with your smartphone if you install the Garmin Connect Mobile app.  The other tracker we like doubles as a smartwatch.  The Samsung Gear Fit, for $150 from Samsung.  The Gear Fit has many of the same activity tracker functions as the Garmin VivoFit, but it also has smartwatch functions including notifications for messages, phone calls, and the ability to control music that’s playing on your smartphone.  It synchs up with the Samsung S-Health suite of apps that come with some Samsung phones that are compatible with the Fit.

Entertainment – Chances are your student will find time to have fun amid studies.  Though hopefully within reason.  We have some suggestions to energize the entertainment.

Television – There’s probably enough space, even in a tight apartment, to squeeze in a small HD Television.  Long gone are the days when a 19” set will do.  These days it’s hard to even find a set that’s smaller than 32”.  Samsung’s LCD Smart TV 6350 has a great HD picture, and it’s easy to connect to a wireless network to watch YouTube or whatever else is on the Internet, even if there’s no cable box available.  It’s lightweight, very easy to set up, and costs $600.

Projector – Elmo Boxi T200 – If there’s not enough room for a television, your student can use a blank wall to project a sharp image from this compact portable projector.  The HD image from the Box T200 will still look sharp even at 68”.  It has a single HDMI input and can handle Blu Ray quality video input.  It has a built-in speaker, but also has a headphone jack that can be used to power either headphones or an audio system.  Priced at $429.

Google Chromecast – For a really low cost way of getting video from a smartphone, computer, or tablet onto a television set, there are few solutions as easy as Google’s Chromecast HDMI dongle.  It will take any program on a Chrome browser and put it on television, and supports a growing ecosystem of apps including Netflix as well.  Best of all it’s only $35 compared to its bigger brothers the Roku 3 and Netgear set top box.

Speakers and Headphones  – We haven’t come across any college students who don’t enjoy listening to music.  And depending on where they are that can be from a smartphone, tablet, or computer, and it can be over speakers or into headphones.  Since one size doesn’t fit all, we have several suggestions.

Audioengine A5+ Powered Speakers – We think these bookshelf speakers from AudioEngine are at the head of the class.  Audioengine makes high end audio components for getting the most out of digital audio.  These speakers offer great quality sound that will do justice to any hi-res audio recordings and will bring out the best in more compressed formats like MP3’s.  Priced at $399.

Logitech Ultimate Ears Boom – This cylindrical speaker generates a big booming sound that can certainly fill a dorm room or an even bigger space.  Its shape allows 360 degree sound.  You can pair two of them for true Bluetooth stereo.  It’s also ruggedized and water resistant so it can be used for parties on the balcony. Priced at $199.

Samsung Shape Wireless Music System M7 – This is a wireless speaker system that can connect using either Bluetooth or WiFi.  It is also NFC (Near Field Communication) enabled so a simple touch with an NFC enabled smartphone can start the music playing.  Your student can start with one triangular shaped unit for a dorm room, then add another for a true stereo pair, or add units in other rooms when he or she makes the move from dorm room to apartment.  Using the available smartphone app, your child will be able to access music from a library or from an Internet service.  We’ve seen it priced from about $300 to $330. While it’s driven and operated by a nice remote you get even more features with any Samsung phone, but for some reason, it’s not totally compatible with Samsung Tablets.

Sony SRS X5 Bluetooth Speaker – This is a powerful speaker in a small, elegantly designed package.  It features a thumping bass.  And it is easy to connect either through Bluetooth or NFC.  It is intended for indoor use, and will look right at home just about anywhere.  It has the ability to answer calls through your smartphone.  The internal battery is good for eight hours.  Priced at $200.

Headphones – Grado Labs SR80e on-the-ear phones – It’s not always feasible to listen to music on speakers.  Sometimes a roommate may want a little quiet.  Or your student may want to isolate himself from outside noise.  Hi-end headphone maker Grado Labs now has an affordable set of on-the-ear phones with terrific sound for the money.  These deliver quality sound comparable to headphones that cost hundreds more.  Priced at $99.

Audio Technica – Sonic Fuel in-ear phones – For a student on the go, this a great little set of in-ear phones.  They are designed for an active lifestyle, fitting firmly into the ear to stay in place while running or jogging, as well as keeping out extraneous noise.  The model ATH-CKP200is also has smartphone functionality to answer calls on the go.  Priced at about $36.

Printer – Epson 410 – They say it’s a paperless world, but it’s not.  While many instructors do accept digital versions of term papers, others still want to see ink on paper.  We’ve all heard of all-in-one printers, but Epson has the Small-In One XP-410.  It’s a Wi-Fi enabled printer, scanner, and copier with a very small footprint.  It will also allow you to print photos directly from an SD card without a computer.  It delivers good quality photo prints.  Best of all this was a breeze to set up with our wireless network, no pain at all.  And the price is hard to beat, only $70.

Portable external hard drives  –  Despite the proliferation of cloud storage through things like Google Drive, Dropbox and others, it’s always a nice idea to have a portable external drive that can hold your irreplaceable pictures and videos, as well as that term paper that accounts for 50% of a course grade.  Both Western Digital and Seagate make 2TB portable drives that will do the job.  The Western Digital My Passport Ultra is available in up to 2 TB capacity ($119).  It offers automatic backup to your drive or to a Dropbox cloud storage account.  It also has available password protection.  The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is also available in sizes to 2 TB and is a bit thinner than the Western Digital.  The Slim will also let you back up from a mobile device or from Facebook.  We’ve seen it priced from $100 to $150.

Camera – Samsung Galaxy 2 –  While there are a lot of photo tricks that you can do with a smartphone, Samsung’s Galaxy 2 Camera is a camera first but with lots of smart phone features, including a screen full of apps.  It’s ideal for sharing pictures through social media, and can exchange pictures with other devices equipped with NFC.  The Galaxy 2 has a 16 MP sensor, and a powerful 21x zoom lens. It comes with Android 4.3 (Jellybean), and will find your WiFi network in a matter of moments.  We’ve seen it priced from $379 – $399.

Solar Powered Pro-Trek Casio Watch – While many college students have given up watches in favor of telling time from their smartphones, sometimes a watch can come in pretty handy, and the latest outdoor enthusiast’s watch from Casio is pretty handy for those road trips or weekend outings into the woods.  For starters it’s solar powered so it doesn’t need batteries or winding.  It has sensors for temperature, altitude and barometer.  It also has a built in digital compass.  Price at $119.

Batteries and Chargers – Last, but not least on our list.  Your student really doesn’t want to run out of juice in the middle or a lecture.  Or the middle of a phone call.  We suggest taking along a powerbank.  We like the Reservoir from Dark Energy.  It’s slim, and it’s powerful at 8000 mAh.  It will power smartphones, tablets, cameras, and just about any other USB chargeable device.  Priced at $129.