School is back in and what better way to nail your semester jitters down than to indulge in a bit of retail therapy? But fear not, I promise you this won’t be any pointless spending and will actually benefit you in at least a few ways. Check out these tech products we’ve ranked to help you make a choice in what gadgets you’d like to spend on to help you out during the upcoming school year.
#1: Laptop
Thin is in with the Surface Laptop from Microsoft. With its 13.5-inch touchscreen display, up to 14 ½ hour battery, and powered by a beefy Intel Core i7 processor, the Surface is a beast.  This Windows 10 S PC also includes a year of Office 365, with 1 terabyte of cloud storage. Of course if you’re an Apple guy, the new MacBook Pro would be a great pick – and students get a free pair of Beats headphones, too.
#2: Tablet
The new Samsung Tab S3Â is a stunning 9.7-inch Android tablet you can use with its magnetic keyboard built into a protective case, your fingertips, or voice. For fun, the Super AMOLED display supports 4K video and HDR (or high-dynamic range), quad speakers with immersive sound, and access to more than 2 million apps at the Google Play store. The Galaxy Tab S3 is also the first tablet to support fast charging.
#3: Smartphone
Moto is back with its second-generation Moto Z Play – called the Moto Z2 Play — a thinner, lighter, faster smartphone that supports Moto Mods – a collection of clever accessories including a projector, stereo speaker, high-end camera, and more.  Along with the sharp 5.5-inch Full HD display, the all-metal Moto Z2 Play also packs the first camera that combines laser and dual autofocus pixels.
#4: Smartwatch
Ideal for busy students, a smartwatch captures activity data and gives you glanceable information on your wrist without you having to reach for your phone. Michael Kors Access Watches include models with digital touchscreens – so you can customize the watch faces, get directions, and see who’s calling, texting, or emailing.  Powered by the Android Wear platform, these stylish yet smart watches work with both Android devices and iPhone.
#5: All-in-One Printer
Stop me if this sounds familiar: You’ve got a major paper due in the morning and so you try to print it — only to discover your ink has run dry. You don’t have a spare cartridge and, oh, it’s 11:30pm. This scenario might be a thing of the past with the new Epson’s ET-2550 EcoTank All-in-One Printer as it lets you print for up to two years before you need to refill the ink tanks (and at just $17 a bottle, per colour).
#6: Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Whether you want to block out ambient noise in a library or your dorm mate’s snoring, when you’re trying to study, the Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Wireless is a pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones that sound great, are super comfortable and costs significantly less than Bose’s QuietComfort 35. It works well as a headset if a call comes in and has good battery life.
#7: Wireless Speaker
Listening to music through laptop speakers in a dorm room just isn’t gonna cut it. Instead, consider picking up the small but powerful Sony XB40 Portable Wireless Speaker – and the XB stands for extra bass. Dual passive radiators work together with two full-range speakers to enhance low-end response for balanced and rich sound —and giving bass a boost despite the compact size. Big sound…not just loud but can fill a space up with room-filling sound.
#8: Backup Battery Pack
Not all backup battery boosters are created equal. From Mophie, the new Powerstation USB-C XXL not only charges up smartphones, tablets, bluetooth headphones, and smart watches, but they can also power up laptops, including the latest Windows notebooks and MacBooks with USB-C or USB-A connectors. As the name suggests, the powerstation USB-C XXL is a high-capacity universal battery with enough power to charge up all your gear, thanks to its 19,500 milliamp charge.
#9: USB Stick
As many college students can attest to, you cant always count on the Wi-Fi on campus, and so while cloud backup is still ideal, it’s highly recommended to back up your school work on a regular basis. The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C is a high-speed USB 3.1 drive that’s versatile because not only can you plug it into a regular USB port but it also has a reversible USB Type-C connector so you can quickly and easily transfer files between smartphones, tablets and computers. Plus the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C is the perfect liaison between your new USB Type-C device and your devices with traditional USB ports.
#10: Something Fun! (An All-in-One Breakfast Machine)
Have a small space but a big appetite? The Maxi-Matic EBK-200 Elite Cuisine Station is an ideal dorm room accessory – especially for starting your school day off right with breakfast — as it’s a 3-in-1 toaster oven, coffee maker and griddle. That’s right – despite its small footprint of only 27 x 27 x 43 centimetres, this white multitasking gadget features a 4-cup coffee maker, single-slice toaster oven, and 6-inch griddle for fried eggs, sausage or bacon.
08:31
