SALTZMAN: Cool tools for school

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Students, cue the eye rolling (and parents, the champagne popping): a new school season is almost upon us.

As such, kids may be looking for a few fresh ways to stay on their game.

Fortunately, technology can help.

From the latest in AI tools and lightweight laptops to wireless printers and colour e-readers, there’s something for all ages, budgets and tastes.

And hey, there’s also no shortage of gadgets to enjoy in a dorm room after your homework is done (wink wink).

A few suggestions that make the grade, ranging in price from $29 to $1799.

It’s all about the AI

Especially for high-school and post-secondary students, generative artificial intelligence tools (“genAI” for short) is the biggest gamechanger for students over the past decade.

Built into the Pixel 9 smartphone (from $1,099) is Google Gemini, a superintelligent AI assistant to help with virtually every subject and grade. For example, record teacher lessons or professor lectures and not only have it transcribed into text but also summarized for you. Or, have the AI create a video for your class presentation.

Students can also try Google AI Pro at no cost for six months, ideal for homework help and writing essays, and it can even transform course materials and notes into custom quizzes to help prepare for exams.

AI PCs are also where it’s at.

The ASUS Zenbook S14 (from $1799) is a highly portable and elegant laptop that offers: Copilot+ AI features (like gathering info for students from credible sources, summarizing articles, and organizing research findings); a vivid 3K 120Hz OLED touchscreen display (ideal for after-school movie streaming and online gaming, too); and an efficient Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor that yields long battery life (of up to 27 hours) for students on the go.

On a related note, there are sales on gaming PCs this month, too, should the student in your home want something for both their 9-to-5 school life and their 5-to-9 playtime. Called “Intel Gamer Days,” from Aug. 25 through Sept. 7, for you to snag serious savings on select Intel-powered laptops, desktops and accessories, across multiple brands and retailers.

Boujee backpack

For students to store all their tech and other supplies – even “old school” items like textbooks, pens and clothing (pun intended) – the MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack (from $29) is affordable and portable.

Available in one of 12 colours, this comfortable and water-resistant backpack can fit your laptop in a protective back pouch, plus it offers a pocket to place a power bank, sold separately, which you can connect to via USB cable (included) to charge up your smartphone or headphones.

Additional features include a sturdy handle, adjustable straps, and mesh side pockets for a water tumbler, umbrella, or phone.

Parent-approved kid tech

Kindle has expanded its e-reader lineup with the new Kindle Colorsoft Kids ($295), the first-ever colour Kindle for kids. Along with a protective cover, 12 months of Amazon Kids+ (a subscription service that provides a curated selection of age-appropriate content for children aged 3-12), and a two-year guarantee, this latest Kindle empowers young readers to explore books, comics and graphic novels – with easy-on-the-eyes colour and no distracting notifications, apps or messaging.

Also great for students: use your finger like a virtual yellow marker to highlight important passages in textbooks.

Other features include a parent dashboard, and tools to help readers understand difficult words by displaying simple definitions.

For listening to music or podcasts to and from school, JBL Junior 320 Wireless On-Ear Kids Headphones ($69) are a Bluetooth pair that sounds great and has up to 50 hours of battery life. On sale at Staples and available in multiple colours, there’re also parental controls with customizable volume and playtime settings. A wired version is only $29.

For younger students who want to flex their photography skills in school hallways or while hanging with friends, the INSTAX MINI Link 3 ($129) is Fujifilm’s handheld smartphone printer that instantly produces high-quality, water-resistant photos on real film (sold separately, for $13.99 for a 10-pack). Once kids create tangible memories, they can be placed along the edges of a bedroom mirror, in a school locker, slipped into a binder, or tucked in the back of a transparent smartphone case.

Unlike the Polaroids of yesterday, you can also add filters, frames, emojis and text, or select from fun film options like one that looks like candied sprinkles around the edges of your photos.

Battery life tops 100 photos on a full charge.

Printers, scanners and copiers, oh my!

Speaking of printers, just in time for back-to-school season, Epson has launched a new family of wireless EcoTank printers (from $299) that include enough ink out of the box to last up to three years. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

So, instead of having to buy expensive cartridges that always run out at the most inopportune times – like the night before a child has to print a book report – this is a supertank printer that takes bottles of ink, which is not only more affordable but better on the environment since you’re not buying so many plastic cartridges that may end up in a landfill.

Also a scanner and copier, the new EcoTank all-in-one printers have a larger input tray than its predecessors (starting at 100 sheets on the least expensive ET-2980 model), along with auto duplex printing, a colour touch display, and support for smart speakers so you can use your voice to print lined paper, graph paper or colouring sheets for the little ones.

And something for parents, too

While a little too premium for a dorm room, perhaps, the Hisense U88QG AI TV is on sale for back-to-school season (from $1099), making it a smart buy for Canadian families itching to upgrade their TV in time for the start of the NHL or the final season of Stranger Things.

Available in sizes from 55 inches all the way up to 100 inches, these televisions feature Mini-LED PRO and Quantum Dot technology, for high brightness and vibrant colours, respectively.

Gamers – be they kids or kids at heart – will love the 165Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to keep up with fast-paced action games.

It’s also a Google-powered Smart TV, therefore you can download apps from an app store, stream YouTube content, or use the voice remote to talk to your Google Assistant or ask for something to watch.

– Based in Toronto, Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and author of 17 books, including Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley)