Back to School Tech Accessories

Now that fall is here, it’s time to switch our attention from kayaks and beach towels to accessories of a more back-to-school nature. Here is the hottest tech out right now to 

get you back into the educational mood.

 

Add a little pizazz to your next presentation by importing action cam footage. All the rage these days, these amazing pint-sized devices can get expensive, especially on a limited budget. SJCAM has a whole range of cameras that are a great alternative to the GoPro lineup. As an example, the SJ4000 has a 12-megapixel rating, records in high-definition 1080p with a built-in time-lapse function, and supports remote WiFi operation via a companion smartphone app. As a bonus, consumers will find several accessories thrown in at no extra cost like a waterproof case and various mounts, which competitors often sell separately. 

 

 

Anyone that owns a more recently released MacBook knows this pain – conventional input ports have been deleted and all replaced by USB-C. While the latter is admittedly faster, more efficient and the way of the future, the problem is, in the interim most devices are still running legacy components and as such incompatible. Enter the OWC USB-C Dock. 

 

This handsome, compact piece of hardware boasts an incredible 10 ports: five USB (two high-power, two standard Type-A and one Type-C), one Gigabyte Ethernet, HDMI, one SD Card and one combo audio port for headphones or microphones. Finally, a USB-C port connects the dock to the host machine. An 80-watt charger supplies juice to whatever is plugged in, including a dedicated 60 watts to keep laptop batteries topped up. Just like the MacBooks, the dock is available in space gray, gold, rose gold or silver.

 

 

Laptops have long provided an on-the-go computing solution for students and workers alike. One drawback, however, has been the lack of a separate numerical pad as found on some full-size desktop keyboards. Illinois’ NewerTech has designed an elegant and inexpensive solution in its wireless keypad. This svelte peripheral is made out of aluminum and features either white or black keys to match your existing gear. Powered by two AAA batteries, it connects via Bluetooth using just a few clicks, and the pairing process is the same as hooking up a wireless mouse or speaker. If you’re using a modern external Apple keyboard, the box includes a bracket to attach the NewerTech pad.

 

 

In this data-driven age, one can never have too much digital storage. Technology has finally gotten to the point where people no longer have to carry around big chunky portable hard drives to store and retrieve files. Other World Computing (OWC), a US-based company founded in 1988 manufacturing parts and accessories for Apple products, has launched a pocket-sized USB storage solution: the Envoy Pro mini. 

 

Unlike standard smaller, slower thumb drives, this lightning-quick SSD unit is capable of transferring at speeds up to 427 MB per second – nearly twice as fast as normal, making it ideal for accessing large audio and video projects, installing software onto or even booting an operating system from. Finished in metallic silver and matching Mac computers perfectly (also compatible with PC), it comes in a choice of 120 or 240 GB capacity.

 

 

Mouse devices are indispensable pieces of computer equipment, but they’re usually clunky and not overly pleasing to the eye. Microsoft, however, bucks the trend with the all black, ultra thin Designer Bluetooth Mouse. Utilizing BlueTrack technology combining the best of optical and laser tracking, the result is smooth and accurate cursor movement on virtually any surface. The ambidextrous Designer accommodates all users, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity means no awkward dongles or wires to plug in.