Stored media player
You no doubt have hard drives filled with media of various sorts -- music, movies, photos -- but you don't always want to access them through your computer. It's nice to be able to watch your videos on a real TV or listen to your music through a decent stereo without running wires or dragging your laptop over to where the entertainment system is.
That's the purpose of the Seagate GoFlex TV HD media player ($129.99). It attaches to your TV and stereo (it works with an HDMI cable, as well as composite and component video) and lets you play anything on a USB storage device, controlling it with a remote through menus on the TV. Options include media on a hard drive, photos on a digital camera or video on a camcorder.
The TV HD is part of Seagate's newish GoFlex line of storage devices and has a built-in slot for one of the line's ultraportable drives. You can also add a Wi-Fi adapter ($49.99) that enables you to stream media from your computer or the Internet. With the adapter, for example, you can watch YouTube or Netflix videos on your TV.
On-the-go hot spot
Just a few years ago, finding a Wi-Fi signal could be a challenge, and there was a strong market for devices that could point you to one. Now, though, Wi-Fi hot spots are everywhere, especially on campus, and Wi-Fi finders are commodity trinkets -- you can get them for under $10 with built-in flashlights (tip: the flashlight won't help you find the Wi-Fi signal), on keychains or in bulk imprinted with your school's mascot or logo of your choice.
But when you find yourself out of hot-spot range and need Internet access -- maybe you live off campus or are on a road trip -- what do you do? If you have a mobile phone with a 3G data plan, you can bring a mobile hot spot with you. What's more, you can share it with your friends.
Verizon and Virgin Mobile both offer the Novatel MiFi 2200 -- it's $149.99 from Virgin with a pay-as-you-go Broadband2Go plan ($20 to $60 per month), and as low as $19.99 from Verizon with the current online discount and a two-year contract for MiFi ($40 to $60 per month). This palm-size gadget lets you connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices at the same time; they'll access the Internet at 3G speeds within a range of up to 30 feet.
Sprint offers the similar Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless, which, as the name suggests, can work with the carrier's 4G network where available. The Overdrive supports up to five Wi-Fi devices within a range of up to 150 feet. It's pricier, though, starting at $99.99 with the current online discount and two-year contract.
On the other hand, if you already have a cellular modem for your laptop (either ExpressCard or USB) plus a data plan, you can share that signal by plugging it into a Cradlepoint PHS300 Personal WiFi Hotspot ($179.99) or CTR500 Mobile Broadband Travel Router ($199.99). The former is battery-operated but works only with USB modems; the latter also accepts ExpressCard modems but requires an external power source. Both can be used with a wall or car adapter and support up to 16 simultaneous users within a range of up to 150 feet.
All of these products include password protection with WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption and are compatible with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi devices.
Flash drives with labels
You wouldn't think there'd be much to differentiate one USB flash drive from another these days -- and for the most part, you'd be right. But a couple of companies have come up with a head-slappingly obvious innovation: labels on the drives that you can write on. Whether you label them "school" and "home" or "English" and "history," it's handy to have a way to identify a drive's contents without having to plug it in.
HP's Write Label drives ($14.99 each) hold 4GB and come in blue, red or plum. They're available only at Staples, so if there's a store near you, you're in luck. You can also order them online, but shipping will add another 50% to the price -- that's a lot to pay for a label.
PNY also makes a label-toting flash drive, the Label Attaché. It comes in 2GB and 4GB versions with red, blue, gray or purple labels. These are available at several popular mail-order electronics stores and online discount shopping outlets -- just use your favorite shopping search engine to find the best deal. Prices with tax and shipping vary, but you should be able to pick up a 4GB model for about $15 total.