Tech Tuesday: Dorm Room Gadgets To Get Work Done And Add Some Swag To Your Semester

FOX11, Los Angeles - College dorm life. All night study sessions. Academia in the air. But all work and no play makes Jamaal a dull boy. In the video above, Brian Tong, a Senior Editor for CNET TV shows you the tech you need to help you get through the semester and add a little swag to your dorm room.

The items from the video are part of a list Brian put together for CNET.com and can be found here:

iPad Pro ($649+): Apple’s slick iPad Pro has hand writing recognition (using iOS 11), letting you easily search all those class notes. It also has an excellent display, upgraded storage options, faster processor, better cameras and a bigger display in a still-compact size that you can throw in your backpack. Microsoft’s Surface Pro ($799+) is the gold standard for Windows tablets — it does more, but also costs more.

Bose Soundlink Revolve ($199): A bluetooth Speaker, the Revolve, features a sleek, compact cylindrical design and 360-degree sound output. It also has a 12-hour battery life.

Sony MDR7506 Headphones ($100.98): This is Brian’s pick for the best headphones under $150. These headphones are engineered to be comfortable to wear for extended periods, making it ideal for long study sessions.

Roku Streaming Stick ($39.99): Your student already has your old smart TV in her bedroom, but she’s annoyed that she can’t watch all her favorite videos on there because it doesn’t have a good YouTube app. The Roku Stick does, along with thousands of other apps.

Amazon Echo Dot ($49.99): With Amazon’s hands-free, voice-activated Echo Dot, you can purchase virtually anything from Amazon, look up quick references while reading from a textbook, add your class schedule to your calendar, order an Uber or Domino’s pizza, integrate your to-do list, play your favorite focus music playlist, find out if you need to grab an umbrella before heading to class, or even act as a noise machine to drown out hallmates. Alexa speakers also make great alarm clocks, not because their alarm function is superior to other devices, but because it will continue to play until you tell it to stop. It can also pair with with a wired or Bluetooth speaker for a dorm room party.

Lifx Color 1000 ($60): If you want lighting that’s a little more affordable, Lifx has some of the best color-changing bulbs on the market. You can get them for $40 each right now on the Lifx website, and even one can make your reading, gaming or just chilling setup way cooler.