Back-to-School Laptop Accessories

Looking for a cool laptop case to tote around campus? The Hip Slip ($80) by ShootSac is a stylish alternative to typical bulky laptop bags. The Hip Slip is basically a glorified neoprene laptop sleeve, with pockets for carrying documents, power cords, and other accessories. It also has a thick, detachable strap, and you can customize it with various designer covers.

Unless you have a 17-inch laptop, you probably don't enjoy the luxury of having a separate number pad. This USB Dynex Wired 19-Key Keypad ($20) brings the number pad to you--and it's perfect for handling tedious data entry.

Your dorm room doesn't have enough outlets, so you're going to have to splurge on a surge protector. Quirky's Pivot Power ($30) isn't just any old surge protector, though. It's a flexible power strip with pivoting outlets, so you don't have to give up an outlet (or two) just because you have a couple of large power adapters.

Cloud storage is all the rage, but sometimes you just want a physical copy of your data. Quirky's Split Stick ($25) is perfect for keeping your data organized. Each side of this dual-sided, 8GB USB thumb drive lets you access 4GB of space, so you can keep your personal files and your work files separate.

Laptop speakers are terrible. Luckily a pair of Crystal USB Desktop Speakers ($30) will significantly improve your system's sound quality. These small, sexy, PC- and Mac-compatible speakers are rated at 1 watt per channel--perfect for getting the pre-party going.

So you have a bunch of things plugged in to your awesome Pivot Power power strip, but the cords keep falling behind your desk. What to do? Try Quirky's Cordies ($10), a weighted rubber swirl that helps keep your cables on your desk. Cordies comes in a variety of eye-catching colors, including pink, blue, and green.

Before you rush off to Prague for your year abroad, make sure that your laptop will work in Europe by snapping up this Dynex International Travel Adapter ($8). The adapter works with most portable electronic devices (including laptops, MP3 players, and cameras), enabling you to plug said devices into wall outlets all around the world. Remember--it's an adapter, not a converter, so don't use it to plug in nonelectronic devices (such as hair dryers and curling irons) without an additional voltage converter. Your laptop will be fine, though.

If you're a gadget freak, and your laptop's USB ports just aren't cutting it, check out this USB 7 Port Hub ($20). The hub has seven ports, each with its own power switch. So you don't even have to unplug your gadgets to stop the juice from flowing! The hub also includes (at no extra cost) an optional power supply, in case you don't want to use one of your laptop's precious USB ports to power the hub.

Trust me--mouseless computing is less than ideal. To make life a little easier when you're researching term papers, why not invest in the Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse ($50)? This mouse is a little bit cooler than most--it has forward and back buttons (for easier Web browsing); a tiny, practically unnoticeable USB receiver; and "hyper-fast" precision scrolling. Your research will be done in no time.

Data protection is important, but all too often people overlook physical protection. The ioSafe Rugged Portable 250GB external hard drive (about $150) will keep your data safe no matter what happens. This thing will survive being run over by a car (as long as the car weighs less than 5000 pounds), being dropped from heights of up to 20 feet, being doused in gasoline, being thrown into the ocean, and being shot--multiple times. While you (hopefully) won't be exposing the drive to any of these things, you can never be too cautious.

Essential (and Cool) Laptop Gear