What Back-to-School Tech Can You Score for $209?

The school year is just around the corner, and with a fresh academic semester comes the need for new gadgets. According to a recently released study by the National Retail Federation, families with school-aged children will spend an average of $603.63 on back-to-school necessities—with $209.93 going to electronics purchases.
Considering the high cost of tablets and the most in-demand smartphones (the iPad 2 starts at $499), students are strapped for cash when it comes to buying new tech. But $209 isn’t chump change, so we decided to round up some solid options in this price range. Read on to see what study-friendly tech you can get for $209.93.

Livescribe 4GB Echo Smartpen + Mobile Edge ScanFast Netbook Backpack  =  $199.94

For students who scribble down study notes but have trouble keeping all that information organized, the Livescribe Echo Smartpen (starting at $99) provides an elegant solution. The device records all your notes (and even your voice) and syncs them to Evernote, Facebook, and Livescribe’s Connect software for sharing and reviewing. At $149.95, the 4GB model provides plenty of space, though you can always store your notes on your PC.
After the Smartpen, you’re left with $60—just enough for a backpack to carry your netbook and other gear. The ScanFast Netbook Backpack from Mobile Edge ($49.99) is checkpoint-friendly and designed to fit 8.9- to 13-inch netbooks.

Amazon Kindle 3G + Timbuk2 Nylon Kindle Sleeve = $168.99

Textbooks are heavy, but eReaders come to the rescue. Do some of that required reading on Amazon’s best-selling Kindle 3G ($139). This E Ink device comes with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and offers more than 700,000 titles via the Kindle Store.

 Use that remaining $7o to buy a protective case for your eReader. We like the stripey style of Timbuk2′s Nylon Kindle Sleeve ($29.99), though a slew of other options are available on Amazon and other outlets.

Refurbished Barnes & Noble Nook Color Wi-Fi = $199

It costs $249 through Barnes & Noble, but a manufacturer-refurbished version of the Kindle’s biggest rival is available for $199 on the bookseller’s eBay store. We prefer the Nook Color to the Kindle because it has a beautiful color screen, a great selection of Android apps, and strong web browsing.

Acer Aspire One Netbook = $199.99

This is a limited-time offer, but it’s one that’s hard to pass up: NewEgg is selling the Acer Aspire One AOD257 -13404 netbook for just $199.99. As a bonus, this comes with an external DVD/Blu-ray drive. The deal is only good through July 31st, so budget-conscious students should step on it.
If you miss out on the Acer Aspire One sale, you still have a fair share of low-priced netbook options. Outlets such as NewEgg offer especially good deals forrefurbished and recertified machines.

Refurbished 8GB Apple iPhone 3GS on AT&T (with two-year contract)

It might not be the latest model, but the iPhone 3GS still has the trademark features that make Apple’s smartphone one of the most popular in the market. AT&T is selling the handset for a ridiculously low $49, though a two-year contract is required. That leaves you with $60 to spend on an iPhone case and to go on a mini shopping spree in the App Store.

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Report: AT&T “Blackout” Points to Late September iPhone 5 Launch

AT&T’s employees apparently aren’t allowed to take off the last two weeks of September, which means the iPhone 5 could be hitting stores at the same time. According to a tip received by Gizmodo from an AT&T employee, any requests for time off during the end of September will be denied “due to an event blackout.” It’s all hands on deck when Apple’s allegedly sleeker and faster sequel goes on sale.
The iPhone 5′s impending arrival isn’t exactly a secret, which will supposedly go on sale on AT&T and Verizon at the same time. Will the iPhone 5 sport a dual-core processor like the iPad 2? Will the display get bigger? Will it do 1080p video? And will it rock 4G LTE data? Apparently, all of those questions and more will be answered by the end of September.

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iPhone Smashes Records, Inches Up on Global Competitors

Apple made some big gains in the global mobile phone market year-over-year, thanks to a record-breaking number of iPhone 4 shipments in the second quarter.
Although Apple maintained its number four position overall, it posted the highest growth rate of the worldwide smartphone makers, despite the fact that its flagship iPhone 4 is now more than a year old, according to market research and analysis firm IDC.
The top global five mobile phone vendors are Nokia (no. 1), Samsung (no. 2), LG Electronics (no. 3) and ZTE (no. 5), IDC said.
iPhone sales jumped a whopping 141.8 percent in the past year, while the smartphone industry as a whole grew a strong 11.3 percent.
“Apple’s ability to bring its smartphone momentum to developing economies where it’s less successful will help dictate the company’s smartphone fortunes in future,” IDC said in a statement.

Nokia’s hold on the top global mobile phone spot weakened last quarter as inventory buildups in traditional strongholds, namely China and Europe, led to sharp year-over-year shipment declines, IDC reported.
Samsung posted double-digit growth from the same quarter a year ago but saw a decrease in demand for its feature phones. It made up the difference with continued success for its Android-based Galaxy smartphones.
The difference between Samsung and market leader Nokia also continued to shrink, with less than 20 million units separating the two vendors. However, Samsung expects continued growth into the second half, which could put it in closer contention with Nokia, IDC noted.
LG Electronics held on to its number three position during the quarter, thanks in part to its Optimus smartphone sales. However, IDC said a combination of factors – including soft demand for its feature phones, slow pace of smartphone releases, and competitive pressures – led the company to downgrade its outlook for the year by 24 percent.

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Apple Posts Record Profits Ahead of Launch of OS X Lion

On the eve of the launch of OS X Lion, Apple has again posted record profits on the strength of its iPhone and iPad sales. During the company’s third-quarter earnings report, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer reported that the company earned its highest quarterly revenue and set quarterly records for iPad and iPhone sales and a June record for Mac sales. Revenue for the quarter was $28.6 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 82 percent, that tops the Apple’s December quarter record by $1.8 billion and was almost $13 billion over last year’s results.
Net income was $7.3 billion topping the previous record of by $1.3 billion. Net income grew faster than revenue rising by 125 percent year over year and translated to earnings per share of $7.79

Apple sold 3.95 million macs, representing a 14 percent increase over the year ago quarters results. Sales of Macs were particularly strong in the Asia/ Pacific region where the company saw a 57 percent year-over-year increase in total Macs sold.
Apple’s iPods continued to take a hit, with total sales decreasing from 9.4 million during the same quarter last year to 7.5 million, a decrease of 1.9 million units. Of that, that iPod Touch made up more than 50 percent of total iPod sales. Apple still remains the most widely sold MP3 player in the U.S., making up some 70 percent of the total market. The iTunes store also saw revenue increases, generating $1.4 billion, a 36 percent increase year-over-year.
On the iPhone front Apple sold a record 20.3 million compared to 8.4 million in the June previous quarter, a 142 percent increase in year-over-year growth. In total, iPhone and iPhone accessories sales generated $13.3 billion during the quarter compared to $5.3 billion in the year-ago quarter, a 150 percent increase. In the Asia/ Pacific region, sales nearly quadrupled. The smartphone is now available through 228 carriers in 128 counties.
The company also saw iPad sales increase by 183 percent through the June quarter to 9.2 million compared to 3.3 million in the year-ago quarter. Total revenue from sales of the iPad and iPad accessories during the quarter was topped out at more than $6 billion compared to $2.2 billion during the same quarter last year, a year-over-year increase of 179 percent.
Apple’s brick and mortar stores also generated record June quarter results, with revenue growing to $3.5 billion from $2.6 billion, an increase of 36 percent. That growth, Oppenheimer said, was primarily a result of a higher volume of iPad, iPhone, and Mac sales. The stores sold roughly 768,000 Macs last quarter compared to 677,000 during the third-quarter of 2010. The company also opened four new international locations including two in France, one in Germany, and one in England, bringing the total number of Apple stores to 327.
On average, the stores each brought in about $10.8 million in revenue compared to $9 million in revenue in the year-ago quarter. The company is expected to open an additional 30 new stores in the next quarter bringing the total opened in 2011 to 40, including 28 outside of the United States.
Apple says its current cash reserves totaled $76.2 billion at the end of the June quarter compared to $65.8 billion at the end of March. Oppenheimer predicted that revenue for the September quarter will increase by a little less than $5 million from $20.3 billion to $25 billion. To date, the company has generated $35 billion in year-over-year revenue growth, and $9.5 billion in year-over-year earnings growth, an increase of 99 percent.
During the question and answer session following the report, Apple COO Tom Cook admitted that iPad sales are cannibalizing overall Mac sales, but added that he believes the tablets are having a larger impact on the Windows PC market.

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Dell Kills Its Losing Streak 5 Tablet

Today is a dark day for 5-inch tablet fans, all 12 of them. Dell announced that its Streak 5 tablet, as reached the end of its life, with no similarly-sized replacement on the way.  This move comes as no surprise to us, because we found many flaws with Dell’s 5-inch slate, including its outdated Android 1.6 OS, sluggish performance, and lack of 720p video recording.
Still, Dell did snuff out the product in style by adorning the Streak 5 product page with a picture of a woman on a road trip with the words “Goodbye Streak 5, it’s been a great ride.” Unfortunately the Streak 5, one of the only mobile gadgets to use a 5-inch display, sat between two very popular product categories. It had no chance against high-end smartphones (which now typically sport 4.3-inch screens and more modern Android phone software) or 7 to 10-inch tablets such as the iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab, or Motorola Xoom.
In addition, the tablet market waters have become very treacherous as electronics makers fight to dethrone Apple. All these factors led to the Streak 5′s demise, but fortunately the market still offers plenty of choices. We’ve recently broken down our picks for top 10 iPad alternatives. Take a look through our selections to determine which device is best for you. 

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