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Engadget's back to school guide 2011
<div style="text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/backtoschool2011/"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/engadget-bts2011-1.jpeg" style="margin:4px 0px;"/></a></div> Welcome to Engadget's Back to School hub! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. You've stumbled upon our main hub page, and we're glad you're here. Each week in August we'll be adding three new product guides to our home page, and we'll collect them all here as well. And after the final guide hits the web on September 2nd, we'll be drawing names for Engadget's <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/02/engadgets-back-to-school-2011-sweepstakes-were-giving-away-3/">biggest giveaway to date</a>. You'll hear more about that very soon, but for now, click on over to our available category pages, and stay tuned for those to come -- identified by a faded graphic for now.<br /> <br /> <center> <table border="0" style="width:630px;height:281px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/29/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-accessories/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/2011btscanonmouse2.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/24/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-bags-and-cases/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011-timbuk2.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/17/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-desktops/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011-hp-touchsmart-610.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-digital-cameras/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011-nexc3-land.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/29/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-accessories/">Accessories</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/24/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-bags-and-cases/">Bags and Cases</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/17/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-desktops/">Desktops</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-digital-cameras/">Cameras</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-speaker-docks/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011-octiv-650.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/03/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-e-readers/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011nook.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/19/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-fun-stuff"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011funstuff-1311893940.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-gaming/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011sony-playstation-vita.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-speaker-docks/">Docks</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/03/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-e-readers/">E-readers</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/19/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-fun-stuff">Fun Stuff!</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-gaming/">Gaming</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-headphones/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011headphones-1311894413.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/26/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-laptops"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011laptop.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/05/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-printers/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011printer.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/22/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-smartphones"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011phone.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-headphones/">Headphones</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/26/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-laptops">Laptops</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/05/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-printers/">Printers</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/22/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-smartphones">Smartphones</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/15/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-tablets/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011tablet.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-televisions/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/bts2011tv.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:0px 4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> </h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/15/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-tablets/">Tablets</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-2011-televisions/">TVs / Displays</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> </h5> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </center>
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: digital cameras
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we've got our optical viewfinders set firmly on digital cameras -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Welcome to Digital Cameras 101. This single-lecture class will feature a handful of top cams for every budget, and since you're just getting back from a summer of wild shooting, we'll try to keep things brief this time around, giving you one last chance to enjoy that crisp natural light. There won't be a pop quiz, but if you're feeling lucky and don't mind following our simple instructions, we may just be able to send you home with your very own Sony NEX-C3. Simply leave a comment below to be entered to win, and check out our giveaway page for more details. So wipe off the glasses, grab your clicker, and get ready to jump past the break for a top-level overview of this year's picks for back to school.
Apple's back-to-school promo reportedly beating Microsoft 8 to 2
According to a report from Global Equities Research, more incoming college students are picking up an Apple computer than a Windows computer this year. Apple is not just edging out Microsoft either; Macs are beating out Windows machines at an impressive rate of 8 to 2. About 80% of incoming students will rock a Mac and an increasing number of current students are ditching their Windows machines in favor of an Apple-branded product. iPads are also a hot product among senior students, says the Global Equities Research report. The research also suggests many students are taking advantage of Apple's Back to School $100 gift card promo. What are they doing with extra windfall of iTunes cash? Buying songs, of course.
Gateway updates its ID and NV laptops with USB 3.0, Sandy Bridge and Llano internals
Acer's had its day (or two) unveiling back-to-school laptops, and now it's its sister brand Gateway's turn. The outfit just announced the 15.6-inch NV series and the 14-inch ID47, both of which include USB 3.0 and a choice of Sandy Bridge processors. (In the case of that entry-level NV, you can also opt for one of AMD's fresh-off-the-line Llano chips.) But the company did more than just give its notebooks a spec bump -- it also tweaked their designs, adding a chiclet keyboard to the NV series, while the metal-clad ID's trackpad is 20 percent larger and no longer glows like a mood ring. The ID47 also has a 14-inch display crammed into a chassis usually paired with 13.3-inch panels, as well as a non-removable battery that promises up to eight hours of juice. (The NV is rated for up to four hours.) And, in an unusual twist, our friends in Canada will get additional choices, including a 15.6-inch version of the ID, as well as select models with NVIDIA Optimus. Both the ID47 and NV55 / NV57 are available now, with the ID starting at $629.99 and $799 Canadian, and the NV fetching $529.99 and $499 Canadian. Check out the various configurations after the break, with lots 'o photos below. Update: Lots of you are asking about the screen resolution on these guys. It's not in the press release, but the answer is 1366 x 768, across the board. %Gallery-127868% %Gallery-127869% %Gallery-127832%
Best Buy to match Apple's $100 Back to School promo
If you were waiting for Apple's annual Back to School promotion to pick up a free iPod to go along with your new Mac, you're probably not very happy with this year's deal -- Apple isn't giving away iPods. Instead, you get a $100 gift card that you can spend in the Mac App Store, iTunes Store, App Store or the iBookstore. For those of you who would rather buy more hardware, head on over to Best Buy, because they're matching Apple's promo with a $100 Best Buy gift card. To qualify for both the Apple and Best Buy promotions, you need to be a college student, a student accepted to college, a parent buying a computer for a college student, or faculty or staff at any grade level. Your purchase of a MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac or Mac Pro will get that $100 gift card into your hand so that you can spend it on electronic goodies. Best Buy isn't advertising this promotion, so you must ask your sales rep about it to start the ball rolling.
Apple Back to School promotion starts June 16 with a $100 gift card
Apple's annual Back to School promotion begins June 16 and runs until September 20. There are a few things that are different with this year's promotion compared to years past. First, the promotion is starting about two weeks, on average, later than in earlier years. Secondly -- and most notably -- this year's promotion will not include a free iPod with any Mac purchased. Instead, buyers will receive a $100 gift card that is good in the Mac App Store, iTunes Store, App Store or the iBookstore. MacRumors offers photographic proof of this year's promotion and its changes. Many may be dismayed over the lack of a free iPod, but it's likely Apple feels that with the success of the iPod touch, iPhone and Macs, it doesn't need to offer such an incentive to get people to buy this year. A $100 gift card for use in the Mac App Store and other online stores could actually be more helpful to students and parents. There are several companies selling textbooks in the iBookstore, and there are hundreds of Mac apps that could be useful in a school setting (like the iWork suite). The fact that no free iPods will be offered during this year's promo also leaves the launch of the next iPods and iPhones totally up in the air. It used to be expected that Apple wouldn't launch new iPods before the Back to School promotion ended, as it was a way for the company to clear out inventory. Now, however, the Back to School promotion is not tied to any specific timetable.
Toshiba outs blingtastic Qosmio X770 for the US market, new P, C, and L series laptops
See that refined beast? You're looking at the Toshiba Qosmio X770 -- that European gaming behemoth we ogled from afar last month -- and in a matter of weeks, it'll continue its world tour to land on US shores. To recap, the company shrunk the screen from 18.4 inches to a more manageable 17.3, gave it a paint job that ever-so-subtly fades from red to gunmetal gray, and added a matching red backlit keyboard. This beefy guy comes in $1,199 and $1,899 configurations, with the higher-end model packing a 3D display, quad-core Core i7 CPU, and a 1.25TB hybrid hard drive, and the lower end offering a dual-core Core i5 CPU and a 750GB HDD. Either way, though, you'll get NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M graphics, 1.5GB of video memory, and MaxxAudio3 sound enhancement software. Meanwhile, Toshiba streamlined its consumer laptops for those non-gamers in the back-to-school crowd, axing the A and M lines, and leaving just the P series, for "premium." It'll include 14-, 15.6-, and 17.3-inch models, all decked out in a textured, two-tone Fuxion X2 finish and featuring USB sleep-and-charge ports, HDMI-out, Harman Kardon speakers, and that same MaxxAudio 3 utility. Depending on the configuration, you can also score NVIDIA GeForce GT540M graphics, Intel Wireless Display, a 4G radio, a Blu-ray drive, and a 3D screen (only on the 15-incher). On the inside, you've got your choice of Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 CPUs or a spankin' new A6-3400M accelerated processing unit from AMD. Look for the 14-inch P745 with a starting price of $699, and 15-inch P755 and the 17-inch P775 for $629 and up. And, rounding out its portfolio, Toshiba refreshed its budget Satellite L700 series with Core 2011 processors and new AMD A4 and A6 APUs, while the entry-level Satellite C800 gets AMD Fusion C-50 and E-350 APU options. None of these laptops go on sale until later this month, so for now you can content yourself with those up-close-and-personal hands-on shots below. %Gallery-126296% %Gallery-126295%
Weekend rumor roundup: Apple Retail event, new MacBook Airs, unlocked iPhones, more
Several rumors with varying degrees of credibility came up over the weekend. According to AppleInsider, Twitter user @chronicwire (reportedly a source of past Apple leaks) reports that Apple's retail stores are setting up to launch Apple's annual Back to School promotion on Wednesday. The same source initially reported that the Back to School promo will coincide with the launch of new MacBook Airs, but he has since retracted that claim. Instead, Chronic claims the part numbers he initially thought represented new MacBook Airs indicate that Apple will start selling versions of the GSM iPhone 4 that are not carrier-locked to AT&T. Although the MacBook Air is widely expected to have a refresh soon, this is the first we've heard of unlocked iPhones being offered for sale in the U.S., and it's something we'll file under "We'll believe it when we see it." The iPhone is already sold free and clear of carrier locks in several markets, but GSM model iPhones sold in the U.S. remain carrier-locked to AT&T unless you jailbreak. Chronic has also released screenshots that supposedly come from an "internal build" of iOS 5. These screenshots show that Nuance voice recognition, expected to be integrated in iOS 5 but not discussed at WWDC, is still in development. Other sources have claimed these voice recognition features weren't ready to be shown off at WWDC but should be good to go by the time iOS 5 launches this fall. Finally, a reader has informed us that New Zealand's online Apple Store is now showing shipping times of 5-7 business days for the 1 TB Time Capsule and 1-2 weeks for the 2 TB model. These extended shipping times are also showing up in Apple's Australian and UK stores, and the Canadian Apple Store is showing a 1-2 week delay for the 1 TB Time Capsule. The U.S. store and most international stores are not showing the same delay, but they're further indicative of the Time Capsule supply constraints we reported last week, which may mean a product refresh is imminent. We'll be keeping a very close eye on Apple's online store on the Tuesday overnight shift, and we'll let you know if anything new comes up.
Apple education deal rumored for WWDC
BGR broke out a rumor today suggesting Apple may unveil a new Back-To-School promotion at WWDC. As part of this sale, everyone who buys a new Mac with their educational discount would receive a free iPod touch or $200 off the cost of an iPad. For the past several years, Apple has kicked off a back-to-school promotion in late May or early June. It would not be surprising to see this discount extended to the iPad this year. The WWDC part of this rumor, though, has us scratching our heads. In previous years, these promotions were announced on Apple's website. There was no event, not even a press release. Yes, they occurred around the time of WWDC, but they were not announced at WWDC. Why would this year be any different?
Apple to launch Back to School promo next week
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple will begin its annual back-to-school promotions next week. The promotions typically run from late May/early June to the first week in September. Shoppers can probably expect a free or discounted iPod touch when a Mac is purchased, as that is usually what Apple has offered in years past. AppleInsider didn't list a specific date for this year's launch, but past year's back-to-school promotions have launched as early as May 25, and as late as June 5. The promotions usually wrap in early September -- or about a week before Apple launches new iPods. When Apple does announce the dates of this year's back-to-school promotions, you can bet that not only will the new iPod touches not ship before the end of the promotion, but probably the next iPhone and launch of iOS 5 will not occur before then as well. Apple is rumored to be consolidating its iPhone and iPod touch launch events.
Best Buy to expand iPad availability, sales cannibalizing laptops by up to 50%
Here's another report of the iPad stealing attention and money away from more traditional computing. Best Buy's CEO Brian Dunn tells the Wall Street Journal that the iPad has "cannibalized" sales of laptops by up to 50%, meaning that customers in the big box retail store have gone for Apple's tablet rather than a traditional keyboard-and-screen computer. That's pretty astounding, although if you think about the period Best Buy has just been through, with back-to-school students and parents shopping for consumer technology, it's not surprising to think that lots of people would go for a brand-new iPad over a similarly-priced laptop. Best Buy is also expanding its iPad coverage, bringing the Apple product to all of its over 1,000 U.S. stores by the end of this month. The big retailer is in the midst of a transition, moving away from previously huge libraries of DVDs and CDs and towards consumer electronics and end-user entertainment devices. It's still projecting higher revenues, but one analyst says that Best Buy is really aiming for "tablets, e-readers and probably the higher-end digital cameras." That means that it makes a lot of sense for them to get in close to Apple and the iPad. [via MacRumors]
Engadget's back to school giveaway, part two: win a lot of awesome gear worth nearly $2,400!
Hey, there: it's that time of year again. You or your loved ones will soon be heading back to school (if you haven't already). We've been trying to help everybody out for the past month with our back to school guides -- which you can check out right here -- but we thought we'd take it a step further, and give you, our dear readers, a chance to win some of the gear featured in the guides this year. We'll be doing three total giveaways this week, and here's what we've got for you today. - Toshiba Portege R705 P25 laptop worth $799 - Grace Digital Audio Eco Extreme Rugged all terrain Speaker Case worth $49 - i4 Universal desktop charger woth $59 - Pentax Optio H90 digital camera worth $149 - Altec Lansing Mix IMT800 worth $300 - Sony ICF-CL75iP Clock Radio worth $149.95 - Sprint Samsung Intercept worth $99 -Amazon Kindle 3G (Graphite version) worth $189 -HP ePrint All-in-One printer with an HP 60 Photo Value Pack, HP 60 XL Cartridges, a $200 Staples Gift Certificate and a $50 Snapfish Gift Certificate (courtesy of HP -- click here for a behind-the-scenes look at HP's inkjet technology 'Inkology). Yes, that's nearly $2,400 of gear for one lucky winner. All you need to do to win is leave a comment below, and read the full rules after the break. Good luck!! Thanks to Toshiba, Grace Digital Audio, i4, Pentax, Altec Lansing, Sony, Sprint and HP for providing the gear! Special thanks to all the companies for providing us with the gear!
Engadget's back to school guide: Printers
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we've got printers in our sights -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides. Even if your textbooks, your movies, your music, and the photographic evidence of your quasi-legal sorority hazing exists purely in the digital domain, you'll have to print out things like term papers and court documents sooner or later. (Thought we forgot about that hazing, didn't you?) We know that's money tight, so we've found something to suit every budget. Now, on to the printers...
Engadget's back to school giveaway, part one: win $1,500 worth of gear!
Hey, there: it's that time of year again. You or your loved ones will soon be heading back to school (if you haven't already). We've been trying to help everybody out for the past month with our back to school guides -- which you can check out right here -- but we thought we'd take it a step further, and give you, our dear readers, a chance to win some of the gear featured in the guides this year. We'll be doing three total giveaways this week, and here's what we've got for you today. - Toshiba Mini NB305 worth $380 - Booq Boa Squeeze backpack worth $99 - 8GB Echo Smartpen worth $199 - Mobile Life Studio Plus external hard drive worth $119 - Altec Lansing Octiv Mini worth $40 - Sprint Samsung Intercept worth $99 - T-Mobile Blackberry Curve worth $279 Yes, that's nearly $1,500 of gear for one lucky winner. All you need to do to win is leave a comment below, and read the full rules after the break. Good luck!! Special thanks to all the companies for providing us with the gear!
Engadget's back to school guide: Televisions
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we have HDTVs in our sights -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. All those small screen devices in our back to school guide so far are nice, but lets face it, when it comes to watching TV or taking a quick Call of duty study break, you're going to need something more sizable. Higher end features like 1080p resolution, 120Hz and LED lighting have trickled down to more affordable price ranges so there's really no excuse for lugging a CRT as old as you are into any dorm room this fall. Whether you're looking something that pulls double duty as a computer monitor for work and HDTV for play (at the same time) or just the biggest screen for the buck there's plenty to choose from, so let's select a few winners from the crowd.
Tonight's TUAW Talkcast: Back to school and an iPod announcement preview
Sunday night is the funnest night of the week, when you can join the TUAW staff for an hour or so of live banter about what's happened in the Apple world in the previous week. This week, we'll also be chatting about the mystery Apple press conference on Wednesday, which probably isn't too much of a mystery given the past history of September press meetings. It's also the time of year when the kids are going back to school, so we'll talk about some of the best Apple and third-party products and software for students of all ages. To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac or your PC, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients or using the Talkshoe client's ShoePhone tool; basic instructions are here. We'll kick things off at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT. See you there!
Engadget's back to school guide: Fun stuff!
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. On the menu today are a handful of fun yet practical gadgets, but feel free to check out our Back to School hub for more recommendations in other categories. It's a tough road ahead for aspiring students like yourself (yes, you!), but that doesn't mean one should abstain from any form of entertainment throughout the course. If anything, you'll be needing a few fun gadgets from our Back to School guide to impress your schoolmates -- it's not like your Facebook page will be automagically adding friends any time soon. But as the old saying goes, "work hard, play hard," so we've also thrown in a few picks that'll aid your study. When you're ready, click along for our latest list of awesomeness.
In brief: Free iPod with Mac purchase offer ends 9/7
As expected, Apple has sent out a quick reminder that the annual discount offer for college students -- buy a new Mac, get a free iPod touch -- is expiring September 7. While this date was expected to coincide with the rock & roll introduction event, we now know that the big shindig will be taking place next Tuesday Wednesday, September 1. Got some money burning a hole in your pocket? Are you, or do you know a college student? Time for that new Mac, but it's running out.
A barrel of free books from Kaplan makes a great back-to-school haul
Kaplan Publishing is offering quite a few free eBooks through the iTunes store, but you can only access them on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. It's a great deal if you're heading back to school or just want to stock up on some quality reference material. The books are in the categories of college prep, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing and education. The book are free from now until August 30. Kaplan first became well known to students preparing for SAT and other exams such as the GRE, GMAT, LSAT and many others. The company then expanded into publishing on many education topics. %Gallery-100381%
iTunes U breaks 300 million downloads
iTunes U lets students (or anyone, really) listen in on lectures, classes and other programs from the world's top educational institutions. In fact, more than 800 universities participate, and this week Apple announced the delivery of 300 million iTunes U downloads. Students can use iTunes U to find lectures and other materials related to their studies, of course, but really anyone with an interest in continued education can browse the store's contents for audio or video that meets their areas of interest. For example, here's a collection from the Stanford Historical Society, and another from Japan's Keio University. All iTunes U content is free. Congratulations to Apple and the participating institutions.
