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Living in the average dorm room costs students around $5,500 a year, but that only buys you drab cinderblock walls and bad furniture. To make your digs stand out, you’ll need some serious gear. We’ve put together a list of five dorm-room…well, certainly not essentials, but they’re definitely gadgets that’ll help your room stand out.
See them all in our gallery.
Stereo: JVC Kaboom! Audio Boombox
JVC’s boombox can blast tunes from its FM radio, CD player or iPod dock, or double as an amplifier with a quarter-inch input for a guitar or mic. To prevent fat beats from rumbling the setup, its two five-inch woofers fire in opposite directions, canceling out each other’s shakes. JVC Kaboom! Audio Boombox: $209 at Amazon
Target Shooter: Max Force Maximizer
Like a paintball gun but without the mess, Max Force’s piston-firing pellet shooter has a range of 60 feet. Its water-soaked paper-and-wood bullets spatter on impact so you can confirm a kill, but wipe off easily once the battle is over. Max Force Maximizer 60: $25 at Amazon
Guitar: Kitara
Part electric guitar, part synthesizer, the Kitara mimics dozens of instruments in a case that tucks neatly in a cramped closet. In guitar mode, its 144 neck keys act as frets for six virtual strings on its eight-inch touchscreen. In synth mode, use the keys like a piano, and drag your finger on the screen to warp sounds. Misa Digital Kitara: $960 at Misa Digital
Laptop: Sony Vaio Z Series
Even at a svelte 2.5 pounds, Sony’s new Z-series can handle your next Crysis 2 marathon without a blip. At your desk, a unique docking station equipped with a graphics card connects directly into the laptop’s processor through a high-speed data port. Unplug the dock it when it’s time to trudge to class. Sony Vaio Z Series: From $2,000 at Amazon
Beer-Pong Table: BDPong Just Chillin’ Table
A game of beer pong used to mean chugging tons of nasty warm beer. To solve the problem, this custom folding game table (pictured here behind all the other goodies) has two thermoelectric chips—similar to those that help cool PC towers—that chill triangular aluminum plates where your keg cups sit. (At least your beer won’t be as bitter as defeat.) BDPong Just Chillin’ Table: $275 at BDPong Shop
