Serious and silly student gadgets

As the spring semester begins, students are busy adjusting to new schedules and preparing for another 15 weeks of higher learning.

Luckily, technologyoffers our generation a variety of ways to make student life more manageable.Ranging from the practical to the novel, The Oracle plugs into the latest must-have gadgets for today’s student on the go.

Gear for serious students:

Smartphone charger case -$40-$80

Those stranded in classes all day no longer have to fear a dwindling phone battery. External battery cases such as the Juice Pack Air allow for extended battery life built into a sleek case.

Make your smartphone case multifunctional by investing in one that charges on the go. The price tag is pretty steep, but getting those extra few hours of YouTube time between classes might be worth it.

GadgetTrak-$20

A college campus can be a dangerous place for valuables such assmartphonesandlaptops. Luckily, there’s an app for that.GadgetTrakhelps you locate your lost or stolentechnology using GPS,Wi-Fiand cell tower triangulation to track its location.

Other functions let you wipe or back up data remotely as well as set off alarms on the device. Now if only there was an app that blackmailed the gadget thief into handing over the goods.

Noise-cancelling headphones -$35-$300

Are you one of those people who can’t help but eavesdrop on every conversation withina 10-foot radius? Invest insomething that will keep you focused on the task at hand. Noise-cancelling headphones can do wonders in eliminatingthe chatter that echoesthroughout the halls of campus.

Cnet.comdescribes them as “headphones (that) hushambient noise by creatingantinoisethat obviates the noise at your ear.” In other words, these headphones create a faint, less-distracting noise that keeps your ear from picking up on your neighbor’s juicy gossip. Prices vary based on style, soundquality and comfort.

C-Pen highlighter -$70 – $140

You’ve probably heard of smart pens made to enhance note-taking with a variety of features. The C-Pen highlighter is a somewhat simpler form of electronic writing utensil. This device scans lines of a textbook for easy quoting and cataloging on your computer.

Doodles in the margins of textbooks lower their resell value and clutter your reading space. Easily find that important quotation by scanning notable lines as you read.Though this is a rather priceyhighlighter, students who see lengthy thesis papers in their futures might want toinvest now.

Gear for goofballs:

Study Ball -$115

Some of us need a little help when it comes to beingdisciplined studiers. This device will ensure we stay true to our goals. The Study Ball locks around a student’s ankle and does not release until apreprogrammed time expires on the device.

With a 20-pound weight around your ankle, chances are you’ll just stick it out and study rather than drag yourexpensive anklet to thekeggerdown the hall.

Anti-Theft lunch bags -$8

This might be most suitable for the workplace if you have co-workers who like to prey on unsuspecting lunch bags in thebreakroomfridge.

These bags will definitely make thieves think twice, with fake mold spots meant to gross out even the most desperate of offenders.

Quirky alarm clocks -$10 – $50

Gadget makers know thatstudents love sleep. This has opened up a market for all sorts of unique alarm clocks. Those looking to save power can buy a clock that runs on water or any other electrolytic liquid, such as beer or coffee. Students who too frequently hit the snoozebutton will surely be awakened by the time they catch theirTocky- the alarm clock that rolls away from you when it goes off. Prices vary with features such asMP3 capability.

For those who can’t even be convinced to chase their clock, check out the alarm clock that shocks you when you go to turn it off. You’ll have aninteresting decision: slowly get up to the chime of your clock or risk slight electrocution.