50 Under $50: Back to School (College)

College

Folding Keyboard

As individuals who haven't gotten past our college-era dependency on our laptops, we spend our day typing with our hands smooshed together. However, if we had this full-size, roll-and-go plastic keyboard to plug into our computers while we were cramming for finals, our carpal tunnel would certainly have been deterred (by at least two or three years, we'd bet).

Price: $24.99

Writeroom

With Facebook, e-mail, texts and countless other twittering things competing for your attention, simply sitting down to write is increasingly difficult. WriteRoom takes over your entire screen, and presents you with a simple blinking cursor. We've all wasted hours formatting and re-bolding section headers, so WriteRoom banishes these time wasters for a minimalist experience that focuses solely on your writing.

Price: Mac: 29.99 and iPhone: $5.99

Things app

As nerds, we constantly cycle through task-management apps in search of the perfect to-do list, and we keep returning to Cultured Code's Things (for Mac, iPad and iPhone). With its Getting Things Done-friendly setup, Things organizes your classes, work and life around projects and actions, and offers an entry window for quickly dumping your mind and tasks into the app from anywhere on your computer. The Things mobile apps are just as gorgeously designed, and will sync tasks over your wireless network.

Price: $49.95 Mac / $19.99 iPad / $9.99 iPhone/iPod touch

Pogo Sketch

Sure, you could use a sausage as a stylus on your touchscreen, but we recommend foregoing the questionable meat product for the aluminum alloy Pogo Sketch. The stylus, available in neon colors and gray, comes with a pocket clip and lets you type and draw without having to use your security-compromising greasy paws.

Price: $14.95

Switcheasy ThumbTacks Microphone for iPod Nano 4G, Touch 2G, and iPad (Red)

Clever design meets stylish practicality in this unassuming, thumbtack-shaped microphone. Simply plug it into the headphone jack of an iPod, iPhone or iPad, and recording classes becomes a breeze.

Price: $12.96

iPod 5G Tunetalk Stereo Black

Maybe it's the journalist in us talking, but this little iPod peripheral (works on 'Pods and Nanos) is great for recording lectures and study sessions. However, if you know a J-school attendee, they'll be using this to get quotes for years to come. We can't endorse enough.

Price: $45.67

Nava One Year of White Pages

This collection of 12 black notebooks is an elegant gift for any writer, artist, or obsessive note-taker. Hole punches delineate each notebook's assigned month, making the package an exquisite exercise in well-designed utility.

Price: $42

Load-Ding Device Organizer

College ain't what it used to be, with laptop cables and external hard drives and USBs, iPod and cell phone chargers galore. Make a student's life easier with this nice little cradle, which holds whatever gadget needs juicing, in an easy, drop-and-go style.

Price: $15

Evernote

Drop the pen and paper, and move your brain to the cloud with Evernote. The app, available for Windows, Mac OS X, iPad and all major mobile operating systems, serves much like a second brain. Evernote lets you dump your notes, photos, PDFs, music, images and more into a giant searchable, cloud-accessible database that syncs across all your computers and devices.

Price: Free / Premium: $5 per month of $45 per year

Instapaper Pro

If we were forced to choose just one mobile app, Marco Arment's wonderful Instapaper app would be our choice. Quickly install the bookmarklet in your browser's toolbar, and click it whenever you find an article you want to read outside of your Web browser. The article, gorgeously reformatted in crisp text and stripped of distractions, will automatically sync with the Instapaper app on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, letting you read on the go without having to lug around your laptop.

Price: $4.99

AromaUSB

While a scent-emitting USB peripheral sounds like something we'd ordinarily mock, there are two things we'd like to point out. Firstly, college dorms smell. Second, those oil diffusers cost a hefty amount, and this can be reused with any essential oil on the market, keeping your dorm delicious (and safe from an incense fire).

Price: $25.99

MI-O Cellphone Cradle

For the guy or gal always losing their cell phone, the MI-O is a cheap and adorable way to store a device, wrap up the loose cords, and always know where to find your iPod, phone or MP3 player.

Price: $4

Bluelounge Cablebox

Dorm living is neither spacious or particularly clean, and the huge growth in necessary college gadgets all but guarantees cable clutter. Bluelounge's clean white Cablebox collects all your power chargers, and even fits most power strips. Throw your computer, printer, phone and TV cables in here, stuff it under your desk and save yourself the pain of tripping over wires.

Price: $34.99

Lexon Mazz Gunmetal Clock

Waking up is stylish and streamlined with this LCD travel clock. It houses all the standard features of an alarm clock – time, alarm, day and temperature –- in an attractively austere package.

Price: $35

Soft Hub USB

USB hubs are not new or unusual, but this spunky shape holds three USB 2.0 ports, and is a pleasing addition to any desktop.

Price: $25

Portable Electronics Charging Station

Having to charge a gang of electronic devices can be a cluttered ordeal. This charging station, which includes a built-in power strip, cleanly houses up to three devices in fabric-lined nooks. The station also has a drawer for storing power chords, keys, and other small items.

Price: $29.99

This Little Light of Mine

Even if you've gone all out and bought an e-reader, you're still going to be stuck in need of a light for late-night studying. The 'This Little Light of Mine' rechargeable booklight packs six LED lights, can clip to books and e-readers, and recharges via a handy USB power base.

Price: $26

Nylon Laptop Case

Laptop sleeves are a tricky purchase. If they are too bulky, they don't fit in bags, but, if their cover is too thin, it won't provide any protection. This nylon zipper sleeve looks cool, and is also snug enough to protect the gadget that dictates your every move.

Price: $20

Kill-A-Watt

We can't recommend this for one specific age, as it could be used to instill smart energy consumption in kids or to help a college student grasp that electricity isn't a magical commodity that seeps through the air. The Kill-A-Watt is just a great product. Thought it only has one plug, the digital read out monitors how much an appliance is sucking down, and how much it'll cost you.

Price: $24.99

iHome Portable Multimedia Speakers

While these subs won't get anyone woofing, the compact and travel-ready speakers can collapse and go. However, they'll keep battery costs down because they recharge, meaning dorm dance parties are possible (but will only last as long as the lithium ion charge). Phew.

Price: $49.99