Here are some recommendations for tools that might make going off to college, high school or any educational experience, more productive and fun.

Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive – $9.75 for 2GB

This tough little USB flash drive made our Father’s Day gift guide too. I like it that much. I personally tried to destroy one of these for a review that ran earlier this year. The drive takes a beating and holds your files intact. This rugged drive will help you back up or transfer papers (or other content) safely. The drive starts at under $10, and a large 16GB drive only costs about $40 direct from Verbatim.

iTunes or Amazon Gift Cards

You might think I’m just getting lazy with this pick. Gift cards? Really?

Yes! Gift cards supply both future and present needs. Your college student can get that useful note taking iPad app for class or some music or videos for entertainment. If you look at a local Sam’s Club you will often find iTunes Gift Cards for a few bucks less than the face value. For example, I recently bought four $25 gift cards in a single pack for only $96. You can get iTunes Gift Cards on discount at Sam’s Club or almost anywhere you buy electronics.

Amazon sells everything, and students get free access to Amazon Prime which provides free shipping or low-cost next day shipping. They can save some money using Amazon compared to getting books at the campus store. You can buy Amazon gift cards in any amount from their site.

ZooGue Binder Pad iPad 2 Case – $29.99

If your student will be carrying an iPad 2 to class, the ZooGue BinderPad iPad 2 Case can help them store it in their big three-ring binder notebook for just $30. I’ve tested it out and can assure you that it protects your iPad 2 well while in a three-ring binder. The case doesn’t add much weight to the iPad. It has three holes for the binder and you slide the iPad 2 into the top of the case. A flap with velcro holds the iPad in place. ZooGue makes it from a rugged polyester material. In the past I’ve been impressed with their iPad cases.

YooBao Slim Leather Snap On Case – $29.99

Speaking of cases, the makers of my favorite iPad 2 case have a snap-on iPhone 4 case made with the same nice leather used in that iPad 2 case. The iPhone case has a nice grip and protects your iPhone without adding much bulk or weight. The YooBao Slim Leather Snap On Case is inexpensive and looks nice too. The high-grade leather comes in three colors – white, brown and black.

Booqpad iPad 2 Case and Notepad – $49.99

Booq makes great laptop and tablet cases, but one favorite is the Bookpad iPad 2 case. It protects your iPad while adding a notepad that you can use for your note taking in class. When finished marking up a sheet of paper on the tablet side, just take the iPad out of the case and shoot an image to “scan” it into your favorite note app like Note Taker HD or Evernote. Our review linked above recommended this combination for people who take a lot of notes but haven’t become acclimated to digital note taking yet. Students often fit this category since your professors and teachers won’t wait for you to finish. Many people can keep up on a tablet screen, but many, like me, cannot if the speaker talks fast.

Booq offers a number of styles and colors to choose from including a high-end brown leather that costs $99.95 or the basic model for $49.95. We just wish that they would make a hole for the iPad 2 camera to make the capture process of the notes easier.

Also check out their other cases and bags for notebooks and tablets. You won’t be disappointed with a Booq Bag.

Livescribe 2GB Echo Smartpen – $99.95

A couple of our contributors here at Notebooks.com and GottaBeMobile.com swear by this tool. Livescribe pens will do more than just put ink on paper. They record the audio of lectures or meetings. They also record the motion of your pen, which is then transcribed into editable text. On top of that, they also offer storage for your audio. Our own Adam Mills told me, “If I was still in college, I’d definitely be using one for lectures.” With the pen you get a free year of Evernote Premium, which gives you extra storage and transfer space.

The 2GB Echo is one of the lower cost options, although they have higher capacity pens. The pen connects to a computer via Micro-USB to transfer files on and off. The ink is replaceable and the pen writes on special tablets, which you buy from the company.

Our own K.T. Bradford recommends getting the headphones with the pen. She said that they have a mic in them like you get with your smartphone. The mic picks up the sound better than the built-in mic on the pen.

iHome iA17 App-Enhanced Color Changing FM Radio Alarm Clock – $99.99

I’m a big fan of iHome’s products and the new iHome iA17 dock for your iPod Touch or iPhone should be as good as the past products I’ve tested. The radio changes colors based on your chosen settings. The base of the dock is translucent so the colored lighting shines through and will fade between colors as it changes or pulse to the beat of the music. You can turn it off completely.

The base of the dock changes colors with the music

The color feature might just be a fun attention-getting gimmick, but coming from iHome you can be assured that the sound quality will be top-notch for a product in this price range.

The dock fits anywhere in your dorm room, or on a bedroom nightstand, and helps keep you on time for those early morning classes or school days. It adds an FM stereo radio to your iOS device while it is docked, so you can both play your iPod files through the speakers and listen to the radio.

Install an iHome app on your device to get more features like sleeping stats, weather, alarm clock, wake to your favorite iPod tunes and more.

Sony Xperia Play Android Powered Phone – Verizon – $99

Our reviewers at GottaBeMobile see a lot of different Android phones, but for Verizon customers there is one that stands out if you like to play games. The Xperia Play from Sony will help you waste plenty of time. Our own Josh Smith reviewed the phone for our sister site GottaBeMobile and liked it. If you hate using a touch screen to control Madden NFL or your favorite first person shooter, then the Xperia play will satisfy you. Josh said the following:

The Xperia Play is not going to blow your mind with graphics, even if they are pretty good, but it is able to deliver a fun mobile gaming experience. Thanks to the off-screen controls, you can use your whole display for viewing the game — which even touchscreen junkies will appreciate.

