The gift of the gadget

It’s that time of year again. The weather’s getting chillier, finals are on the horizon. But better yet, beyond the tests lie the holidays. So, what are you going to ask Santa for Christmas this year? Laptop Magazine put together a list of the coolest gadgets for college students. Maybe it’ll give you an idea or two, beyond the obvious iPhone, PS3, PSP and Xbox 360. After all, the biggest shopping day of the year is just around the corner. And of course you need these things to do better in school, right?

TunePro flatpanel iPod speaker system: It’s an alarm clock and ultra-modern iPod speaker system all in one. You really need one so you don’t sleep through class (wink, wink). $129

Philips VoIP phone with Skype control: Don’t have unlimited minutes on your cell phone? Few of us do. But if you don’t have the Internet, you’re living in a cave. With a VoIP phone that plugs into your USB port, you can chat the hours away without worrying about wracking up the phone bill. It even has an address-book feature. Mom and Dad will be so happy you can call. $39.99

Sony Net-Sharing CAM: The perfect thing for you YouTube junkies out there. Instead of watching other people’s funny videos, you can create your own, Web-ready clips. Great for all those multimedia projects you have to do for class, right? $199

Apple Macbook: The Mac-daddy of laptops with an Intel Core Duo processor, Bluetooth and 120 GB hard drive, the Macbook is also light enough to take to class with you. $1,299

Brain Freeze

Lucky for seniors, job opportunities for new college grads this winter and spring are expected to rise 7 percent.