As commencement season comes upon us, a lot of your favorite grads may have already amassed a fortune in gadgets and electronics. But as 2008′s gadget of the year begins to age and the student loans start to come due, you can bet your class of ’12er won’t be running around to buy the latest and greatest anytime soon.

So we put together this little gift guide. Give them one last thrill, will ya?

IoSafe Rugged Portable SSD

Speed, security, and reliability are the criteria for purchasing any hard drive, especially an external one. The ioSafe Rugged Portable is a 500GB USB 3.0 SSD drive, and it’s one of the best on the market. It is durable and reliable, and will work even with 2.5 tons of weight crushing it. It will work even if it’s soaked in fuel, oil, water, left out in the sun, sunk in salt water for three days, frozen in ice, or left in a dust storm. This is the Glock of hard drives, and your data will thank you when it’s not lost in damage or failure.

It’s also a solid-state drive, so it’s fast to boot. Technical reviewers like Maximum PC have given the IoSafe high marks. It takes a sledgehammer to break one of these babies. The sleek milled-aluminum (titanium available) case also looks great in a workspace.

Warpia ConnectHD

This may be a better gift to give to the student entering college, but either way it’s a good one. The Warpia ConnectHD is one of the better ways to communicate online over a great distance. It’s a product that looks business but is all personal when you get down to it.

The ConnectHD lets you have live, high definition video conferences online while giving you the power to stream that conference to your living room television, so you’re not stuck sitting in front of the computer to talk to your parents back home. It enables more personal communication over these long distances, and it might help empty nesters, too.

The product features 1080p streaming, HDMI output to your television, a crystal clear multidirectional mic, and 16-bit audio. While you’re running the video conference from your laptop, you can stream up to 30 feet away to your television. Setup is quick and easy, but it’s PC only.

Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 wireless headphones

For the audiophile who has everything, we offer this. The Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 is an uber-high quality headset that, while wireless, will not interfere with your WiFi. The set features adjustable Dolby Surround Sound with virtual 5.1 audio, digital/analog connections, and adjustable bass/treble/midrange effects.

The XP400 also features dual Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to game on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 while answering calls on your smartphone if need be.

At $219, they are an investment, but you’d be pressed to find better headphones.

MUNITIO 9mm Billet earphones

It’s hard to believe, but most people I see walking around, jamming to their tunes on their iPhone or other portable device are using the default earphones/earbuds that came with the phone/iPod.

Fair enough, but allow me, if you will, to propose an alternative.

MUNITIO 9mm Billets are machined from aircraft aluminum and deliver a clear, well-defined sound that outperforms default earbuds and similarly-priced competitors. They are comfortable and produce remarkably tight bass with little distortion on the highs.

And for those of you who multitask, there is a microphone built in for on-the-fly phone conversations.

The use of cell phones while driving not only poses a danger for yourself, but for everyone else on the road as well. Hand-held cell phone use while driving is distracting and its no wonder many states are prohibiting it while driving.

Currently eight states including: California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington as well as the Virgin Islands and D.C now have laws prohibiting drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. In Boston, young drivers can’t be caught on a cell phone and no one is allowed to text while driving.

You will need to pickup a hands-free device to avoid a hefty ticket if you get caught.

Moshi feels they have the right handsfree calling solution to keep you safe while driving, allowing you talk on your cell phone handsfree with their Bluetooth Handsfree car kit. So you’re probably wondering what exactly is it?

Basically the device is nothing more than an advanced speakerphone about the size of a standard garage door opener transmitter, just like the one that attaches to your visor. But don’t let this fool you because it does much more than act just as a speakerphone. The device ships with integrated Bluetooth, so as soon as you get into your car, it will automatically connect to your cell phone and give you the ability to dial and check basic phone status information like battery life, signal strength and allow you to place calls using the built in voice command system, all hands free.

Once you pair the device up with your phone, just say "Hello Moshi" to activate the voice commands and your able to say commands like "redial," "call back," "call favorite # 1-5," "call home," "call voicemail," etc.

I found the device to work very well. Callers were able hear me clearly and vice versa and the voice recognition picked up on what I was saying almost every time. I was also impressed to see that the device recognizes voice commands even from a long distance away. Battery time is also decent with six hours of talk time and 40 hours of standby time.

