As students get ready to head back to college, they’ll be thinking about courses, books and of course new gadgets.  Here’s Part 1 of our back-to-school gadget roundup.

The iHome iA17 Clock Radio for iPhone, iPod and iPad devices has a unique color-changing feature that allows you to wake up to your own music or FM radio and enjoy an energizing display of lights.  The translucent phone base changes color mode with the touch of a button with five different color change modes are available, including slow fade and pulse to music.  This clock radio also serves as a docking station where you can charge and play your Apple device.  Use exclusive iHome apps to control clock and radio settings. 

Find out more about the iA17 clock radio on the iHome website.

At the recent Comic-Con event in San Diego, California, Microsoft revealed a limited edition Xbox 360 that will be modeled on a Star Wars theme. The console will be modeled after the R2-D2 character, while a wireless gold controller will resemble C-3PO. When the console is turned on, it will emit the character’s signature beeps. It will feature a 320-gigabyte hard drive, the largest available on the Xbox 360 to date.

The Star Wars Xbox 360 will retail for about $450 and will come with a Kinect sensor and headset. It will also include an action-adventure game called Kinect Star Wars.

Read more about the limited edition Star Wars Xbox 360 at Yahoo! News.

Google+, the new social media startup from the search engine giant, is reported to have reached more than 20 million users a short 2 weeks after opening registration on an invitation-only basis.  According to MSNBC, it took Facebook and Twitter more than 2 years to reach the same level of membership.  However, the startup still has a ways to go to catch up with Facebook’s current 750 million users and Twitter’s 200 million.

Learn more about Google+ in this YouTube video.  If you’re intrigued, you can take an interactive tour and find out about registering on the Google+ website.

Casio has revealed plans for a new G-Shock watch with a low-energy variant of Bluetooth 4. In addition to offering the water-resistant and shock-resistant features found in other models of the G-Shock, this new watch will connect wirelessly with your Bluetooth 4 smartphone, updating its time from your phone. It will also notify you when you have an incoming call or email message.

Casio claims that the G-Shock Bluetooth 4 watch will run for up to two years on a single battery. The watch’s availability and it price are still unknown.

Read more about the G-Shock Bluetooth watch on Wired’s Gadget Lab blog. If you’re interested in innovative watches, read about the Sportive All-in-One Training Watch.

If you have a collection of favorite music on vinyl or cassette, you can digitize it with this unique audio recorder.  The Victoria Tunewriter III is a multi-functional music system that allows you to play music from an MP3 player, vinyl record or audio cassette as well as record it and convert it to MP3 format or burn a new CD. 

Before your vinyl or tape music collection deteriorates further, modernize your music by converting it to digital.  An added benefit is that you can then share your favorite songs with family and friends. 

The Victoria Tunewrite III has a retro design that will make it a focal point on any room.  You can connect it to your home stereo or external speakers for enhanced sound quality or use the headphone jack to listen via headphones.

Find out more about the Victoria Tunewriter III on the Grace Digital Audio website.

Following a product launch by none other than Lady Gaga, the Polaroid GL10 instant mobile photo printer is now available for pre-order.  The printer is one of the gadgets that Lady Gaga will be promoting for her Grey Label product line.

The GL10 connect to smartphones wirelessly via a Bluetooth connection and can be USB-connected to computers and other digital cameras.  This compact printer weighs in at less than a pound and prints 3×4 classic Polaroid prints.   

Read a full review of the Polaroid GL10 instant photo printer on Engadget.

We recently saw a friend with what looked like an Etch A Sketch but turned out to be a clever case for his iPad. What better way to bring out your inner child than with an iPad case that takes you back to the days of simpler gadgets? This sturdy case from Headcase is an exact match for the Etch-A-Sketch of your childhood, but instead of a screen for drawing has a felt pad around the center opening and rubber bumpers that hold your iPad securely in place.

If you’re looking for an iPad case with screen protection, this is not the case for you. But if you like a novelty and want to make your friends sit up and take notice, you can find out more about the Headcase Etch A Sketch iPad Case on Amazon. You may also want to check out the iGuy Standing iPad Cover.

At the recent E3 2011 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles, Nintendo unveiled its long-rumored new controller. The next generation Wii U console will come with a built-in 6.2 inch touchscreen. It will also feature a microphone, two triggers, a gyroscope, a front-facing camera and a stylus. The controller now resembles a portable game machine, but Nintendo President Satoru Iwata explained that is purely a controller to be used with a Wii game machine, taking the place of a TV. In later interviews, Iwata stated that the Wii U will initially only work with single-controller games or with double-player games where player two uses a regular Wiimote controller.

See the official announcement and find out more about the Wii U Controller in this YouTube video. You can also read more about the Wii U controller on Engadget.

With the third generation version of the MacBook Air (MBA), Apple seems to have gotten in right. Weighing in at just 2.3 lbs with a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of memory, the 11-inch MBA offers a lot of hardware in a small package. The longer-lasting battery provides up to 5 hours of use and perhaps best of all, the overheating problem that existed in earlier versions of the MacBook Air has been eliminated.

Many users are climbing onto the iPad 2 train, but for keyboard-intensive applications the MBA might be a better choice. Read a comparison of day-to-day use of the MacBook Air vs. the iPad 2 on the Cnet website. If you’re ready to shop, visit the Apple store.

Kohler’s Numi is the toilet of the future, with a self-opening lid and self-cleaning bidet.  It has a sleek modern design that some detractors  say resembles a trash more than a conventional toilet.  The Numi includes a touch panel with adjustable controls that allow you to customize both water pressure and temperature, while heating elements keep both your seat and fee toasty.  Musical atmosphere is provided by a built-in speaker that connects to an external docking station. 

See the Numi promotional video in this YouTube video, which was filmed in the iconic Stahl house in Los Angeles.  You can find out more about the Numi on the Kohler website.