Watch his hands on video for more info.

Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1TB USB Hard Drive – $109.99

You can quickly share files with an external hard drive hooked up via USB. I wish everyone would adopt the fast Thunderbolt port on the new Macs, but at present few have other than Apple and some high end accessory makers. USB 3.0 is the next fastest hard drive interface and it works with older USB 2.0 ports as well.

This WD My Passport Essential SE 1TB USB Hard Drive, on sale right now for less than their 750GB model, will store a ton of music, movie, picture and personal files. The size means it won’t take up too much space in your backpack. The drive can be powered via USB on the majority of modern computers.

Microsoft Office Home and Student – $149.99 from Microsoft

Microsoft Office is the de facto office suite for the known world. Sure you can get other cheaper and free alternatives like OpenOffice.org or iWork’s apps on OS X, but Microsoft’s suite doesn’t cost all that much. Since the vast majority of computer users have Office, why put up with the hassle of converting your documents if you don’t have to? The suite has Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote. More expensive versions add Outlook, Access or Publisher.

Office retails for $150, but never pay that much. You can find it online for as little as $100-$120. You might even find it in your college bookstore for as low as $20.

Computer majors might want to consider going with a TechNet subscription which allows downloading of full versions of Office and Windows for just a little more than the retail cost of Office Home and Student.

If you use a Mac, you can get Office for Mac 2011 for the same retail price or cheaper online. Microsoft offers it through TechNet as well. The Mac version is not a clone of the Windows version, but instead incorporates some of the OS X interface to make it more Mac-like. I’ve used the iWork apps like Pages, Keynote and Numbers. I prefer Word by far to Pages because it just has more to offer, while being more compatible in the dual-OS environments you find in most schools and universities. Keynote may be a little better than PowerPoint due to more attractive themes and transitions, but not enough to choose iWork and Pages over Office with Word if you have a lot of Office users around.

SuperTooth Disco Battery Powered Bluetooth Stereo Speakers – $149

I called this set of speakers the “21st century boom box” at GottaBeMobile.com. The SuperTooth Disco has bluetooth connectivity so you can hook them up to your smart phone or laptop to blast those beats. The sound quality beats most mobile speakers we’ve tested, and the long battery life means the music keeps pumping for hours out in the campus quad after classes, or just in your room.

I’ve used the system to show an outdoor movie to a few dozen people in my backyard and to play music at the beach on vacation this summer. They worked great. I also play music in my office with them.

The speaker system comes in a nice carrying case and has an auxiliary line input to connect a non-bluetooth enabled audio device. The speakers cost $149 directly from SuperTooth.

Canon Powershot SD1400IS Point and Shoot Camera – $199.99

Why would we include a camera when so many smart phones have great cameras these days? Not everyone owns one of those great smart phones with a nice camera. A lot of people still have a cheap feature phone or an early smartphone, and many are still locked into a 2-year contract. Also, a dedicated camera is still the best option for taking a lot of snap shots of special events, or when you are traveling. I’ve missed a lot of great moments because my smart phone camera took three or four taps to get started when a pocket camera would have been ready after the push of one button.

I love my Canon SD 1300IS. The only camera I would rather shoot with is my DSLR, or if I could justify it, the Canon SD1400IS. The optics on these inexpensive little cameras are surprisingly good for still shots or bright outdoor photographs. They are simple to use and just work! Many of the product shots I take for my reviews are taken with the older brother of this camera. Below is a sample of a shot my wife took at Ft. Myers Beach, FL this summer of some palm trees early in the morning outside our hotel room.

Muzetto Laptop Case from Waterfield Designs – $259

A traditional gift for a recent college graduate heading off to graduate schools is a high-quality briefcase. While I would appreciate the thought, I’d much rather have a premium laptop case. Based on our experience with Waterfield Designs cases a great option is their Muzetto line of cases that fit anything from a 10″ tablet for $199 up to a 15″ laptop for $259. The vertical orientation bag has a leather flap to cover the computer.

The leather case has colored accents and a nice strap to carry over your shoulder. Inside are compartments for you computer, a phone, sunglasses and more. A computer in a protective sleeve or pouch would fit, giving you double the protection and the versatility of just pulling out the computer and taking it alone down the hall to a friend’s dorm for a study session.

I love Waterfield Designs products and think you will be pleased with one of these bags. You might want to look at the Racer-X if you want to go with a mid-range price. At the lower end is their Sleeve Case for the MacBook Air, which I reviewed and still love.

Slingbox and Mobile Apps – $299 + $29.99

A Slingbox hooks up to your TV and video source, like a cable box or Satellite, and streams the video from those sources to other TVs or the mobile app. This setup rocks for a student going off to college. Have the box connected to your home cable system, or satellite dish, and then you can load the iPad or another mobile app and watch content anywhere your mobile device has Internet access. It also supports watching through an Internet browser on a Mac of PC as well.

I live in North Carolina, grew up in Wisconsin and went to college in Kentucky. Before the days of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket I only watched my beloved Green Bay Packers when the national game of the week featured them. I can afford the NFL Sunday Ticket, but a lot of college kids never could. And even if they could they would not be able to instal it in most dorm rooms because you need a DirecTV satellite dish. Slingbox and the mobile app gives them access to their home team, local news broadcasts and any other TV content without paying the cable or satellite man for a feed in the dorm or their apartment.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer – $399

Everyone knows about the iPad, so recommending it is too easy. Not many people know about the excellent ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, which I really like. It is cheaper than the iPad by about $100 and can do a little more. First, the optional keyboard dock connects to the tablet and turns it into a fully functional Android netbook and doubles the battery life thanks to the keyboard dock’s battery. I’ve used it to type for long periods of time and, while I would not give up my MacBook Air or Pro, the keyboard was good enough to use without getting frustrated or feeling cramped.

