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GET TECHNICAL: Gadgets save students money

There are many practical, yet reasonably priced, USB gadgets for the budget-conscious student.

USB Lunch Box Warmer Bag

For commuters who spend a lot of time on campus and happen to bring their lunch, the USB Lunch Box Warmer Bag is quite handy. The warmer bag heats up to about 50 or 60 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the model, when plugged into the USB port on a computer. Two warming pads located inside the casing heat the lunch box, which is useful if no microwave is readily available. Both models are available at www.gadget4all.com for $29, one of which comes with an optional 12V car cable.

Hubman USB Port

The Hubman is a little guy with appendages ‘- four USB 2.0 Hi-Speed ports. It’s both cute and functional at the same time, perfect for those who have plenty of other things to hook up to their computer. The Hubman USB Port can be found at www.uncommongoods.com for $29.

Kensington Portable Power Pack

The Kensington Portable Power Pack for Mobile Devices allows anyone to charge MP3 players, cell phones, PDAs or other mobile devices that use a USB charging cable.

The pack adds 55 hours of extra MP3 playtime and up to five hours of mobile or smart phone talk time, and is chargeable by laptop computer or wall adapter.’

An LED battery gauge displays the remaining power in the device. The Kensington Portable Power Pack can be purchased online at www.kensington.com for $59.99, but can be purchased for $53.18 on Amazon.com.

SanDisk Cruzer Titanium

While USB flash drives are common, this one is particularly useful, especially if its users are rough with their belongings or accident-prone. The Cruzer is made of titanium, which is crush-proof up to 2,000 pounds, and can be found at www.sandisk.com.

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