Last-Minute Shopping Ideas for Students

Now that you've crossed off all those essential school supplies from your list, it's time to think about the small but necessary add-ons you'll need for school. I'm talking about lap desks, portable hard drives, wireless mice, and all those other USB must-haves. If you're looking for one-of-a-kind gizmos, check out the list below, and feel free to enter your own recommendations in the comments section.

Iomega Red eGo Hard Drive
Since you have to carry everything around campus, the smaller your external hard drive is, the better. Iomega's Red eGo holds thousands of files, music, and photos you don't want to keep on your computer. Don't be mislead by its stylish and compact design either, because not only is it completely affordable, it's also a tough little hard drive.

Logitech Alto Cordless
Using a laptop for long stretches at a time is not good for your posture. Chris reviewed the Logitech Alto Cordless recently, saying it is better than the old one. This collapsible system raises up your screen and provides you with a stand-alone keyboard for a more ergonomic working station. It's really something you don't think about until your neck starts hurting.

Kensington Wireless Mouse
Packing a wireless mouse along with your laptop is a must if you spend a lot of time surfing the Web. I recently reviewed Kensington's Ci Lifestyle collection and liked their plug-and-play ability, stylish designs, and price. The Ci75m notebook mouse can be used as a wired or wireless mouse, and is perfect for lefties or righties.

USB Must-Haves
There's no doubt you'll need a USB drive, but how do you set yourself apart from all the other flash drive carriers? Mimoco always has the best looking flash drives, so make sure you check out their new their latest collection. The modern LaCie Huby looks great even if you're not using it, and features a fan, a light, four USB ports and two FireWire ports.

Smart Furniture
Pottery Barn now has an entire geek chic section of smart furniture that's both iPod friendly, and perfect for your dorm room. Granted, almost all their furniture has ugly speakers embedded, but it's worth noting the practical charging stations and lap desks you'll need to keep your gadgets running smoothly.

Need more shopping ideas? Don't forget to pick up September's Family Circle issue for more Yahoo! Tech picks from Dory Devlin, Becky Worley, and Gina Hughes. You can also click on the links below to see the online version.

Dory Devlin's Picks for Tweens
Gina Hughes' Picks for Teens
Becky Worley's Picks for College Students