The tablet comes with Honeycomb. A 3.2 update makes it one of the earlier 3.2 tablets. The update is not earth–shattering, but it is nice to have. I love the bright crisp display, the responsive interface and the feel and weight. A forthcoming review will give more details, but for now I recommend this as the best Android tablet available because of the screen and the added functionality the keyboard dock with extended battery gives you. Take notes by day with the tablet in all of your classes and then use it as a netbook all evening long to write papers.

Now if only Android had as great a choice for tablet apps as the iPad we’d be set.

Just know this. ASUS will be probably release the Transformer 2 sometime this fall with a faster Tegra 3 processor, so you might want to hold off until then. If that doesn’t matter, the Eee Pad Transformer’s versatility makes it a great choice right now. Below is my first look:

Mili Pico Projector 2 HP-A10 – $449.95

Our friends at XenGadget sent one of these units over for review and it is cool. I’m testing the Mili Pico Projector (HP-A1) V2 out now, but based on limited experience I wanted to include this in our roundup for those Friday night movie nights in the dorm, or for an overnight at a friend’s house. The little projector is about the size of two stacked iPhones and has a dock port for an iPhone. Plug it in and the video will be projected through the tiny lens. The projector works best in dark rooms, but isn’t that how you want to watch a movie? The LED light projects the image. You won’t get HD, but remember, you are carrying your projector in your pocket.

The device has a battery so you don’t need to plug it into the wall outlet while watching your movies. You could do presentations from your phone, iPod touch, iPad or computer if needed. The latter can be done through a VGA input. The projector casts up to 70″ from corner to corner, although 40-50″ will look the best.

As you can see from the image, the device has a kickstand that folds out of the back. Connect it to external speakers or use the ones built into the projector. They might disappoint, so I’d suggest external speakers.

The device comes in either black or white for about $450. There is a nice carrying case and remote in the package too.

Gateway ID47H02u 14″ Laptop – $699

We look at a lot of notebooks, but the Gateway ID7Ho2u made our editor Josh Smith “do a double take” when he opened the box the first time. The screen offers an edge-to-edge display, meaning you get a nice width without a lot of bulk. The ID series of notebooks from Gateway have a little more style and performance than others from the budget manufacturers. Josh said it was “worth a closer look” for buyers who want something with some power at an affordable price.

Here are some of the basic specs:

• Intel Core i5 2nd Gen Processor
• 4GB of RAM
• 500GB Hard Drive
• Intel HD 3000 Graphics
• DVD Super Multi-Drive
• USB 3.0 that will charge while it sleeps
• VGA, HDMI out
• SD card reader
• Dolby Home Theater v.4 Audio
• Full size keyboard but no number pad
• Over sized mousepad

Apple MacBook Air – $999 for 11″

If money is no object, the one computer I would recommend to all students is the Apple MacBook Air. It is fast, light and looks cool. You can perform any basic educational task with it. It is under-powered for intense uses like gaming or creative content creation, but you can do limited video and photo editing with the included iPhoto and iMovie. I’ve played a few of the games available in the Mac App Store on my 2010 version. The 2011 MacBook Air has a faster processor and faster SSD too.

The 11″ travels perfectly for those taking it to class or for pulling it out on a public transportation commute or carpool. If you need more screen real estate, go with the 13″ model. I would also recommend adding 2GB of RAM and getting at least 128GB of storage, making the cost a few hundred dollars more than the base model. It will be worth it.

Check out our own Xavier Lanier’s posts about the out of the box experience and the battery life of the newer 2011 MacBook Air. You can also read about his first impressions. Below you can watch his unboxing video.

Back to School Gadget Buying Guide: 18 Fun and Productive Suggestions is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad

If you order within the next week most of these gifts will arrive in time for Father’s Day 2011 which is on Sunday June 19th.

Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive – $10 and up

The Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive has become our go to drive for two reasons. It is tough and as you can guess, it is tiny. We have it attached to the our key ring and so it is always there. Because of its size we barely notice it. Because of how tough it is we don’t worry about breaking it. We tested this drive and really beat it up. Our data was safe despite dunking it in water, stomping on it, and plunging into dirt. The drives start at $22 for a 2GB model and range on up to $158 for the 32GB model. But you can find them cheaper on Amazon.

Mimobots – $22 and up

If you are looking for a thumbdrive that shows off dad’s love for comics or science fiction, then you need to check out the licensed Mimibot thumb drives. These incredibly detailed drives don’t just carry your documents, they show off your geeky side with licences from Star Wars, Marvel and more.

We’ve been using several of these drives over the past few weeks and everyone we show them to loves the fun look of the Mimobots. The drives look as good in person as they do on the Mimibot website and with a large collection of characters you have a good chance at finding dad’s favorite comic book hero. The backside of the drive is flat enough we could use it with the MacBook Air, which sits close to a table, but if you are trying to plug into the recessed ports on some desktops you may have trouble.

iPhone, Android & iPad Protection – $30 and up

Some of our favorite cases for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices come from Speck and OtterBox. These two companies offer a range of solutions for multiple Android devices and the every popular iPhone. Speck offers a collection of colorful and fun cases mainly focused on Apple products, offering all types of looks and protection.

