BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE 2015

FOR ALL THE BEST GADGETS AND GEAR

By Dave Gershgorn

Laptops

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DELL XPS 13

At only 2.6 lbs, the Dell XPS 13 is one of the lightest laptops you can buy—but that doesn’t mean you sacrifice power. You can outfit the laptop with all the regular fixings: an i5 Intel processor, solid-state drive, and enough RAM to make the ghost of a Commodore 64 cry. In a world of strange 2-in-1 touch laptops and redesigned hinges, what you’re really looking for is a sturdy PC that does the job, and the XPS 13 delivers.
Dell.com ($799)

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LENOVO X1 CARBON

Lenovo is known for it’s no-nonsense business machines, and that’s exactly what the X1 Carbon embodies. It’s light, has an integrated touchscreen that works well with pre-installed Windows 10, and is shipped with up to an i7 processor. The X1 Carbon is customizable, too. If you want to go all-out with an i7, 1440p display and 512GB solid-state drive, Lenovo is there.
Lenovo.com ($1,142)

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CHROMEBOOK PIXEL

At first, Chromebooks were too weak to replace high-end laptops. Now, Google is making its own ultra-powerful PC that breezes through any task. The Chromebook Pixel ships with a 2560x1700 display and starting at 8 GB of RAM. It has two of the latest USB-C ports and an SD card slot, for charging and data transfer (the new Macbook only has one USB-C port in total). The slimmed-down, Chrome operating system was built specifically to support heavy use of Gmail, Google Drive, and web applications, and Google is giving Pixel owners 1TB of free cloud storage for three years.
Store.google.com ($999)

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MACBOOK PRO, 13-INCH

While the new Macbook is the latest from Apple, it’s missing USB 3.0 ports, as well as a dedicated charging port, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader, all key features that would make it ideal for students. The newly-updated Macbook Pro actually has all of these, and even the base model comes loaded up with 8 GB of RAM, a solid-state drive, and a 2.7 Ghz Intel i5 processor. They’re also equipped with the new Force Touch trackpad, for even more control of your Mac.
Apple.com ($1,299)

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RASPBERRY PI 2

College can get messy. Thankfully, the Raspberry Pi 2 is an inexpensive, $35 computer capable of running Linux or Android. The credit-card sized computer comes with everything a traditional PC comes with—processor, motherboard, USB inputs, HDMI output, 900 MHz processor, 1GB of RAM—and it can be used to quick hacks. Our favorite projects include a Plex media center, mirror display, or just learning to code!
RaspberryPi.org ($35)

Tablets And E-Readers

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GOOGLE NEXUS 9

This 9-inch tablet is perfect for taking notes on the go, working over a Google Hangout, or watching Netflix at home. It’s the first tablet to be powered by a 64-bit version of the Nvidia Tegra K1 system, consisting of a 2.3 GHz Denver CPU and Kepler DX1 GPU, which means you won’t see lag while playing games or running apps side-by-side. It also makes for a great Netflix-binging machine.
Store.google.com ($399)

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KINDLE PAPERWHITE

The Kindle Paperwhite is the highest resolution e-reader, with a 1448 x 1072 display, and it also has some of the lowest power consumption, thanks to its E-ink display. The Paperwhite can last up to 8 weeks on a single charge, it gives unlimited cloud storage for Amazon e-books, and is integrated with Goodreads to give information on the book you’re reading.
Amazon.com ($119)

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DELL VENUE 8 7000

The world's thinnest tablet also happens to pack a mean punch. Dell loaded the 8.4-inch Venue 8 with Android Lollipop, a 2560x1600 OLED display and big, front-facing speakers—and it’s just 6mm thick. The Venue 8’s anodized aluminum casing makes it sleek and professional, bringing a breath of fresh air to the Android tablet lineup.
Dell.com ($349)

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SURFACE PRO 3

Tablet or laptop? It doesn’t really matter. The Surface Pro 3 toes the line between laptop and tablet, with both portability and power. While a little pricey, the Surface Pro 3 gives a true desktop experience on the go. You can customize your Surface with up to an i7 processor and 8GB of RAM, meaning you can compete against almost any high-powered laptop on the market. And it even comes preinstalled with Windows 10, which makes using the Surface a dream.
Microsoftstore.com ($899)

Headphones

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BOWERS & WILKINS P5 WIRELESS

Bowers & Wilkins is known for its impeccable home audio systems—they’ve taken that expertise and channeled it into a line of wireless headphones. Professional enough to wear to a business class, durable enough for the gym afterwards, and outfitted with a 17-hour battery to last all day. With less that 0.4% distortion, you’ll know that you’re hearing the music the way it was meant to be heard.
Bowers-wilkins.com ($399)

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SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 2.0

Complete with active noise cancellation, these closed-back, wireless headphones are just as perfect for studying in the library as they are for drowning out your neighbor’s party. They have a 22-hour battery life, and can be used with or without a wire. Compared to other popular headphones at the same price (like the Beats Studio Wireless) you get more listening time, better sound, and a sturdier metal design.
Sennheiser.com ($399)

Cameras

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SONY RX100 IV

The camera doesn’t make the photographer—but it helps. And with the Sony RX100 IV’s 20.1 megapixel, 1-inch sensor, you’re getting a lot of help. The camera also shoots 4K video, and slow motion up to 960 fps. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can download your shots to your phone, and share on social media on the go. The RX100 IV’s lens is an equivalent 24-70mm, a favorite mid-range zoom length of many professional photographers.
Amazon.com ($948)

