Top Back-to-School Tech for Parents, Caregivers, and Kids

As the new school year approaches, parents and caregivers are on the lookout for the best tech tools to help their children succeed. In my recent segment on Las Vegas Now, I shared my favorite back-to-school gadgets that can make a real difference. Here's a roundup of the best tech products to keep your family organized, informed, and ready to tackle the new academic year.

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1. Duckbill: The Ultimate Back-to-School App

With 62% of parents feeling burnt out by life admin, according to a survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Duckbill offers a solution. This hybrid AI personal assistant helps manage various tasks, easing the burden on busy parents.

• School Supply Management: Submit your child's school supply list, and Duckbill will handle the ordering and delivery.
• Activity Scheduling: Keep track of extracurricular activities, set reminders for practice sessions, and get schedules added to your family calendar.
• Appointment Coordination: Schedule and manage appointments for parent-teacher meetings, doctor visits, and tutoring sessions.
• Proactive Reminders: Get timely reminders for school assignments, project deadlines, and important dates.

Pricing: $99/month for one account, $149/month for two accounts

2. Kodak Flik HD9 Projector

Meet the little cube that could. If you want big-screen possibilities without the bulky equipment, look no further than the FLIK HD9 Smart Projector from Kodak. This compact box, equipped with a handle for portability, delivers an exhilarating cinematic experience with full HD imaging and a range of streaming options. The intuitive Android TV interface, automatic keystone correction, and dynamic display make it an all-in-one entertainment upgrade.

Enjoy stunning projection up to 120 inches with rich, brilliant color. The projector supports 4K movies, games, and television with ease. It also features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and various ports, allowing you to connect Apple and Android smartphones, gaming consoles, streaming sticks, laptops, and headphones. The Google Assistant remote control ensures effortless browsing.

Pricing: $249.99

3. Greenlight Debit Card and App

Greenlight is more than just a debit card for kids and teens; it's a comprehensive financial education tool. Designed to teach young people essential money management skills, Greenlight offers several standout features.

• Earnings for Hard Work: Tie allowance to chores or set up direct deposit for earnings.
• Up to 5% on Savings: Set savings goals together and reward good money habits with up to 5% interest on savings.
• Investing for the Family: Research stocks and ETFs to build long-term wealth together.
• 2% Cash Back: Smart spending earns 2% cash back that goes directly into savings.
• Greenlight Level Up™: Fun games teach money skills in bite-sized challenges.

Parents can set flexible controls and receive real-time notifications of their kids' money activities. The app also supports location sharing and crash detection for added safety.

Plans:

• Greenlight Core: $5.99/month (debit card, educational app, and 2% on savings)
• Greenlight Max: $9.98/month (includes investing, 2% cash back, 3% on savings, protection plans)
• Greenlight Infinity: $14.98/month (includes all Max features plus 5% on savings, location sharing, crash detection)

4. Fitbit Ace LTE

Designed for kids ages 7+, its made with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and comes with a protective bumper case, making it bump, scratch and water resistant. The Fitbit Ace LTE isn’t just a smartwatch, it encourages kids to stay active while keeping families connected. With calls, texts and voice messages for up to 20 people, you can contact your kids anytime with the Fitbit Ace app. It also boasts advanced location technology powered by Google to know where your child is -- and with a 16+ hours battery life it stays active all day long (it also provides 11 hours of battery life with only 30 minutes of charging).

Pricing: $229.95 | It offers a data plan for $9.99/month.

5. JBL Live Beam 3 Earbuds

Hi-Res Audio Wireless with JBL Signature Sound

The JBL Live Beam 3 features 10mm dynamic drivers, delivering JBL Signature Sound with deep bass, balanced mid-range, and refined high frequencies, ensuring optimal audio quality at any volume. With JBL Spatial Sound, these earbuds create an immersive experience, making you feel as if the sound is coming from all around you.