The device ships with the Moshi Car Kit, magnetic visor clip, car charger and a manual. I was impressed with the design and build quality of the accessories. Normally this isn’t something I pick up on, but I do like the design and how they incorporated in a magnetic visor clip instead of using something non-detachable like plastic. The device removes easily from the visor clip and it is a breeze to bring it inside your home or to switch it out from car to car. The included USB car charger is also a nice plus since it uses standard USB, which can be used to charge other USB devices you might have laying around in your car like a maybe a cell phone or iPod.

There were a few things I didn’t like about the device however. One being that you don’t have the ability to say extension numbers for the device to dial. You also can’t disconnect from a call without pressing any buttons. I also wasn’t pleased when receiving a call from someone in your contacts, the device doesn’t say call from (Persons Name here); instead, it will just read out the person’s number. I found this annoying because I don’t know everyone’s number and I rely heavily on my phone’s contact book for numbers. Finally, I would have liked to have the ability to play my own custom ringtone or jingle rather than having the voice prompt’s machine voice tell me I have an incoming call.

Overall I would recommend this device to anyone looking to go handsfree. Setup was simple, it took less than a few minutes and once the product was paired to my phone, it worked great and connected no problem every time. Another added plus is the compact size and weight of the product. Its almost the exact size of a garage door opener so you can practically charge it up, leave it there and forget about it.

The product is available for $79.99 at moshilifestyle.com.

There are few things worse than running out of cellphone “juice” at the worst possible time. Well, enter Technocel’s Sprint Battery Boost. The Battery Boost is a portable recharging solution and SD card reader all-in-one for your mobile phone, Bluetooth headset and most micro USB devices. Sprint Battery Boost features include:

• Built-in Battery – With a 600 mAh lithium ion battery, the Battery Boost provides convenient recharging to your mobile or USB device for up to 1 hour of additional talk time* via the micro-USB connector
• Micro SD card reader — Battery Boost doubles as a micro SD card reader that allows you to store and transfer data files including photos, documents and music files
• Retractable USB Connector — When Battery Boost is placed within any USB port such as a computer, home or car charger, it will automatically charge its internal battery. You can even charge a battery and your handset at the same time
• Built-in Carabineer Clip — While on the go, use the built in carabineer to clip it on your belt loop, purse, keys, backpack or anywhere else
• Power button & internal battery status indicator — This indicates a low to high battery charge so you can easily see how much juice you have remaining

"Battery Boost consolidates mobile power and media storage into one convenient all-in-one device.  Perfect for a quick recharge or sharing your latest pictures, movies, and songs, this is one product that you’ll truly never want to leave home without," said Rami Rostami, CEO and founder of Technocel.

Sprint Battery Boost is available for $29.99 at Sprint Stores nationwide, and 1-800-SPRINT1. For more information on product specifications and availability please visit www.technocel.com

Expandable phone systems have been around for quite some time now, but what makes the VTech LS6245 so much different from the others and worth mentioning?

How about if we told you this phone system can wirelessly connect to your cell phone via Bluetooth and give you the ability to use your cell phone plan minutes while enjoying the ease and comfort of your home telephone system? Best of all, if you no longer have a landline phone or you are considering getting rid of it, in place of using your cell phone, your in luck as the LS6245 does not require a landline phone connection and will seamlessly work off just your cellular connection.

The unit is also designed for individuals who receive poor cell phone reception in most of their home. The LS6245 is great in a situation like mentioned above because users can connect their cell phones to the unit and leave their phone in a spot where cell service is plentiful and then use the LS6245 handset to travel around their home, even in the basement where you would never receive cell signal, all without having to worry about dropped calls or reception issues.

Out of the box, the system includes a base station with one handset that lives and charges on top of the base station. From there, you can connect up to 12 additional handsets to the base station, which do not require to be connected to a telephone jack. The first thing you notice when your unpack the device from the box is the sleek, shiny, all black design with brushed aluminum trim, which makes for modern looking, nice appearance. Both the base station and the handset use touch sensitive buttons pressed against an all black shiny surface. It’s almost similar to the two front soft keys on a first generation Black LG Chocolate phone. The shiny, all black surfaces look great and give the unit an elegant, yet modern feel; however one thing to keep in mind is that it does attract a lot of fingerprints. VTech is aware of this and includes a black microfiber cloth that easily removes dirt and fingerprints from the unit.

