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More back to school tech

Last week I looked at the differences between laptops and desktops for different students, as well as additional back-to-school technologies like tablets and LiveScribe pens.
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Last week I looked at the differences between laptops and desktops for different students, as well as additional back-to-school technologies like tablets and LiveScribe pens. This week I thought I'd write about all the cool accessories I wish I had when I was a student.

Transportation — When I was in University I rode my bike everywhere: to school, to rugby practice, to the bar, to the grocery store and ultimately back to the bar. I was "that guy" with the bike helmet and seat hanging from my pack, even on snowy days or when the temperature dropped below minus-20 with the aid of ski goggles, bike "tire chains," and a neoprene facemask.

Most Whistler kids already have a bike or two lying around, but a decent commuter bike is should have thin tires, a big "big ring," panniers for school books and beer/groceries; fenders, a mirror for traffic, a bell for pedestrians and a light for riding at night. A few of our local bike shops will be able to help and if not then MEC.com is a good place to start.

A bike isn't a gadget though, so in the spirit of the column I'd also recommend a Garmin Edge bike computer so your student can track his or her total time on the bike. Staying fit is tough for full-time students, and counting kilometres and calories is a good way to stay healthy.

Another gadget that might be kind of fun is a Monkeylectric wheel light set (www.monkeylectric.com) which turns your bike wheels into a moving light show — for safety of course.

If you have a slightly bigger budget and exercise isn't an issue, there are a lot of different electric bike options available that provide some electrical assistance in pedaling and turn long commutes into short ones. Prices start at around $1,200 and go way up from there.

Music — Every phone doubles as a music player these days but earbuds aren't the most social way to share it. I'd recommend every student consider getting some kind of portable Bluetooth speaker they can bring anywhere. The Cambridge Soundsystems "Oontz" — say it a few times thinking about electronic music — is a bargain at around $50, while the more expensive Jawbone Jambox is kind of the gold standard for sound and battery life at $150 and up.

To truly geek out, portable HD resolution mini portable projectors are available starting at around $100, turning any white wall into a movie theatre. Pair it up with a Bluetooth speaker and you've got a home theatre on the go.

It's also worth considering investing in some headphones. There aren't too many quiet places on campus, but a good pair of headphones can block out the world for someone who works better listening to music. Research also shows that ambient white noise (or pink noise or natural sounds, or whatever floats your boat) can make your brain more productive. You can get some decent on-ear or over-ear buckets for $99, just be sure to make sure they'll work with your devices.

If you're not completely committed to Apple or Android, I'd also recommend Xbox Music. A $99 annual account gives you unlimited access to 30 million songs, which works out to just over $8 per month. Students can use the same account on their PC, Xbox, Surface Tablet and Windows Phone. Apps are reportedly in development for iPhones and Android phones as well.

Backpack — A good backpack is crucial for any student, but a great backpack can help a student be more productive. Look for something that's rubberized and waterproof if you're commuting in the rain with your laptop and phone in your pack. Make sure there are a few dividers inside to separate notebooks, textbooks, laptops and lunch, a pouch on shoulder strap for your phone, dual zippers that can be locked and loops you can use to lock your bag to a desk while you're grabbing lunch or looking for a book in the stacks, an external water bottle holder (don't want liquids inside for various reasons), and a few independent zipper pockets on the inside for keys, wallets, and so on. Try to pick something that's simple on the outside with a lot going on inside, because more external zippers mean more opportunity for broken zippers and wet books.

To go inside your pack, consider picking up a Cocoon Grid-It (cocooninnovations.com) to organize all of your cables, chargers, USB thumbdrives and so on. Also, it wouldn't hurt to consider investing in an external battery pack to keep your devices charged through a long day. Some of these external batteries start at around $40, and for $80 you can get an Anker Astro Pro2 charger (www.ianker.com) with 20,000 milliampheres of juice (enough to completely charge 14 iPhones).

Some bigger batteries have plugs that can extend your laptop battery, but most external batteries only charge via USB — think phones, tablets, some cameras and a few netbooks.

There are a lot of other things that students should consider, including laptop cooling pads to keep their laptops from overheating, e-book readers to give their eyes a break, external hard drives/USB drives to back up important work, an air purifier to keep rooms fresh and reduce allergens and airborne viruses. Also consider getting a kitchen planter with a grow light like the AeroGarden (www.aerogarden.com) for health, air quality and ambience.