The design engineers at Sony have devised a gadget mashup that really makes sense. The Sony DEV-5 binoculars feature a built-in video camera that captures 3-D video in 1920×1080 pixel resolution. Using a 32-gigabyte memory card, the glasses can record about 2.5 hours of 3-D video or more than 13 hours of 2-D video. A Blu-ray player will play back the video in full HD.

The DEV-5 will be available in November for about $2000. Find out more and see sample video on Engadget.

The Internet is teaming with videos of dogs and cats having fun with iPads and other gadgets. Now your pooch can have a gadget of its own. The GoDogGo Automatic Ball Launcher will toss tennis balls for your dog to fetch, giving you a break. This automated fetch machine launches a tennis ball 45+ feet at 7 or 15 second intervals. It allows your dog to play independently or you can use the remote control to operate it.

This fun gadget isn’t cheap – it sells for $124.99 plus shipping and handling. But maybe it’s worth it if it means you can retire from throwing balls for your dog to fetch. Find out more on the official GoDogGo website.

If you’re in the habit of taking your iPad or laptop with your wherever you go, then it might be time to consider purchasing gadget insurance. Many consumers are unaware that their gadget warranties (even extended warranties) don’t cover theft, water damage and cracked screens.

One of the top players in the gadget insurance game is Worth Ave Group, which has been in business since 1971 and is familiar to any college students who’s worried about dorm room theft. Wave Ave insures laptops, iPads, smartphones, TVs, e-readers and gaming systems.

Gadget insurance is less expensive than you may think. For an $800 laptop, coverage is about $140 with a $50 deductible. (Note that prices vary according to your geographic location.)

Read more about the ins and outs of gadget insurance on the Reuters Money Blog.

The NIKE MAG has been a mythical shoe ever since it captured the imagination of Marty McFly and Back to the Future II audiences. Nike has created a real version of the shoe and between Sept. 8 and Sept. 18 will be auctioning 1500 pairs on eBay. All proceeds will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease.

In Back to the Future II, Fox’s character Marty McFly wore the MAG in the year 2015. The 2011 version is designed to be an exact replica, right down to the shoe’s contours, glowing LED panels and luminescent NIKE logo on the strap.

You can read more about the shoe in this Wired article and see it for yourself in this YouTube video.

This is the final installment in our series on back-to-school gadgets.

Have you ever wished for a portable device that would store all your books and papers, let you take notes and also give you a chance to have some fun when the opportunity presents itself?  The iPad2 is that device, and ZooGue’s BinderPad is an iPad cover with grommets on the side that let you snap your iPad into a standard binder.  This thin, convenient pouch is just 1/2 inch thick and weights 3.5 oz with an iPad inside.  At $29.99, it’s the perfect addition to any iPad-equipped student’s back-to-school gear.

Find out more about the BinderPad on the ZooGue website.  You can also see a review in this YouTube video.

This is Part 3 of our series on back-to-school gadgets.

Kno’s free iPad app helps students save hundreds of dollars on hardcover textbooks while avoiding long lines at the bookstore.  Drag-and-drop can be used to download digital textbooks from Kno’s library of 70,000 titles at prices that are 30-50% cheaper than physical books.  Kno also provides more than 60 features that facilitate reading, note taking and studying. 

Kno works from a website, from Facebook and on the iPad.  Find out more on the Kno website.

Part 2 of our back-to-school gadget series looks at a backpack that has a little something extra.

Personal security is a big concern on many campuses.  The Ultimate Laptop Backpack has a built-in siren and strobe that provide mobile personal security for students as well as campers, nurses, seniors, teens, children and anyone else who is concerned about safety.  Two high-decibel sirens and a high-intensity strobe light can be activated in a split second to attract immediate attention.

The Ultimate Laptop Backpack provides a variety of compartments to stow all your gear.  You can stay hands-free and listen to your audio device from the headphone portal provided on the shoulder strap.  Find out more about this $99.99 security backpack on the GadgetShack website.

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.