7 must-have back-to-school tech products for college students

Ah, college. A time for co-ed dorms, tailgate parties and — oh right, studying. But who says campus life can’t include work and play.    

This fall, the two will join forces, thanks to a slew of fun and innovative products on the market.   

Forget the highlighters and spiral notebooks. The best back-to-school gear available this September will be high tech: from alarms that shake you awake, to earplugs that silence chatty roommates, to a gorgeous dual-lens smartphone that unlocks in just .4 seconds.    

Get dialed in on the best supplies to make school a cinch. Here are the 7 must-have tech products to help students study hard (and have a little fun) all semester long.  

A beautiful smartphone to capture every moment 

Stay in touch while living away from home with the new Honor 8, a stunning smartphone with a well-crafted exterior that is matched only by its stellar interior technology. Diamond-cut smooth edges and a 2.5D glass-made body gives the phone a sleek, modern vibe, while superb battery life means there will always be enough juice in the phone — even if you have to pull an all-nighter. Dual-lenses help capture crisp photos in low light and a “perfect selfie” mode means you’ll always put your best face forward.  

Launching next week on http://www.hihonor.com/uk/.

Earplugs that block out the world 

When you have roommates who keep weird hours, a device that dulls the noise is absolutely necessary. Using Hush noise canceling earplugs is like putting a sound machine directly into your brain. The discrete plugs sync to your smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing you to program which soothing tones will lull you to sleep, like the rushing of water or the chatter of the forest. When it’s time for class, you can schedule a wakeup that only you will hear. Sounds good, right? 

  

An alarm that shakes you awake 

For those who need a literal jolt to get out of bed in the morning (and we’re not talking about caffeine) there’s the SmartShaker by iLuv. The palm-sized disc syncs to your phone, then gets tucked under your pillow while you sleep. When your alarm goes off, it shakes and vibrates beneath you, giving you that much-needed boost to get going.

A go-anywhere movie projector 

Get ready to have the coolest room in the dorm. This plug and play Pocket Projector will display a screen of 50” inches on just about any flat surface and can easily hook up to your smartphone, tablet, laptop and more via an HDMI cable. And with built-in speakers and two hours of playback time, movie night is a must. Pass the popcorn. 

A soothing start to your day 

College can be tough on your sleep cycle, what with all those late cram sessions and restless nights worrying about exams. Put stress in its place with this calming Wakeup Light, a bedside lamp meets alarm clock that mimics the warm and soothing tones of the sunrise. Natural light can help to reset the body’s own internal clock and get your circadian rhythm back in sync, helping with everything from irritability to depression. There’s also an FM radio and a menu of natural sounds to help ease you into the day. At night, use the lamp to unwind while reading in bed.  

Note taking gets a serious upgrade 

The pencil is dead. Long live the Neo smartpen N2. This cool little gadget will bring your notes to the next level. Compatible with both Neo notebooks and the iOS or Android Notes app, the pen allows you to capture digital copies of everything you write using the pen. The best part? Once you convert your handwriting to text, all your notes become searchable.

Never lose anything again 

This innovative, 1.5 square inch device will change the way you interact with the world.Tile can be attached to anything you own, from your keys to your backpack to your bike. It uses Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone via an app and shows you where you are in relation to your missing stuff. A tiny speaker inside the fob can be activated from the app and you can even log in from a friend’s phone while on the hunt. Lose your phone somewhere in your room? Double click the square and your phone will ring — even if it’s on silent.  

HONOR