Back to school gadgets with Jennifer Jolly

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Regardless of what grade your child is going into this fall, there's at least one high-tech toll they will both want and need this year. TechNow's Jennifer Jolly shares what to buy without breaking the bank.

An Emmy award-winning consumer tech journalist, Jolly hosts two digital lifestyle series; TechNow for USA Today and Tech's Appeal, with Chip Chick, the largest tech news and information site for women. Both series provide a no-geek-speak go-to for your wired world, giving you the how-to and what-for in a way you can totally understand.

PRODUCTS

1: Livescribe 3 Smartpen: A helpful way for students to take better notes and capture everything from a lecture or seminar. The Livescribe 3 smart pen allows users to write on paper and instantly transfer those notes to an iPhone or iPad. Now available, $149.99.

2: Smartphones: A recent shopping survey shows 2 in 3 parents think teens should have a smartphone - of course 3 in 3 teens agree. Before you buy, do your homework! There are great deals across all models and most plans right now including this one from T-Mobile: four lines - with unlimited talk and text PLUS a full 10GB of LTE data - for $100 until 2016.

3: Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet: The Xperia Z2 Tablet, the slimmest and lightest waterproof tablet from Sony, features the best of Sony's TV and audio technologies for the best portable experience this school year, whether you're in the classroom, on the go, or relaxing at home. Weighing less than 1 lb, this sleek and easily portable tablet is not only great for going to class, but it also packs a powerful 2.3 GHz quad-core processor. Available Now, Exclusively from Verizon Wireless for the 4G LTE version ($499.99 with new 2-year agreement).

4: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio: Perfect for tablet-toting students this must-have spacious keyboard with Bluetooth connection allows students to be productive from anywhere. The case doubles as a stand so it is perfect for typing papers or emails, reading, researching or studying. Comes in an array of colors. $99.99 for iPad Air and $89.99 for iPad mini.

5: Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive: Back up your stuff anytime, anywhere. Now with one click you can protect and share your entire digital life. Perfect to take on the go, the sleek metal case design allows for the thinnest portable hard drive available with up to 2TB of capacity. It goes anywhere, without getting in your way. Starting at $99.99.

6: Invisalign: No more brace-face at school with newest teeth tech.