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cool school supplies [Virginian - Pilot](Virginian - Pilot Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Instead of T-shirts and tennis shoes, parents likely will find another "t" at the top of their kids' school-supply lists this year: tech, as in the mobile kind. Kids as young as elementary age are looking for smartphone upgrades, while the college set is investigating the explosion in tablets brought on by the iPad. No longer luxuries, e-readers and laptops are becoming classroom staples. "Kids don't get excited about a new lunchbox these days, or a new backpack," says Craig Johnson, president of the retail consulting and research firm Customer Growth Partners in New Canaan, Conn. "Cool means technology." We look at what's hot for the school year, from high-tech gear to plain old notebook covers. high-tech stuff Electronic tablets What's hot Apple iPad 2; tablets using Android, such as Archos; Toshiba Thrive; Hewlett-Packard TouchPad Apple's iPad2 remains the tablet of choice for the back-to- school crowd, but there are competitors everywhere this year. The iPad 2 "is the only tablet on the market that kids are coveting," says tech analyst Natali Morris. Some Android tablets are good for note-taking and syncing, Morris says. Also, some new tablets run Adobe Flash software, which Apple doesn't. The Toshiba Thrive is the choice of tech analyst Andrea Smith. The 10-inch device runs on Android and has two USB ports and an SD card reader. The TouchPad by Hewlett-Packard also wins recommendations. The device runs on webOS, has a 9.7-inch screen and touts easy multitasking among open apps. e-readers What's hot The Nook by Barnes & Noble The Nook wins the nod among devices meant only for reading. The new Nook has a 6-inch touch screen; crisp, clear print for reading in bright light; and a battery that has been praised for its long life. Smith says a cool feature is that the Nook indicates how many pages to the end of a chapter. Laptops What's hot Apple MacBook Air, Samsung Series 9 Apple's MacBook Air, with an 11- or 14-inch screen, is Morris' pick for student laptop. The laptop weighs as little as 2.3 pounds and boots up in about five seconds. Those features are good for students moving from class to class. The Samsung Series 9 is a strong contender, Morris says. The computers are light, boot Windows in 20 seconds and offer 160- degree viewing for group work. Accessories Flash drives shaped like animals - safari to farm - have taken off. Also look for Tony Hawk-branded skateboard drives this year. stuff that writes What's hot B2P pens by Pilot, Zebra Z-Grip Animals Ballpoint Pens, Post-it Flag Pen, Sharpie Gel Highlighters, Crayola Dry-Erase Crayons Pilot's B2P pens - B2P stands for "bottle to pen" - are made from recycled plastic bottles and designed to look like one. They're lightweight and have gel ink. Animal-print pens and erasers are everywhere, including Staples, which features Zebra Z-Grip Animals Ballpoint Pens. Post-it's Flag Pen is a cool pen from a company that has been putting flags for tagging into the tops of pens and highlighters for a while. There's also a highlighter-pen combo in a three-pack with room for 50 color-coordinated flags on a shirt clip. Sharpie highlighters have gone gel, which allows them to work on a wider variety of paper, including ink jet, glossy and extra-thin surfaces. Twist the bottom to push up the gel. Crayola's dry-erase crayons come with an eraser mitt. stuff that sticks What's hot Staples Sustainable Earth Sticky Notes, Post-it Greener Notes, Post-it Super Sticky Personal Calendar Sustainable Earth by Staples comes in 3-by-3-inch sticky notes that are 50 percent sugarcane fiber and 50 percent recycled paper. Post-it Greener Notes are made with 100 percent recycled materials and a plant-based adhesive. Post-it's Super Sticky Personal Calendar features weekly peel- and-stick calendar sheets and comes in a handy 7-by-8-inch size, 25 to a pack. They're easy to plaster on the fridge or a notebook. stuff for papers What's hot Pottery Barn Teen Gear-Up Homework Holders, Avery Style Edge plastic dividers, Staples rhinestone-studded scissors and other accessories, notebook covers with Azuna 3-D technology Pottery Barn Teen's Gear-Up Homework Holders are full-zip, water- resistant fabric homework holders that come in a variety of tween- girl patterns, from peace signs to zebra stripes. There's a three- ring binder inside and a front zip flap for quick access. Includes an insert for pencils and pens. Avery's Style Edge plastic dividers offer a groovy rainbow of translucent bubble tabs. Rhinestone-studded supplies such as scissors, staplers, pens and calculators can be found at Staples. Azuna 3-D technology has transformed the simple notebook cover. "It's very, very cool," Christine Mallon, vice president of retail marketing for Staples. The covers are available at Staples. above items TOP ROW (from left) Apple's iPad2; Azuna notebook by Carolina Pad, with a 3-D image on the cover; the Nook e-reader. 2ND ROW The Gear-Up Black Pop Dot Homework Holder from Pottery Barn Teen; Zebra Z-Grip Animals Ballpoint Pens; Post-it's Super Sticky Personal Calendar. 3RD ROW Glam Rocks Stapler from Staples; Post-it's Flag Pen; Quiksilver SurfDrive USB Flash Drive from Staples. BOTTOM ROW Apple's MacBook Air; the Sharpie Gel Highlighter; the Toshiba Thrive. 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