10 gifts for the gadget-loving college graduate

If you’re looking for a gift for a loved one fresh out of college – or maybe you’re a recent grad looking to reward yourself as you start your career – these 10 grad-tastic gadgets priced at or well below the $150 mark are both sensible and worthy of throwing a mortarboard into the air.

The Logitech MX Master is the latest flagship mouse from Logitech that comes with that company’s proprietary Darkfield laser tracking that works even on glass or other high-gloss surfaces. The Logitech MX Master connects wirelessly either via an included USB transceiver or Bluetooth, and is optimized for both Windows and the Mac. The built-in rechargeable battery is good for up to 40 days of usage, and can be topped up with enough juice to last a workday in just four minutes — or about the time needed to grab a cup of coffee from the pantry.

Price: $99.99

For the times that you may be away from your desk or between job interviews, the ZAGG Pocket Keyboard is a highly compact keyboard that gives you 85 percent of the typing space of a regular desktop keyboard — and excellent tactile feel — to get things done. The Pocket Keyboard is created with a unique folding design that folds into a rectangle measuring just 9 x 2.5x 0.5-inch, with embedded magnets to keep the integrated stand and keyboard snugly in place.

Price: $69.99

Standard USB-only flash drives are passé; if you want full compatibility with the new generation of devices sporting USB Type-C ports, then the SanDisk Dual USB Drive Type-C is what you need to get. Currently available in storage capacity of 32GB, the flash drive will work with the new MacBook or a tablet equipped with a Type-C port. For use with regular laptops and desktops, simply plug the USB end into a standard USB port.

Price: $64.99

The TwelveSouth HiRise Deluxe for the iPad & iPad is a beautiful metal pedestal that you’ll want at your workstation at work or a home. Adjustable support posts means it is compatible with most iPhone and iPad cases and shells, and the included Lightning cable serves to keep your smartphone fully charged while streaming music or making FaceTime calls. The HiRise Deluxe also comes with a micro-USB cable that can be used with Android and BlackBerry smartphones.

Price: $59.99

The Adonit Jot Script 2 Evernote Edition takes off where the first-gen Jot Script left off, and comes with a slimmer barrel and lighter weight for a better heft. Importantly, the Bluetooth digital stylus for the iPad now incorporates a built-in rechargeable battery that offers up to 20 hours of uninterrupted writing and the same palm rejection capability for supported apps — the included USB-based charger will completely recharge the stylus in less than an hour. And yes, the Jot Script 2 comes bundled with free six months of Evernote Premium to help get you started.

Price: $74.99

Not willing to ditch the paper, but still would like a way to effortlessly digitize your scribbles and notes? Check out the Livescribe 3 Smartpen, which lets you write on a special Livescribe dot paper as you would a normal ballpoint pen. Under the hood, a high speed infrared camera built into the pen itself digitizes your handwriting in real-time. This can be stored to the built-in memory, or synced instantly via Bluetooth 4.0 to the free Livescribe+ app that is available for both the iOS and Android platforms.

Price: $149.95

The Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker is a portable wireless speaker that offers up to 8 hours of music playback via its rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Offering a good blend of portability, lifelike sound quality and price, the SoundLink connects with up to two Bluetooth devices at the same time, and is recharged via its micro USB port. And as its name suggests, the Bose SoundLink Color is available in five different colors to fit your tastes, too.

Price: $129.95

Need a tablet but not keen to blow money you don’t have yet? Then perhaps you may want to check out the Fire HD 6 from Amazon, a 6-inch tablet powered by a quad-core processor — two at 1.5GHz and two at 1.2GHz. The 1280×800 resolution display utilizes in-plane switching (IPS) technology, and is protected by a Gorilla Glass. Most importantly, the Amazon Fire HD 6 costs less than $100 — you could always upgrade to a better one after you get your first pay check.

Price: $99

With so many gadgets in your bag, it is inevitable that one of them will run out of juice when you need it most. The Anker Astro 13000mAh External Battery pack comes with two intelligent USB charging ports to deliver the appropriate current to connected devices, while up to 13,000mAh of capacity lets you recharge your smartphone multiple times. Finally, a battery meter lets you check the power level with the press of a button; holding it activates the built-in flashlight.

Price: $25.99

The Griffin PowerDock 5 is a simple but highly usable desktop dock/charger that lets you juice up to five different gadgets at the same time. Slide your smartphones, tablets or even your Kindle ebook reader into one of the five charging bays, plug in the appropriate charging cable, and you’re good to go. Let your new office colleagues use it and build instant goodwill, too. Note that the PowerDock 5 does not come with any charging cables.

Price: $99.99