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GOPRO HERO 4

Professional athletes and videographers use the GoPro because it’s the best camera for the price—and so should you. The palm-sized action camera shoots in 4K, and slow motion at at 240 fps in 720p. Its waterproof housing and slew of mounting options make it a great choice for recording any kind of extreme activity—even it is just a bike around campus.
GoPro.com ($499)

Wireless Speakers

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KOSS BTS1

The Koss BTX1 is slim enough to fit in your backpack or jacket pocket yet powerful enough to blast serious bass while you're listening to the latest tracks. It has 5 hours of battery life to make sure you have tunes wherever you go. The BTS1 also has both input and output ports, so you can hook it up to another speaker and make them work together.
Koss.com ($59)

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UE ROLL

The Ultimate Ears Roll has a 9-hour battery life and is waterproof—meaning you don’t have worry about spills or even submersions. The UE app also lets you control two Rolls at the same time for stereo sound, or use the Roll as an alarm clock in the morning.
Ultimateears.com ($99)

Fitness

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FITBIT CHARGE

Freshman year (and life after) can be stressful, but simple exercise is always important. In a study earlier this year, scientists at University of Cambridge found that 20 minutes of walking a day reduced the risk of premature death by up to 30 percent. The Fitbit Charge will help you keep track (plus, it monitors sleep!).
Fitbit.com ($129)

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SKULPT AIM

The Skulpt Aim uses electrical impedance myography to tell you muscle quality on your biceps, triceps, abs and quads. Use it before and after workouts to track your exact progress, and track fat percentage along the way. If you’re taking this school year to focus on getting stronger, the Skulpt Aim is a must-have.
Skulpt.me ($149)

Dorm "AI"

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AMAZON ECHO

Alexa, Amazon’s virtual personal assistant, will tell you the news, upcoming weather, and play your music as you get ready to trek out to early morning classes. The Echo doubles as an alarm clock, wireless speaker, and resident dorm room mother.
Amazon.com ($179)

Televisions/ Displays

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SAMSUNG SUHD TV

If you’re building the ultimate dorm room, you need the ultimate television. Right now, that’s the Samsung SUHD TV. The new 4K TV line is one of the first to use nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots. When paired with blue light-emitting diode (LED) backlights, nanocrystals offer sharper contrasts, more accurate color, and brighter images than conventional LCDs. And because blue LEDs are cheap to make, nanocrystal TVs are markedly less expensive than organic LED (OLED) TVs--their main competitors in the 4K market.
Samsung.com (From $1,999)

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ZTE SPRO 2

Whether you’re working on a presentation with classmates, or watching movies with friends, the ZTE Spro 2 is your display on the go. It’s a pocket-sized projector, that pulls double-duty as a wireless hotspot. The Spro 2 projects 120-inch HD images at 200 lumens, and runs Android 4.4 Kit Kat, so you can stream video or play Powerpoints straight from the projector. It also has a MicroSD slot for expanded storage, an HDMI port, and a 5-inch touchscreen display for easy navigation.
ZTEusa.com ($599)

Phones

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MOTO X (2ND GENERATION)

Motorola’s newest flagship phone, the Moto X, is not only fast, but insanely customizable—match real wood panelling on the exterior to anodized accent marks, while running a 2.5 GHz Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM inside. The Moto X has a 5.2” screen with 1080p resolution, and a 13 megapixel camera capable of 4K video. Motorola is undercutting its competitors in price, too—an unlocked Moto X is just $299, without a contract.
Motorola.com ($299)

Streaming Boxes

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ROKU 3

If you don’t want to set up your own media server with the Raspberry Pi 2, then let Roku do it for you. It has a huge catalogue of more than 2,000 channels like HBO Go and PBS, as well as Plex streaming support, so the Roku is just as flexible in playing movies from your computer as it is from Netflix. The Roku 3 has added voice support, and you can listen to your movies or shows with headphones plugged into the remote—so you can finish binging Game of Thrones while your roommate sleeps.
Roku.com ($99)

Bikes

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PRIORITY BICYCLES

Choosing a bike to zip around campus can be confusing—Priority Bikes makes it easy. Their refined, yet casual design, the Classic, is a great 3-speed bicycle for riding to class or taking for a spin on the weekend. Get there on time, and keep off the Freshman 15 (or the Junior 30).
Prioritybicycles.com ($429)

Internet Accessories

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HOOTOO TRIPMATE

This pocket-sized device will charge your smartphone almost three times, act as a personal cloud and wireless router. It’s the perfect mobile device for any internet junkie. The TripMate Elite is equipped with a 6000 mAh battery, ethernet port, and dual USB ports to charge your devices or attach mobile storage.
Amazon.com ($29)

Drones

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DJI STANDARD

Win your school’s film festival with wide, sweeping shots only attainable by drone using DJI’s newest, consumer-facing Phantom 3 Standard. It flies for 25 minutes at a time, shoots 2.7K video, and has a 1 kilometer range. DJI is updating the drone soon with new flight patterns, so the Phantom 3 Standard will be able to follow you around, circle an object, and fly through user-set waypoints. (It wouldn’t be Popular Science if we didn’t talk about a drone, right?)
Dji.com ($799)