ARTICLE – Whether you’re going back to high school or going off to college, the best part of this time of year for me was always shopping for new school gear! If you feel the same, here are 7 products that will make going back to school a lot easier. Disclaimer: These products will NOT help you pass your tests. That’s up to you!

1. HUAWEI MateBook X Pro laptop

First of all, a laptop is mandatory and HUAWEI offers a great MacBook alternative with their 13.9-inch MateBook X Pro that is available in i5 and i7 versions and is currently $200 off from Microsoft and Amazon (until 8/14) making them a good deal for a quality laptop that includes a touchscreen.

Price: starting at $999.99
Where to buy: Microsoft and Amazon
Read our reviews:
Julie’s gadget diary – The Huawei MateBook X Pro could actually replace my MacBook

2. A USB powered portable monitor

If you already have your laptop or tablet for school, good for you. But the screens on those devices are never big enough when you’re trying to research topics, write papers, play games, etc. Portable monitors that use USB-C cables to connect to the laptop, tablet, or even some Android smartphones, can add useful screen real estate without being bulky. One such monitor is the ASUS MB168B 15.6″ WXGA 1366×768 monitor that works in landscape AND portrait orientations which makes it great for editing papers.

Price:$97.99
Where to buy: Amazon

3. BunkTrunk Footlocker

The BunkTrunk is a solid wood footlocker that allows college students to securely lock up their laptops and phones while also recharging them. It’s designed to be used either over the foot of the bed, which provides an extra place to study or watch movies or underneath the bed. With the BunkTrunk, you won’t have to worry that your sketchy roommate is going to “borrow” your gear without permission.

Price: $219 – $279
Where to buy: BunkTrunk Shop
Read our review: BunkTrunk PhD footlocker review

4. Targus CityLite Pro Compact Convertible Backpack

Every student needs some type of bag, with backpacks being the most popular and the Targus CityLite Pro Compact Convertible Backpack being ultra-affordable. The CityLite Pro easily converts from backpack to briefcase and has room to hold all of your essentials and then some while looking sleek without being too flashy.

Price: $74.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Read our review: Targus CityLite Pro Compact Convertible Backpack review

5. Notebook / Journal / Bullet Journal

When it comes to keeping track of what I need to do, I prefer an old-school paper notebook and my own version of the bullet journal system. When it comes to notebooks, the Leuchtturm 1917 is my favorite choice for a few reasons. First, the notebook lays flat when opened and it stays open. I also like that the pages are pre-numbered and that the notebook is available in different colors and with dotted or grid paper style in addition to lined and blank.

Price: $19.95
Where to buy: Amazon

6. Pad & Quill Deluxe Leather Journal Cover

If you have #5 on the list, you might want to consider a cover to protect your notebook. There are a million different covers to choose from like this one from Pad & Quill. It’s designed for A5 sized notebooks like the Leuchtturm 1917 and is made of leather which only gets better with age and adventure.

Price: $49.95 – $69.95
Where to buy: Pad & Quill
Read our review: Pad & Quill Journal Notebook and Deluxe Leather Journal Cover review

7. Activity tracking fitness watch or smartwatch

You’ve probably heard of the freshman 15 which is a phenomenon where new freshmen gain weight their first year of college due to freedom to eat when and whenever they please when they go off to school. If you’re going to be a freshman, make sure you stay active to burn off those extra calories by getting a fitness watch or even a smartwatch if your budget allows.

Most of these wearable devices can track your heart rate, sleep, daily steps, runs, and other workouts while also (depending on the watch) show your text messages, incoming calls, streaming music, and more.

Price: Varies depending on the watch
Where to buy: Withings, Huawei, Casio
Read our reviews:
Casio PRO TREK WSD-F30 Android WearOS smartwatch review
Huawei Band 3 Pro fitness tracker watch review
Withings Activite Pop activity and sleep tracking watch review

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Tagged: gift ideas

7 products that will make going back to school a little bit easier originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 6, 2019 at 4:43 pm.

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ARTICLE – Sound the alarms and get out your wallets because there are only seven days left until Valentine’s Day! If you haven’t already bought something for your partner in crime, significant other, sweetie, girlfriend, boyfriend, etc., here are a few gift ideas to help you out.

NixPlay Seed Wave digital photo frame

Nixplay makes nice digital photo frames and the new Seed Wave features a high definition IPS 13.1-inch or 10-inch widescreen display and built-in Bluetooth speakers that will let you play a soundtrack while viewing your photos or you can stream Spotify Connect, Pandora and Internet Radio directly from the Nixplay app or from a paired Bluetooth-enabled device.

The Seed Wave’s digital photo frame features include Google Photos connectivity which will let you create live albums that are will update as you add new images. If you’re not a Google fan, you can connect the frame to your photo albums on other social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox, and Verizon Cloud.