OtterBox on the other hand is known for their incredible protection for devices including drop protection. For fathers who work in construction, like to go outdoors or are just rough with their phones, an OtterBox case is the perfect gift.

ScotteVest Travel Vests and Jackets – $25 and up

It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day gift guide without ScotteVest travel vests, jackets and shirts. We’ve been big fans of the ScotteVest gear for a while now because it allows dad to carry all of his gear from cameras to the iPad without looking like a dork. Seriously, the pockets in these devices will accommodate all types of gear for around town or heading off on an adventure.

ScotteVest is having a Father’s Day sale right now, that allows you to get jackets, hoodies and shirts at 30% off. The standard ScotteVest Travel vest isn’t on sale, but is well worth the $100 price tag.

LightScoop – $30

If Dad is a shutterbug, the Lightscoop is a great choice. This handy little DSLR accessory will snap on to his camera and bounce the flash off the ceiling or the wall for better photos. Rather than washing out the image or delivering a deer in the headlights look, the Lightscoop bounces the photos off your surroundings for better lighting.

The Lightscoop is probably a better fit for budding photographer dads, rather than a pro photographer who likely has a full lightbox and studio setup on hand.

Eye Fi – $49.99 and up

Another good Father’s Day gift is the Eye-Fi X2 SD card which connects to wireless networks and iPhone or Android devices to upload your photos to your computer and to the web without any wires.

We really like the ability to upload our photos automatically to our computer and to the Eye Fi Center which allows us to share them with family members on the iPad rather than the small screen of our camera. Dad can choose to selectively upload photos to Facebook and many other websites to automatically share. We like the control, which keeps unwanted photos from going public. Check out our Eye Fi Review.

WetCiruits 4 Outlet Water Resistant Rugged Power Strip – $70

This is not an ordinary power outlet. Sure it is a little expensive but how many power strips from WalMart will withstand pouring water into them or having Junior stick a pair of metal tweezers in one of the outlets and survive without even a shock? With the WetCircuits power strip pouring water on it while it is plugged in and in use has no effect. The water is kept out of the actual circuit. Putting a set of tweezers down into the outlet will not shock anyone. We know because we tested it. Check out the video below.

This thing is great for plugging in a number of things like a laptop, a video projector, and your cell phone while you are working at a table with people drinking coffee or while outdoors at a beach or park.

Razer Orochi Bluetooth Laser Mouse – $79.99

There might be a better mobile mouse out there, but after testing a bunch of Bluetooth mobile mice, we don’t think there is a better Bluetooth mobile mouse available. Designed primarily for gamers in mind, this mouse is also great as an everyday mouse. In fact, we use it that way with the notebooks we use most o the time. You can view our full review and video and decide for yourself. Dad will love this mouse whether he’s a gamer or not.

Cadence 4-bit Binary Watch – $90

This is less a tech gift and more a gift for a techie. If your dad is a geek he will love this binary watch. From a distance it looks like any casual analog watch. Up close you realize that instead of Latin or Roman numerals each hour is represented by a four digit binary number.

Fitbit – $99

If dad is a data geek, tracking and analyzing anything he can put into a number, he may like the fitbit. This small device clips onto his pocket or belt and tracks steps, miles walked, activity, calories burned and can even track his sleep habits. The fitbit is $99 and includes access to the fitbit website for tracking fitbit stats and can log eating habits(he’ll have to do this manually though). If he wants to go deeper into the data and gain comparisons to other people in his age group he can upgrade to the premium account for $49 a year.

We’ve been using a fitbit for the past few weeks and we really like that the fitbit can handle being worn day to day at the office, in the yard or out on a long walk without any worries of it falling off or breaking. The fitbit battery lasts a whole week and uploads data to the fitbit website whenever you get within 15 feet of the base station which is attached to your computer. The fitbit isn’t waterproof, but it can handle being washed off and reportedly can survive a drop into the toilet. Below you’ll see just a snippet of the data fitbit records.

One of our favorite uses has been to monitor our sleep habits. With the included armband dad can wear the fitbit while you sleep and it will monitor how often he wakes up and moves during the night.

Booq Bag Computer Backpack – Starting at $129.95

We think Booq makes some nice computer bags and backpacks. They have almost any style you prefer, but we like the backpack style the best. The Boa Squeeze is their least expensive backpack bag. They sell sizes that fit anything from a 13″ up to a 17″ computer. They offer great protection and will look cool doing it. Dad will be very happy with this bag or any of the other styles. Maybe he likes a something more like a messenger bag with a flap, a simple sleeve, or a briefcase style bag. They have them all. We also like the Cobra Courier which is a messenger style bag with a sleeve to protect your notebook. It comes it at $195.

Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 Bluetooth Headset – $199

Bluetooth headsets are for the most part poor performers when you actually start to use them, but not the Plantronics Voyager Por UC 2. This headset is the smartest Bluetooth headset we have ever used and the only one we have stuck with for more than a few weeks. It’s so good, we gave it an Editor’s Choice award at GottaBeMobile.com.

The reason we love this bluetooth headset so much is that it is smart enough to know when you want to use it and when you don’t. With a normal Bluetooth headset, audio will be sent to the headset even if it is in your bag or out in the car. The Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 knows when you have it on your ear and when you don’t, allowing it to route the audio to the right place. The headset will even auto answer calls when you put it on your ear. This model includes a Bluetooth adapter so that you can use it with your PC or Mac as well.