When you remove the handset from the base station, the first thing you notice is the eye appealing backlit keys that pop out and can easily be seen in both day in night situations. We really have to hand it over to VTech for doing such an awesome job with the backlighting on the handset and the stellar appearance. We also really like how they added a red circle around the navigation buttons, which is especially helpful at night and adds better organization. We can’t say that about the base station however. The company did such a great job with the backlighting on the handset, that it seems they forgot about the base! It’s disappointing that only the home and cell button keys light up, which makes it almost impossible to dial or operate the unit from the base station at night.

Aside from that, we’re pretty impressed with the LS6245. It paired very easily and works excellent with a BlackBerry Bold 9650. The entire pairing process took just a few minutes and was very simple. Once paired, the unit was very easy to operate, and call quality was excellent on both the handset and base. We initially thought that the touch sensitive keys might be a problem and make dialing and navigation issue, but that wasn’t the case. Both dialing and navigation was very good and I didn’t end up with one misdialed call, which we have had happen with other phones that utilize touch sensitive buttons. Dialing took a little to get used to since after you enter the number, you must press one of two buttons: one with a house on it or another one towards bottom of the handset that says "Cell." As you would imagine, these buttons correspond with the type of phone connection you wish to use. Calls placed though the landline gateway sounded loud and clear, even when using speakerphone on the base and handset.

Calls being placed though the cellular connection will connect via Bluetooth to your phone and the phone will then dial and place the call. One thing to note is the LS6245 does not charge your cell phone and your phone will continue to work off battery power unless you have it plugged in and charging through and AC adaptor. Also keep in mind that your plan minutes still do apply when you are connected though the cellular connection. Its also nice that the LS6245 has a nice little battery meter in the corner, which keeps you posted on the battery life for the cordless phone, but not the battery life on your cell phone.

The LS6245 is feature packed offering answering machine with remote access capability, Bluetooth connectivity, a directory, call log, intercom support, handset locator, inferred sensor, customizable ringers for each handset and for both landline and cellular calls, call transfer, call waiting, hold, voicemail, conference calling, call screening, automatic redial, caller ID, call sharing, DECT 6.0 technology for better call clarity, range and more.

We also like the intercom functionality. This feature alone is a key selling point of the device and it is incredibly useful. It almost works like an extension system you would find a public building. Select intercom from the main menu from either the base station or from a handset and then select which unit you wish to call. This will ring that phone or base station and you can have a one-on-one conversation with the person where the phone is located. This is perfect for families since they’re now able to call each other for simple things, rather than have to walk across the house for just a short message. One feature we would have liked to have seen, is the ability to broadcast a message to all the handsets at one time. Again, think how useful this could be in a family situation. Mom could say, "Dinner is ready" and broadcast the message to everyone simultaneously, rather than have to yell across the house or call room by room. I’m not complaining though; the one room at a time works for now, but in the future or through a software update, it would be nice to see a broadcast message feature.

There were a few things we didn’t like. In the directory, you must manually program each contact into the phone. This is not only time consuming, but is a pain and We’re not sure why VTech didn’t include the ability to import contacts via Bluetooth. The missing backlight on the base station makes it hard to dial at night and the phone can only be connected to two Bluetooth phones or a handset at a time, but paired to four, which may be an issue with large families. Finally, the LS6245 isn’t really an expandable phone system out of the box and to give it that functionality you must purchase additional handsets that cost around $40.00 per phone.

With its excellent call quality, ease of use and Bluetooth functionality, we can’t help but to recommend the device. It works great, looks amazing and is feature packed. The system is available online in a variety of configurations.

Microsoft seems to have an answer for just about everything Apple does. And not that it’s a bad thing either. Apple gave us Snow Leopard; Microsoft is giving us Windows 7, which has been called their most capable operating system to date. Apple gave us retail stores, so Microsoft announced it was opening retail locations near by.

In response to Apple’s millimeters-thick stainless steel keyboard, Microsoft’s latest announcement is the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, their thinnest keyboard ever. ‚ The entire keyboard is only slightly thicker than the AAA battery that powers it at the back. The stylish keyboard has Microsoft’s familiar ergonomic curved layout.

Something missing from most laptops these days is a number pad. For anyone who uses numbers with any frequency, an external keyboard becomes a necessity. The downside is that a number bad adds a great deal of bulk. Microsoft solved this but making the keypad a standalone product that comes with its own carrying case. Pair it to your computer when you need it, and stow it away when you don’t.