But wait, there’s more! The Nixplay Seed Wave (I don’t quite understand where they got the name…), has a feature called Smart-Hu which is a motion sensor that wakes up the display when it detects motion. This helps it save power when no one is around to look at it. It also works with Amazon Alexa so you can control it with your voice. I reviewed their Cloud Frame last summer and felt it was one of the nicest digital photo frames I’d ever tested.

Price: $149.99 – $249.99
Where to buy: Nixplay.com

SodaStream Fizzi One Touch

The SodaStream Fizzi One Touch is a gift that is sure to make your Valentine all tingly inside. It’s the best sparkling water maker that I’ve tried so far and I’ve been using one since last summer when I posted my review. You only have to press one button to get the water as fizzy as you like it. The only thing to keep in mind with this particular model is that you have to plug it in.

I use mine to make my own calorie-free carbonated drinks using Capella’s flavor drops and some packets of Stevia sweetener. Using a SodaStream and these drops helped me kick my Diet Coke habit with ease.

Price: $109.99
Where to buy: SodaStream and Amazon

Mavin Air-X True Wireless earbuds

There’s a quote that says that “music hath charms to soothe a savage breast”. I don’t know how savage my breast is, but I know that music is my friend throughout my day, on my drive to and from work, and during my workout sessions. Finding a pair of wireless earbuds that sound good and are comfortable has been a quest that I’ve been on for quite a while and I’ve found a couple pairs of truly wireless earbuds that fit that criteria. One such pair is the Mavin Air-X earbuds. These earbuds feature Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus technology, 100 ft. connection range, 50 hours of battery life with the charging case, splash resistant, and voice assistant-enabled (Siri/Google/Alexa). They even come in pink and red for Valentine’s day or more guy-friendly colors like black and white.

Price: $139.99 for one pair or $249.99 for two pairs (Valentine’s Day special pricing)
Where to buy: Mavinlife.com and Amazon

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera

blurb by Julian Perry

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many of us are going through the yearly ritual of trying to figure out what gift to get for that special lady in our life. If you have been with her for a while, then you have likely exhausted many of the customary and commonly accepted gifts and the task has become much harder. If your favorite lady happens to be a gadget nerd, then there are usually many options to choose from. With the constant release of new gadgets or new versions of older gadgets, your chances of please here are likely good.

My wife loves to take pictures, and many women love to have those wallet-sized photos to show and in many cases to keep tucked away in their wallet. While we do walk around with 1000s of pictures on our phones, the physical wallet photo is usually a more personal and memorable treasure.

The FujiFilm INSTAX Mini 9 Instant Film Camera with Instant Film Kit is a compact and versatile camera that holds 20 sheets of film at a time and produces credit card sized prints on demand. There is a built-in selfie mirror that also allows you to capture your own moments. With its built-in flash and versatile settings controls, this little gem measuring just 4.6 x 4.7 x 2.7″ is the perfect companion to live comfortably in her purse. And, just in case she has a preferred color, it is available in Cobalt Blue, Flamingo Pink, Ice Blue, Lime Green, and Smokey White.

Price: $62:50 ~ $64.50 with the Instant Film Kit and depending on the color; $49.99 without the Instant Film Kit (Amazon)
Where to buy: B&H Photo and Amazon

Folding Massage Chair

blurb by Julian Perry

In a couple of days it will be Valentine’s Day 2019, and just as men are scrambling to find the right gift for the lady in their life, women are also window shopping looking for the right fit for that man. In my opinion, most men like gadgets of some sort, and if your man is a gadget nerd then he is like me. When I think about myself, I begin to understand how difficult a task this is for my wife. I own so many gadgets that it is impossible to count or for her to remember what I have and don’t have. This is especially true for smaller gadgets. However, like most men, I have my moments when I want to just stop fiddling with any gadget and sit outdoors on the deck or in my Man Cave or maybe more realistically I should call it my Man Space since technically I have to share every room (lol), and just watch TV or listen to music without distractions.

Whenever I go to the mall, I always find myself sitting in the public massage chairs and paying the $1 required to experience the most relaxing 3 minute back massage that I wish would just keep going and going. I easily spend $5 or more on each visit. I have explored getting a massage chair for home, but they are typically big, heavy, and don’t usually meet the decor requirements that would deem them to be an addition that pleases my wife.

Urban Outfitters sells a folding massage chair that is compact, portable, and it offers the massage that I constantly seek.

Finally, a way to relax any place you choose and to experience that “ultra-soothing, deep-tissue massage in a compact design that you can store away in a cinch.” The chair features 4 massage modes with 3 pressure settings to customize your relaxation preferences just how you like it to target neck, shoulders, and back. It also features a built-in USB port so that you can charge your phone or tablet with ease. This may be just the right Valentine’s Day gift for the man in your life.

Price: $269.00
Where to buy: Urban Outfitters website

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged: gift ideas

Valentine’s Day 2019 gift guide originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 7, 2019 at 1:02 pm.

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