Android Phone – Various Prices

As popular as the iPhone is, we think an Android phone might be a nice way to reward dad this year. They are easy to use and have a lot of powerful features. Recommending just one is hard since not all phones are available with all carriers. So here are our recommendations for the carrier that old dad is using. These come from our sister site’s list of the top 5 phones for May 2011.

LG G2x – T-Mobile – $200

It has a fantastic 4-inch LCD display, HSPA+ 4G speeds and it has the ability to capture 1080p which is something most top of the line smartphones aren’t able to do.

HTC Droid Incredible 2 – Verizon – $80

We recently previewed the HTC Droid Incredible 2, the successor of the wildly popular Droid Incredible, and came away very impressed. The increase in display size from 3.7 to 4-inches works well and doesn’t add any additional bulk.

Its single-core 1GHz processor is quick and it comes with almost an identical form factor to the original Droid Incredible.  Add in all the other bells and whistles and you have yourself a fantastic 3G phone.

Motorola Atrix 4G – AT&T – $99

The Motorola Atrix is the flagship Android device on AT&T and like the G2x, it can be considered a superphone because of the fantastic specifications it has on board. It packs a high-resolution display, dual-core processor and a massive battery to boot.

HTC Thunderbolt – Verizon – $249

The ThunderBolt is essentially an HTC EVO with 4G LTE speeds, which as you’ll see in a second, isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. The hardware is solid, the software as well and with an upgrade to Gingerbread coming in the not-so-distant future, the ThunderBolt is worthy of this list.

Amazon Kindle eBook Reader – $114, $139, or $189

There are a number of good eBook readers available, but the best one for the simple task of reading books is still the Kindle. The iPad is the premium do-it-all device. The Nook Color wants to be. But if all you want is an eBook reader cheap, the ad-supported Kindle is the best option. It is only $114 and the ads are not that intrusive. It requires a Wi-Fi signal to shop, download books, and sync things like bookmarks, highlights or notes, but can be read anywhere.

HP dm1z Notebook Computer – $449

Not quite a netbook, the diminutive HP dm1z series of notebooks is a great choice for an ultra-portable budget notebook for the mobile dad who needs a business notebook that can handle almost any basic task you throw at it. More powerful than a little netbook, he will be more happy too. It is an 11.6″ system with a dual-core AMD Fusion processor. The AMD Radeon 6310 graphics makes this little system a lot more powerful than you would think. The 1366×768 display makes it 720p HD capable, great for watching HD videos downloaded from one of the various video buying or rental sites. For an extra $129 you can get dad an external Blu-ray drive too. HP promises 9.5 hours from the battery. If you only get the typical two-thirds of the promised battery life that it still around 6 hours. It has VGA and HDMI output for presentations or hooking up to a TV.

Apple iPad 2 – $499 – $829

This is likely one of the number one requested tech gifts this Father’s Day. It is still the standard for tablet devices despite all that people are trying to do to unseat it with Android-based devices. The huge app ecosystem and accessories market make it the number one device. It is dead simple to use and one of the most versatile computing devices ever made.

Our sister site did a very comprehensive iPad 2 review if you want to read up before taking this big a plunge. Just know that if you can afford it, dad will be extremely happy with you. We suggest a sweet spot of 32GB with 3G if you can afford it. That model is $729. Take one step back and go with the 32GB wi-fi only model for $599 if possible.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 – $1399

Not officially ready till May 24, this business class notebook is one of the nicest we’ve seen this year. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 was give the editor’s choice award by our editor, Josh Smith. He said:

The ThinkPad X1 shows a now look for Lenovo and includes a collection of features and design changes which exciting and new. Lenovo has been able to add to the ThinkPad features we love, like durability and an amazing keyboard, without compromising on why businesses choose to equip their employees with ThinkPads. The ThinkPad X1 shows that the company can adapt and bring consumer features like high-end audio and backlit keys to the traditional ThinkPad line. Lenovo may still need a bit more time to perfect the mousepad, but the ThinkPad X1 is without a doubt the best ThinkPad we have had a chance to use.

The ThinkPad X1 we looked at had a 2.5GHz 2nd generation Intel Core i5-520M processor. It also included 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The display is powered by Intel 3000 HD integrated graphics. The glossy 13.3″ screen is made with a gorilla glass wich makes it durable and particularly scratch resistant. The computer is 3.73 pounds and between .65″ and .84″ in thickness. The 6 cell battery gives you over four hours and the optional slice adds another four hours. Please read our comprehensive review for more detailed information.

Additional Reporting by Josh Smith

Father’s Day 2011: 21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

The Amazon Mac Download Store has the following Apps you won’t find in the App Store:

• Office for Mac 2011
• Photoshop Elements 9
• Final Draft Version 8
• and others

For a limited time Amazon is offering $5 off your purchase with the coupon code SAVE5MAC.

The Mac Download Store will keep your applications stored in your account, allowing you to re download as needed. This is great news for users who ar prone to losing installation CDs and download files. The policies will vary, but in many cases you can install games and software on multiple machines.

Before you start buying up apps, keep in mind that you can still find better deals around. We found Adobe Photoshop Elements for $69.99 direct from Adobe if you are willing to handle a mail in rebate.