The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 will retail in October for $90, while the number pad will be $45. Certainly not the cheapest keyboard set ever, but probably worth taking a look.

Unknowingly, we broke the story of the iP47 back in March.

It’s a taller, narrower iHome clock/radio/iPod dock. Only this time, it has Bluetooth on board. This allows you you to make wireless speakerphone calls from your iPhone, cell phone, PDA, etc., right from your alarm clock. It also lets you beam your music from any Bluetooth-compatible product (like your laptop) and play it up to 30 feet away on the iP47.

We finally got the chance to play with the iP47, and we’re impressed. The Bluetooth works as advertised, and phone and music playback sound great.

The calls were surprisingly clear over the unit, and you can even make calls using the remote control, leaving your iPhone or whatever plugged in and charging. A tray also pulls out of the unit with a full alphanumeric keypad. You can also plug in anything that’s not wireless via the line-in jack.

At $150, it’s an investment, but weigh the features and decide for yourself.

iHome, the folks who brought you the hot iPod alarm clocks you’re starting to see in every hotel room similar to this one, is going to release some beautiful new iPod-compatible audio systems. We had the chance to take an early look at two of them.

One is small and loud, and the other’s got Bluetooth.

They’re still in the concept stage. Here’s what we’ve gathered so far — mind you nothing is set in stone.

The iH69 iPod Computer Speaker System with Computer Sync, in addition to being a mouthful, is a compact, versatile solution for all your dorm/desktop/bedroom audio needs. It docks, charges, plays and syncs your iPod and computer audio (or any other audio source for that matter) and if it follows company trends, will sound as good as some of the larger computer speaker options out there.

It’s being marketed as a clutter-reducing sound solution. The iH69 also has a remote control and is built on 20-watt, 2.5″ Reson8 speakers.

iHome showed the iH69 concept at CES in January. Look for it later this year in the $200 range.

For a more robust choice, the iP47 looks like it will be a sick desktop solution with built-in Bluetooth to wirelessly stream your audio from a cell phone, PDA or computer. It also works with your iPhone and has a speakerphone/microphone combo that lets you take/make calls right on the device.

Like we’ve seen with other iHome clock/radio options, the iP47 also features dual alarms, AM/FM radio, snooze, etc.

iHome may have a few more tricks up its sleeve later this spring. Stay tuned.

IOGEAR’s GearJuice is a nifty little product that’s perfectly handy for college students, glove compartments, suitcases and laptop bags.

It supplies emergency power to nearly any small, portable device, but not in that disposable, one use, drug store special kind of way. The rechargeable lithium polymer battery will fill up your cell phone’s gas tank three times before the GearJuice runs dry.

GearJuice will charge your Blackberry, iPod, iPhone, PDA, Bluetooth headset, cell phone and nearly any low-power device that takes a USB or mini-USB source. The device detects how much juice you gear needs and outputs the correct voltage.

The product can charge itself from any USB device — so you can just plug it into your laptop or desktop computer. It comes with six attachments, including iPod touch and iPhone and mini-USB connectors. Some models come with American and European wall plug adapters, but my model didn’t come with an AC adapter — which I didn’t mind because it’s actually much easier to charge the GearJuice right off my computer.

One small complaint: the GearJuice should have come with two full-size USB dongles. If you’re charging the device off USB, you aren’t left with a spare cable to go right ahead and charge up your cell phone or iPod at the same time. To this effect, GearJuice won’t turn your laptop into a power inverter.

The device itself charges up in a few hours from a dead, empty battery and IOGEAR says it will hold a charge for six months.

There are a variety of specialty adapters you can buy for GearJuice including the full-sized AC adapters and Samsung, LG and Motorola phone packs if — somehow — your phone doesn’t fit any of the included connectors. (When are all cell phones just going to charge and sync via mini-USB?)

Do yourself a favor, don’t throw out or lose the spare connectors. Put them somewhere where they won’t get lost or tossed. You’re probably going to break, lose or replace your cell phone within a year, and you’ll be crawling around trying to find the other connectors.

GearJuice is compact, comes in a soft, velvet carrying bag and priced right at under $30 on most websites. I approve.

Quick hits:

Developer: IOGEAR
Genre: Power
Launch Date: August 10, 2007

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Download facts and specs

Cobra Electronics will debut the first ever Bluetooth-compatible CB radio at the 2008 Mid-America Trucking Show March 27 through 29 in Louisville.

