A backpack designed for going back to school with a lot of gadgets.

The Cocoon SLIM Backpack is perfectly engineered for the tech-minded person going back to school. Two padded and lined pockets are designed to cradle and protect your laptop (up to 15”) and your tablet (up to the large iPad size). I travel light, but my 11” Acer laptop and 10” tablet fit perfectly in their own compartment. A separate compartment of the Cocoon SLIM backpack is what makes this backpack truly different. It contains the first full-size GRID-IT! pocket. GRID-IT is a series of overlapping elastic strips of varying sizes that enable you to store almost everything you need to carry in a vertical position. With each cable, wire and gadget held tightly in place and in plain view, it’s virtually impossible to have a messy backpack where everything sank to the bottom. With water-resistant ballistic nylon and waterproof zippers, everything inside the SLIM backpack stays safe and dry. The adjustable shoulder straps, minimalist design, and gunmetal hardware offer comfort and style. Fully packed, the SLIM is only about 3.5” deep, so it looks good, even on your back!  Under $80.

http://www.cocooninnovations.com/product_info.php?cat_id=68&product_id=244

GRID-IT accessories without a backpack: http://www.cocooninnovations.com/cat_info.php?cat_id=61

A desk lamp for every assignment.

Satechi has been making clever accessories for the past few years that are attractively priced. Their Smart LED Desk Lamp is one of the newest. It’s multi-purpose device that offers many ways to brighten a room, while adding a USB charging device at the base of the lamp. (It’s in the back of the lamp, so it’s out of the way. Charging power is 5V/700 mAh.) There are four touch controls to toggle between four different brightness levels.  Here’s how Satechi describes the four lighting modes:

Reading Mode – Stimulates concentration and reduces eye strain with mid-range color temperatures (4300K-5300K)

Study Mode – Increases attention and concentration with high-range color temperatures (6000K-7000K)

Relaxation Mode – Promotes relaxation along with improved mood with low-range color temperatures (2500K-3300K)

Bedtime Mode – Encourages deep sleep with a comfortable soft light (2500K-3300K)

Within each of those modes you vary the light with the up/down touch arrows. The company says the Smart LED Desk Lamp has a lifespan of 40,000+ hours. The energy efficient lamp consumes only 1/8 of the power of an incandescent lamp and less than half of the power of a florescent lamp. That translates to only about 11 watts of power consumption!  Additionally, the timer function automatically turns off the lamp after an hour of inactivity to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. The Smart LED Desk Lamp is made of three joints able to adjust the LED panel up to 140 degrees and the frame up to 90 degrees to ensure it fits perfectly on any desk. It’s available in black and white. The product sample I received is black. It’s really sleek with it a high tech look, but it does gather fingerprints quickly. My guess is the white version may not show fingerprints as much. For this many features, the price is right too. Introductory price is $99.99 at Satechi.net. Suggested $150 retail.

www.satechi.net

You spent hundreds or maybe more than a thousand $$ on your laptop, now spend under $28 more to protect it!

It’s bad enough to lose your precious laptop, but what about all the schoolwork and personal information that might go with it! (Hopefully you’re backing everything up in the Cloud!) Some else to do is to protect your laptop with a lock. An easy one to use is the Kensington WordLock Portable Combination Laptop Lock. It has a push button design to offer one hand operation for easy installation. And the Kensington T-Bar secures the lock to your laptop. WordLock allows you to set the code with four letter words, which Kensington says makes it “Easier to Set -- Never Forget”. The self-coiling cable stretches to 6 feet to anchor to a desk or fixed structure yet shrinks to 3 inches for easy packing. The WordLock uses the Kensington Security Slot found in 99% of computers to attach to your laptop. It’s about $28 on the company website, and a bit cheaper if you do a web search.

http://www.kensington.com/kensington/us/us/p/1638/K64684US/wordlock%C2%AE-portable-combination-laptop-lock.aspx

Have a lot of gadgets to charge? The Bestek Wall Charging Station can help.

If you have a lot of personal electronic devices to charge, you should check out the Bestek Wall Charging Station. It can charge up to 5 devices at once and offers 6 AC outlets. But wait, there's more! It even has a hi-low night light with its own switch. Here are the features as listed on Amazon: Six US 110V AC outlets: With a cumulative 1,875W of pure power, you can power your favorite devices such as vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, and more. / Four USB ports ( two with 2.1A, two with 1A): simultaneously charge four of your favorite techy goodies (including iPads and smart phones) / The power of peace of mind: ABS anti-fire base material; built-in fuse; over-load / short circuit / surge protection. 12 month warranty / Integrated blue LED nightlight with two brightness levels; LED power indicators for USB and AC output / Conveniently and securely charge your iPod or iPhone via the charging dock with protective security shield. The Bestek Wall Charging Station is under $20 at the Amazon link below. 

Giz Wiz Video: http://youtu.be/nWsiLihOkOY

Charging your phone, tablet, etc. will become a big attraction with this cable.

I love this cable. I got the micro USB version to charge my Galaxy 3. phone. Everyone who visits Gizneyland and sees it in action loves it too! The moving LED's slow down as your phone nears full charge. When the moving light goes out, your phone is charged. So it's fun to watch, and very useful.

There's a iOS, a micro USB and a Lightning Connector version. They're each $14.95.

http://www.adafruit.com/products/1233