For the $10 difference we would probably go with Amazon on this one, but consumers need to avoid getting locked into one app store. Your best bet is to search the Mac App Store and the developer’s website to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Amazon Mac App Store Launches With Apps You Can’t Get in Apple’s Store is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Google Chromebook Models, Pricing and Specs

The new Google Chromebooks will be available from Best Buy and Amazon.com and prices start at $349.99. The Chromebooks are note yet available for preorder, but you can sign up at Amazon to be notified when the Chromebooks are available to order.

Samsung Chromebook

The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook comes in two models, a WiFi only Chromebook which retails for $429 and a WiFi+3G model which is $499. The 3G model will include 100MB of broadband from Verizon Wireless per month, operating on the Verizon 3G network.

Samsung Series 5 (Samsung Chromebook) Specs:

• 12.1″ (1280×800) 300 nit Display
• 3.26 lbs / 1.48 kg
• 8.5 hours of continuous usage
• Intel Atom Dual-Core Processor
• Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
• HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• Mini-VGA port
• Fullsize Chrome keyboard
• Oversize fully-clickable trackpad

Acer Chromebook

The Acer WiFi Chromebook looks like it will only be available from Amazon and will retail for $349.99. At this time, the Acer notebook has no mobile broadband option. The Acer notebook has a smaller display and lighter weight, but similar specs to the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook. One notable difference is the inclusion of a HDMI port instead of a Mini-VGA connection.

Acer Wi-Fi Chromebook Specs:

• 11.6″ HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit LCD
• 2.95 lbs. | 1.34 kg.
• 6 hours of continuous usage
• Intel Atom Dual-Core Processor
• Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
• HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone
• High-Definition Audio Support
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• HDMI port
• Fullsize Chrome keyboard
• Oversize fully-clickable trackpad

Chromebook Offline Access

In case you missed it, the two cheapest Chromebooks won’t have mobile broadband built in. Don’t worry though, the new Chromebooks will allow for offline access to your Gmail, Calendar and Docs. As Warner Crocker explains at GottaBeMobile this is an incredibly important change to the concept or “web only” which recognizes the fallible nature of mobile connections and consumer desire to have offline access in certain occasions.

What to Expect with Your Chrome Notebook?

The Chromebooks will include many of the features we were expecting from the original launch, but we have highlighted some of the major Chromebook features you will experience if you purchase a Chromebook.

Instant Web - Boot in 8 seconds and start searching

Always on Connectivity – 100MB of 3G included with 3G models.

Online Backup and Convenience – Your documents, settings and more are stored in the cloud so if you lose the Chromebook, just grab a new one and get going

Web Apps – Access to web apps that let you play games (Angry Birds!), work in spreadsheets, edit photos and more.

Automatic Updates – When you login the Chromebook will automatically update your apps. No need to click yes and get pestered to restart.

Built in Security – The Google Chromebooks include sandboxing, data encryption, and verified boot to help protect you from malware.

Google Chromebook Gallery

Samsung and Acer Google Chromebooks Launch June 15th: Details, Specs & Pricing is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The deal is not on all songs. We did a search for a few of our favorite bands who are not household names. None of them were on the list. So if you don’t like pop music you may be out of luck.

Another deal Amazon is offering this weekend is $5 albums. They are discounting 100 albums. This collection looks more like the big bins of CDs no one really wants in the middle of the Walmart aisle. I looked through the entire list and couldn’t find a single one I’d purchase, but you might have better luck.

The move is having its desired affect – getting attention away from Apple and iTunes and onto Amazon’s new Cloud Player and their digital music store. That is actually the best reason to take part in the album deal. Buy one cheap $5 album, even if you never listen to it, and it gives you extra storage for you own MP3 collection. Their deal gives you an extra 15GB of storage for your music collection for the next year bringing the total to 20GB. That is pretty good considering some of the best file storage services offer only 2-5GB of online storage.

We doubt Apple will match these prices. If the deal brings in a lot of business for Amazon, maybe they will expand the number of songs at this cut rate.

Amazon Lowers Best Selling MP3 Prices to 69 Cents is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

The site is accessed through a web browser like Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox, or Internet Explorer 8 and higher. The service is promising apps to come soon for iOS and Android. By default the site uses Flash. However, browsers like Safari on an iPad or iPhone will work because they support HTML5.

DropTunes Streams Music from DropBox

Start by logging into DropTunes (the address is actually DropTun.es using the Spanish top-level domain ending .es) with your Dropbox user ID and password. The site automatically creates a folder in your Public Dropbox folder called DropTunes

You can choose to use this folder, but I have a folder in my Dropbox folder called music, so I just put my music there at first. Unfortunately, once one file was completed streaming DropTunes would not automatically go to the next song in the folder like it does when the music is in the DropTunes folder under Public. So, it is a good idea to use this special folder.

After your music is finished uploading to Dropbox, go to the folder in your browser using the DropTunes site and click or tap on the “Play” link next to the track you want to start streaming. When it is finished playing, it will move to the next song. If you want to advance it, then just tap on the skip button at the top left. The progress of the streamed file is shown above the list.

This service competes with Amazon’s new Cloud Drive and Cloud Player service released at the end of March 2011. The added ability to stream music to iOS devices might make DropTunes preferable. However, there is one severe limitation to DropTunes – the amount of storage. A free DropBox account only provides 2GB of free storage (plus any extras you earn through referring friends or completing their tutorial or periodic scavenger hunts).

Amazon gives users 5GB for free and upgrades them to 20GB if they just buy one album. That 20GB is in addition to any albums they buy from Amazon’s MP3 service. So, if you have 3GB of music purchased from Amazon after they released the Cloud Drive/Cloud Player, then you will actually get 23GB of free space for the first year.