The patent pending 29 LTD BT is the first-ever CB radio is aimed at making communication easier and safer on the road by bringing your cell phone calls wirelessly into the CB unit.

This isn’t your normal Blast Magazine uber gadget, iPod, MP3 whatchamacallit, but the nerd in me squeals at the sight of this baby.

“With Bluetooth technology, the 29 LTD BT allows drivers a better way to have phone conversations on the road because calls from a mobile phone are synched with the CB radio. A noise canceling microphone allows calls to be heard loud and clear, even over a noisy engine,” Cobra said in a statement earlier this week. “Incoming audio is routed through the radio’s 5-Watt CB speaker making it easy for the driver to hear the caller. The Bluetooth feature also gives drivers the ability to answer and terminate calls by pushing one button on the CB microphone, allowing drivers to stay focused on the road.”

The new 29 LTD BT also has the standard CB complement including access to emergency channel 9, and tactile controls to allow the driver to feel where the dial is in its rotation without taking his eyes off the road.

The new unit also offers 4 Watts AM RF power output, the maximum amount of power allowed by law. (Insert Tim Allen grunt here)

The 29 LTD BT will be available this summer for $189.95.

iSkin’s Cerulean line of products is a handy collection of Bluetooth accessories and earbuds for iPod’s, laptops and other audio devices that let’s you go cordless. They work with laptops, iPods and mobile phones for hands-free calls.

They come in a wide variety of packages and configurations.

In a nutshell, there are three main Bluetooth devices, the TX, the RX and the F1.

The TX sends audio, the RX receives audio, or you can go with the F1 — stereo Bluetooth headphones.

The Cerulean F1 wireless stereo headphones reach 33 feet, and they allow you to to plug-in to any auxiliary audio source or iPod-compatible audio system and listen to it.

They are designed to with with traditional iPod docking platforms, and the TX and RX don’t require any batteries because they’re charged by the iPod and Dock-compatible audio device. You can use them with non iPod products, but you’ll need an external power source and audio wires.

These are great but expensive toys. A set of TX + RX or F1 + TX will run you upwards of $150. They sound great, however and are sleek and stylish on top it it all.

Overall, if you’re willing to put up the extra dollars, iSkin’s Cerulean line is one of the best, most compact Bluetooth devices I’ve used. It removes the wires, but it’s versatile enough to be used away from the traditional iPod application.

Take a look on the iSkin website.

Quick hits:

Distributor: iSkin
Developer: iSkin
Genre: Bluetooth audio
Launch Date: August 8, 2007

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

The Bluetooth Audio Transport is an all-in-one earbud wireless audio product that works with cell phones, stereos, iPods and any other audio source you can think of.

Though there are some considerations to make — this isn’t a good idea for an iPod or another portable MP3 device. The way the Audio Transport works is that it lets you plug a set of earbuds/headphones into a Bluetooth receiver. So there are still wires to worry about, and there isn’t really a point to using this for an already portable device, unless you plan on leaving your iPod on a desk or table or somewhere stationary while you walk around the room. Just not sure why you’d do that…

Anyway, the Audio Transport does give you the ability to listen to any audio source from up to 33′ (feet) away, and the sound quality is pretty good, with SRS “Wow” surround sound technology.

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth device, $50 is the average for cell phone solutions. The IOGEAR Audio transport, at the same price, gives you that and the expanded capabilities.

Features:

• Enjoy music wirelessly from Bluetooth-enabled computers, PDA, MP3/CD players, and more
• Maximum wireless range up to 33 ft.(10 meters)
• SRS WOW surround sound technology delivers optimal music listening experience
• Supports MP3-quality stereo sound (frequency response 20Hz — 20 KHz)
• Works with Bluetooth cell phones and allows you to pick up incoming calls even during music playback
• Integrated 5-way headphone control buttons give you quick access to play/pause, track selection*, and volume control
• Comfortable to wear behind-the-neck style
• Convenient built-in rechargeable battery for up to 6 hours play time
• Connect the Bluetooth Audio Transport to your stereo system to wirelessly listen to music stored in your Bluetooth audio devices
• Avoids interference with other wireless devices and does not requires direct line-of-sight
• Class 2 device compliant with Bluetooth 1.2 specifications Headphones Audio

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars