10 Affordable Gadgets for Back to School

Face it. Students are tech crazy when it comes to buying new gadgets. They want the latest in applications, software, communication and more. Although-most new gadgets come at a price and we as parents have to figure out which gadget will be the most important and useful in a student's life.

To get a move in the morning, a student needs an alarm to jump-start their day. The Timex Digital Tuning Dual Alarm Clock Radio w/ Projection and MP3 offers an AM/FM radio, the ability to play MP3 tunes, a bright digital display and an affordable price at just $30 available at Target.

Students also have many files for homework, photos for sharing and of course, their favorite tunes to listen in on. Instead of taking up hard-drive space, the Imation Clip Flash Drive will be the answer for your student in school. It offers 2 GB of available space and can clip onto their book bag, purse or key-chain. The flash drive is easy on the budget -only $13.95 at Office Depot.

To complete school work, keep in touch with friends or family and also for keeping current status on Facebook, students will enjoy the Acer Aspire One netbook. Parents will no longer have to fight for computer time on the family computer and the netbook can easily be transported from room to room with its small size (10 inches) and light cargo. The netbook's battery lasts up to 3 hours, has an Atom processor and 1 GB of ram. The netbook is available at Amazon for $259.

Communication should always be open between you and your student. A cell phone is ideal for calling home when he/she needs help, to let their parents know there where-abouts and for contacting friends about homework or weekend plans. Most students are avid texters, and the LG enV Touch will accommodate their fast fingers. The enV touch acts as an MP3 player storing digital music files, has a 3.2 digital camera and a 3 inch screen for viewing texts, photos and videos. The LG enV touch is available through Verizon Wireless with a selected phone plan.

Students can complete their reading on the go with the Kindle Textbook reader. They can choose a variety of ebooks online for personal and educational reading or choose among the many available books at Amazon. While some books may cost a few dollars to download, there are available books that are free for purchase.

For a chance to go back and review a past lecture or to create notes for later use, the Sony ICD BX700 1 GB Digital voice recorder will come in quite handy. It can store up to 280 hours of voice recordings and also has 1 GB of available flash. Students will be able to review a lecture to help them complete homework or to assist in understanding on a topic that was unclear before. At eCost.com, the voice recorder may be purchased for $18.

When students begin completing those difficult math equations, it is useful to have a scientific calculator on hand. For under $10 at OfficeMax, students can use the CASIO FX-260 10-DIGIT SOLAR SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR to finish their math homework. It includes a large display keyboard, rounds off all answers and has 144 built in math functions.

After completing those late night reports or detailed Excel charts, your student will need to print his/her work. To go along with his netbook, a wireless printer will also be useful when completing homework. At Amazon.com for under $100, the Lexmark Wireless X6570 All-In-One Dual Cartridge Inkjet Printer will be ideal for any printing projects. Reports and other projects may be printed without having to be directly plugged into another computer port. It can also fax up to 25 pages, print directly from a memory card or flash drive and copy and scan documents.

For a memorable and photographic year, students will want to take plenty of pictures to post in his memory book. There will be class trips, holiday vacations, school dances and all of those embarrassing, yet funny moments to remember. A student will need a digital camera such as the KODAK C180 / CD80 EASYSHARE 10.2MP. It is HD ready, contains internal as well as external memory, blur reduction and face detection and has a USB cable and wrist strap. It is offered for $50 at ottercreektrading.com.

During the bus trip home or some type to chill out after stressful completion of homework, students will want to rock out to their favorite tunes. While a MP3 player may not be necessary for class, it can be a great way to kick back and relax. Some useful accessories that are often includes with some MP3 players include voice recorders, calculators, photo and document storage and web cams. At Walmart.com, the Ematic Mp3 player has up to 4 GB of space, play videos and music, has a 2.4 inch screen and is available in a variety of bright fashionable colors such as green, blue, pink, red, orange and black. It can be purchased at $40.

As supplies and the latest tech gadgets may wreak some havoc on your budget, there are those available that are somewhat affordable. While some of the more expensive gadgets may seem more attractive-the cheaper ones can still do the same similar functions.

RESOURCES:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/182-7824835-3702810?asin=B001CW7AWQ&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B001CW7AWQ&CPNG=&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/349067/Imation-Clip-Flash-Drive-USB-flash/?cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Google-_-Memory_Storage_and_Media-_-349067&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=plusbox-beta&mr:trackingCode=5A980B71-5121-DF11-9B13-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

http://www.wirefly.com/catalog/verizon_wireless/lg/env-touch-vx11000-black

http://www.ecost.com/detail.aspx?edp=52299489&source=EWBBASE&cm_mmc=CSE-_-google-_-ewbbase-_-Electronics&CAWELAID=422222797

http://www.officemax.com/technology/calculators-accessories/scientific-calculators/product-ARS19368?cm_mmc=GBase-_-Technology-_-Calculators%20and%20Accessories-_-Scientific%20Calculators&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=02019595

http://www.amazon.com/Lexmark-Wireless-Cartridge-Inkjet-Printer/dp/B000VC7FTQ

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ematic-4GB-Video-MP3-Player-with-2.4-LCD-5MP-Camera-Bundle-Assorted-Color/13081485