Another consideration is that your music will sync to all of your computers by default. You may wish to use the selective sync feature in Dropbox and only sync your DropTunes folder with one computer, as DropTunes suggest on their “Info & Tips” page. Otherwise you may have very long synchronization times as it uploads and then downloads all of the music you put in the folder.

If you have a small library or a large Dropbox account and want to stream to an iOS device, then DropTunes is probably the best solution. It is also one of the simplest to set up and use. If you chose to use DropTunes but need another cloud storage or syncing service, check out our roundup of free online storage. It has a lot of great options, some of which offer synchronization in addition to cloud storage.

How to Stream Your Own Music Using DropTunes and Dropbox is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

We’ve rounded up a collection of our favorite cloud storage services, that combined, will deliver 117GB of free cloud storage.

Most fo these services not only allow you to use tons of free cloud storage, but will also make it easy to keep your files in sync and accessible form any location via a web browser or special apps.

How to Get 117GB of Free Cloud Storage

To take advantage of all of these offers, you will need to use multiple accounts, but if you have a plan for how you want to use the storage, you can easily grab a large chunk of cloud storage for free.

ADrive – 50GB

ADrive offers 50GB of free online storage, yes that’s 50GB of free online storage. You can upload folders and directories, which makes it easy to upload a large music collection or photo archive.

Microsoft Live SkyDrive – 25GB

SkyDrive will give you 25GB of storage or free with a few limitations. First off, you can’t store files over 50MB in size, but for most users looking to stash a collection of digital photographs and important documents this will deliver more than enough.

Amazon Cloud Drive 5GB (20GB w/ MP3 purchase)

Amazon has just launched Amazon Cloud Drive storage which offers 5GB of online storage for free, and bumps the limit up to 20GB with a $9.99 MP3 album purchase. The Amazon Cloud Drive lets you store music and all types of files. The music files can be accessed on your Android smart phone with the Cloud Drive Player or your browser for music playback on the go.

SugarSync – 5GB

SugarSync offers 5GB of online storage for free and allows you to keep multiple computers in sync. The base account comes with 5GB of free storage, but you can earn up to 10GB in free storage by referring friends and family.

Box.net – 5GB

Box.net is well known in the business world, but not a lot of end users know about it. Box.net offers 5GB of free online storage and also has third party add ons and access form third party sites which extend the use of storage.

iDrive – 5GB

iDrive also offers 5GB of free cloud storage for personal users with the ability to upload photos, documents and other items. iDrive will identify important files and automatically include them in the backup so that you don’t forget a critical file that is stored in an odd location.

MemoPal – 3GB

MemoPal offers 3GB of free online cloud storage which allows you to place your files online for safekeeping and includes software for syncing across multiple computers. You can earn more space be referring friends.

Dropbox – 2GB

Dropbox has been our go to syncing and cloud storage tool for years now and while it only offers 2GB of online storage for free, you can earn more storage by referring others and by playing along in promotions from time to time. Dropbox will keep your files synced across multiple computers and accessible online and on your mobile devices.

SpiderOak – 2GB

SpiderOak offers a free 2GB of cloud storage for online backup and file storage. The service allows for syncing and sharing of files like many of the other offerings. SpiderOak is compatible with Mac, Windows and many flavors of Linux when it comes to syncing.

How to Keep Track of your Files

If you need help keeping track of these numerous options, check out this Lifehacker post which includes a collection of file types and tips for organizing your media across multiple cloud storage tools.

While you can buy online storage pretty cheap these days, 117GB of free storage is nothing to laugh at. Many of these services allow you to connect the storage to Windows Explorer as a mapped drive, simplifying your access. Gladinet can do this for Amazon Cloud storage and many others, but requires a purchase for heavy use.

If you search for “how to map service name as a network drive”, you’ll get a good number of results for how to map many of these services to your Windows or Mac notebook.

Photo Via Peter Kaminski

Cloud Storage Roundup: How to Get 117GB of Free Cloud Storage is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

To add Cloud Drive as a network drive, you will need to download Gladinet, a cloud connector service that supports multiple online services including SkyDrive and Box.net. The latest update made it possible to connect Amazon Cloud Drive to your computer.

Setup is straightforward, requiring you to enter your Amazon credentials and pick a drive letter for your Amazon Cloud Drive. Once you do that, you’ll be connected and ready to manage your files from within Windows Explorer just like an external hard drive. This will let you add and remove files as well as rename and organize files quickly. Your changes will be synced to the cloud so that you can access them from Cloud Drive and the Amazon Cloud Player.

Gladinet Cloud Connector is free, but there is a limit to the amount of times you can use the service to upload and download files. The Gladinet version without restrictions is $49.99, but may be worth it if you need to connect to a multitude of cloud services.

Amazon Cloud Drive Mapped as a Windows Network Drive:

Via DownloadSquad

How to Map Amazon Cloud Drive to Windows as a Network Drive is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Amazon Cloud Player offers 6GB of free storage

While they launch this new service, the Amazon home page proudly invites customers to get started with the new online player. It includes three parts. The online storage called Cloud Drive, the Cloud Player, and for those who wish to store their already purchased music files, the Amazon MP3 Uploader which you download by clicking on the button in the player that reads “Upload to your Cloud Drive” in the upper left corner.

Amazon Cloud Player

The Amazon Cloud Player is little more than a listing of all your music files and playlists. Hover over one of them and a play button appears inviting you to stream that song from your storage space to your computer. In our initial test it began to play the song almost instantly on a fairly fast cable Internet connection.