The Smart Charging Case™ includes a 1.45-inch touchscreen display, allowing you to customize your sound directly from the case without accessing the JBL App. This feature ensures full control of your audio settings on any device, be it a laptop, TV, smartphone, or tablet.

Equipped with four noise-sensing microphones, the JBL Live Beam 3 provides true adaptive noise cancelling that adjusts in real-time to your surroundings. You can completely tune out external noise or adjust how much ambient sound you let in. The JBL Headphones App offers an audio compensation filter that allows you to customize the noise-cancelling level to fit the unique shape of your ear canal.

Pricing: $199.95

6. JLab JBuddies Studio 2 Headphones

Awarded the “Best Remote Learning Solution of the Year,” these headphones are designed for kids, featuring an 85 dB volume limit, 65+ hours of battery life, and Wireless Share Mode for synchronized audio experiences. From the blacktop to the laptop, kids are always on the go and ready for fun. JBuddies Folding headphones are perfect for toddlers, preschoolers and kids who are ready for life’s adventures. These headphones have an adjustable headband, small kid-sized flexible fit, super-soft pillow cushions, and pinch-free hinges ensure that little fingers stay safe. Plus, you can rest easy knowing they are safe for your little one's ears, with a built-in volume limiter that caps sound at 85db.

Pricing: $30

7. Duracell Portable Power Stations

Perfect for students who use technology daily, Duracell's portable power station includes a tiltable device holder, integrated storage compartment, dimmable ring light, and lots of portable power.

Power phones, tablets, laptops—any of the small devices you need—for work and for life. Lightweight and compact, the M150 features a cord storage unit, a tiltable device holder that has wireless phone charging, a dimmable ring light, a charging dock, and packs in 150 watts of power. You no longer need to be tethered to the wall now that you have portable power for your work and leisure activities.

Pricing: $139

8. Pinwheel: Kid-Safe Smartphone

Pinwheel is a kid-safe smartphone that allows parents to communicate with their children while keeping them safe from the dangers of the web and social media. It includes parental controls, location tracking, and an app library of therapist-reviewed apps. Set up your child’s device to meet their experience and maturity level. Approve contacts and apps, access text messages and call history and set schedules for when contacts and apps are available.

Pricing: First Phone: $14.99 monthly ($13.75 if paid annually)

Additional Phones: $4.99 monthly ($4.58 if paid annually)

9. Mophie Charging Solutions

Reduce the stress and anxiety of running out of power with one of Mophie’s on-the-go or at home charging solutions. They offer a range of charging solutions ideal for students, teachers and caregivers. A few of my favorites include:

3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe - Pricing: $149.95

Keeping all your devices charged while you travel just got easier. The 3-in-1 travel charger with MagSafe has dedicated charging spots for all your main Apple devices. You’ll stay charged on vacation or during a business trip. And when you’re ready to head back home, it all packs up neatly in a convenient carrying case. Designed for Travel: The 3-in-1 travel charger folds up neatly and fits into a compact travel case. Simply unpack and unfold to turn any surface into a charging hub. Charge up to Three Devices Simultaneously: Charge all your main devices in one central location with dedicated spots for your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods/AirPods Pro.

Powerstation Pro - Pricing: $199.95

The powerstation pro XL delivers up to 100W of fast-charging power to all your portable devices including MacBook Pro.* With three USB-C PD input/output ports, it can charge three devices at once. Tuck the powerstation pro XL into your bag so you always have extra hours of power, no matter where you are.

• +12 hrs MacBook|+96 hrs iPhone3: No more low-battery blues when you’re on the move. The powerstation pro XL has got the extra hours you need for your portable devices, from your iPhone to your MacBook Pro.
• 120W of Total Combined Power: The powerstation pro XL delivers up to a combined total of 120W of power to charge your portable devices. Access up to 100W of power using only the first USB-C port to fully charge a large device like a MacBook Pro. Or use all three ports simultaneously to access up to 120W of power collectively.

For more details on these products, watch the segment on Las Vegas Now and visit the respective product websites.