Jonathan Takiff | Get these handy gadgets for students

THE GIZMO: Back to School/Back to the Grind Goodies.

Nothing will remind your new collegiate that "we love and support you" like receiving a high-tech care package. Today's roundup of gizmos could also offer grown-up workaholics some extra motivation for the fall term.

TV OR NOT TV?: Does your kid really need a separate TV in that cluttered dorm room? Not if he/she has a recent vintage computer with a decent-sized screen, and a Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick. About the size of a thumb drive (or pack of gum), this tiny $99 tuner plugs into a PC's USB port, turning the computer into a TV with digital video recorder functionality.

The device tunes both over the air high definition and standard definition broadcasts, using the supplied mini-whip antenna or a more substantial (preferably rooftop) antenna. In urban areas with strong signals, the tuner picks up a big bunch of stations, and the HD picture looks shockingly sharp and detailed.

Alternately, you can connect the Pinnacle product to a cable TV line or box.

The companion software loaded easily into a 2006 Sony Vaio laptop running Windows XP. And I love that it lets you "pause" a live show - which continues to record to your computer's hard drive. Timed recordings can be pre-programmed. The software also will direct your computer to some free Internet radio music stations - most located overseas and heavy on the techno.

TYPING FOR PLEASURE: Put your hands on the Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave computer keyboard ($89.99). You'll wonder, why hasn't anyone ever thought of this before?

This gently curved and rippling keyboard design pays attention to the realities that a typist's hands are usually canted inward, that fingers are not all the same length and that the reach is harder to some keys than to others.

The Wave is not as radical in design as previous Microsoft and Logitech ergonomic split-keyboard products. But this variant is easier to adjust to, and instantly proves its comfort value, also aided by a built-in cushioned palm rest and that shapely companion mouse with laser tracking and tilt wheel (enabling side-to-side scrolling) which is also bundled in the package.

Also, you can step back (way back) from the computer with these cordless honeys. Logitech estimates 2 AA batteries (supplied) will keep the keyboard going for 15 months, while the same number of cells will deliver six months of mouse power. A wired version of the Wave keyboard is available (sans mouse) for $49.99.

UH, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT?: Having difficulty concentrating at an 8 a.m. lecture? Toting and deploying a small digital recorder guarantees you won't miss a pearl of wisdom. Olympus and Panasonic offer good basic models selling for $50 and up. But this reporter's heart has fallen for the pricier (about $230) Sony ICD-BM1A - for its sturdy metal case, intuitive button layout and multiple recording modes - including a super high-grade LPEC codec that's ideal for capturing music in stereo (with an external microphone).

For basic interviews/meetings/lectures, the built-in microphone and playback speaker and lower bit rate recording options still deliver good performance and much higher recording capacity (up to 11 hours) on the supplied and removable/replaceable 32MB Memory Stick media. Like other solid-state recorders, the ICD-BM1A connects to a computer to do file transfer, e-mailing, etc. The Sony alone boasts compatibility with Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice-to-Print Software (optional) - useful after some "training" for printing out personal dictation.

WISH YOU WERE HERE: For those who find phone calls and e-mail communiques don't share enough life experiences, new pocket-sized digital camcorders could fill the void. The Pure Digital Flip ($119.95 with 30-minute recording capacity, $149.95 with 60 minutes) and the RCA Small Wonder ($129 with 60-minute capacity) are clearly blood relatives, though not identical twins. When plugged into a PC's USB jack, the Flip's on-board software makes for especially fast connections and video clip transfer to your home page at YouTube or Grouper. Flip also is primed to send electronic greeting cards and for easy dubbing of contents to a DVD at the local photo lab (for about $10-$13 a pop).

The slightly larger Small Wonder also posts videos hassle-free - though to the lesser known Box.net. Stronger selling points - the RCA model's SD memory card expansion slot offers double or triple recording time.

And its pivoting, spin-around LCD screen helps to frame the shooter in the picture. "Hi, Mom, here I am at the all-night rave!"

SECRET AGENT MAN: Is your student complaining that the copy machine at the library is always out of order?

To the rescue come the Planon RC-800 DocuPen Portable Scanner. Slide this slim wand (very James Bond-like) slowly over a page and it captures the contents with surprising clarity and even color. The built-in memory holds about 20 high-res pages, which are then easily transferred to a computer via (what else?) a USB connection. (That's also how you recharge the device.) Software lets you color-correct photos, add "yellow marker" highlighting and margin notes, and quickly move the captured image into a Power Point presentation. This DocuPen retails for $299, but has been spotted selling for a lot less. *

Send e-mail to takiffj@phillynews.com.