Amazon Cloud Player song list

Other options are to create or add files to playlists and downloading the files. Each file has a check box. Select all the files you wish to either download or add to a playlist. Once selected use the buttons in the upper right to download the file or add it to one of your playlists or a brand new one.

Along the left, all of your playlists are listed. Above them is the count of all of your Songs, Albums, Artists, Genres of music, and Deleted items. The amount of storage you have left for new songs is above that.

At the bottom on the left are the play controls. And the bottom of the window shows the progress of the current file.

If you want to delete a file, just select it and choose the delete button. Or you can click on the drop-down arrow that appears next to the file name when you hover over the file name in the song list. The options are to download the file, add to playlist or delete it. If you are playing a file and choose delete, it will continue to play the file even though it seems to have been deleted. However, if you play a playlist and delete it while it is playing it will stop playing. That’s odd.

Amazon MP3 Uploader

The upload process has gone well so far. The Amazon MP3 uploaded searched our hard drive for files that it could play. The vast majority of them were songs and files from the iTunes folder. About fifty percent of those files were purchased in iTunes and 336 of them were excluded due to the DRM that iTunes used to put in music. We never upgraded those DRM-laden music files when Apple was removed DRM on most of their library a few years ago.

Amazon Cloud Player uploads your music

The upload speed is fast. Over 8GB of files are about three-fourths of the way finished after less than 12 hours of uploading. That is faster than other cloud storage upload speeds we’ve tested.

Storage Limits and Cost

The initial backup said we were going to be 3GB over the 5GB upload limit. To fix that we bought an album in the Amazon MP3 music store. Instantly that album showed up in our storage locker and our cap was increased to 20GB for nothing extra. We received an email promising that the free 20GB cap was for one year, but one year only. At that time it will revert back to 5GB and we will have to upgrade for a fee. So unless you are willing to pay about $20/year after that first year, don’t get too comfy in the large online space.

Amazon offers more storage for a price

You will notice from the chart above that the cost for extra storage is about $1/GB. You will also notice that Amazon shows that Photos and HD video can be uploaded as well. This is in addition to the storage needed to hold any music you buy from Amazon after you sign up. So, if you had 20GB of your own MP3s to upload, you could store more music so long as you buy it from Amazon.

Amazon Cloud Drive

To use the Cloud Drive for storing other kinds of files, go and upload it directly from the Cloud Drive page. While you can find free storage from services like DropBox, SugarSync, and Windows Live, this is the only one that offers the special music interface that lets you store and stream your music and increase your storage limit just by buying from the provider.

Video First Look

Amazon Cloud Player v. Apple’s MobileMe

Amazon has been offering online storage for a long time through their S3 service. But this new add-on focusing on music comes when Apple is rumored to be planning a similar service for iTunes. Should Apple choose to offer the service, there will be two such music locker options. If Apple’s is as good as Amazon’s, then there will be some good competition. That’s always good for consumers. If Apple does not offer this service at a competitive price, I can’t see myself buying another music file from iTunes.

Amazon and Music Labels

There are reports that Amazon jumped into this arena without asking permission from their record label partners. They are now apparently scrambling to get the rights to offer this service after it is already released. To be honest, we don’t think that they will without paying up. The music record labels are a greedy bunch. Mom said, “When it looks to good to be true, it probably is too good to be true!” We think this is awfully good in early tests. So, we also think the music moguls will torpedo it in the courts if Amazon doesn’t get their permission after the fact.

To get started head over to the Amazon Cloud Player page. We truly hope Amazon will succeed in getting the rights from music companies to continue this service.

To play Amazon Cloud Drive songs on an iPad select the file and then download it and it will play in Safari

Amazon Cloud Player and iOS

For users of iOS devices, the Cloud Player doesn’t work. I found a way to play the music files within Safari and show users how to do this over at our sister site Gottabemobile.com.

Amazon Cloud Drive & Player First Look is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

What is really exciting for Prime Members who have Amazon enabled set-top boxes like the Roku, is this service is available on those devices as well. As you can see below, this is a shot taken of the same movie above available for free streaming on a Roku XDS.

As you can see the Prime Members label with a price of $0.00. Below you can see the Roku XDS box connected to our HD set.

Amazon Prime membership gives Amazon customers some great benefits and is free to college students and everyone else for a free trial. The wording of the announcements suggests that free Prime members won’t have access to the streaming, but if you have a free college account let use know if you can stream for free.

When customers click on the Amazon Prime link at Amazon.com, they are greeted with the following letter from CEO Jeff Bezos:

The benefits of the $79 Prime membership now include the following:

• unlimited 2-day shipping at no extra charge
• discounts on overnight shipping ($3.99 in most cases)
• unlimited commercial free instant streaming of 5,000 movies and TV shows
• access to the instant streaming via web or 200 Internet connected TVs, Blu-ray players, or set-top boxes

The quality of the movies and TV shows is not great. We looked for a few of our favorite TV shows and didn’t find any of them included and there are no recent releases in the movies category. Hopefully that will change. For now, this is one more option for those nights when there is nothing to watch. And for Prime customers it is a nice extra. The video quality itself is as good as any other Internet streaming service.

Below we show you how the service works with the Roku box.

If you are not a Prime member and don’t do a lot of business with Amazon, the $79 fee is too steep to make this worth signing up just for the streaming content. Netflix is far ahead in selection.

Amazon Offers Netflix Style Streaming for Prime Members is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.