Unique Work-from-Home Gadgets Spice Up Telecommute Life
Posted September 10, 2020
Last week I delved into the world of digital nomadic life, and it took me down memory lane of how fast technology has evolved in our industry. How did I survive in college without a laptop? I remember the nights that I had to wait until 9 p.m. to use my free cell phone minutes, and now there’s a generation of new workers who will never know workdays without smartphones, let alone know what a rotary phone or landline is. I remember needing to Skype to make calls from remote locations, now thanks to WhatsApp and WeChat, all you need is a decent internet connection to call colleagues or interview contacts.
Now that I’ve aged myself, I’d like to once again take telecommuting to a positive place — whether you’re being forced to work from home during the pandemic or have always been remote like the Brightly Creative team — there are some cool gadgets on the market designed not only to help, but to bring a little fun to your home office days.
The Cool Floating Plant Holder
I have a bamboo in my living room aptly named Herb, and he may get jealous of this levitating play holder from Floately. Plants have been known to destress environments and of course bring more oxygen into our lives, and this one works via magnetic levitation. It also rotates 360 degrees all on its own after being plugged in, aiding in sunshiney meditation.
Wireless Everything
I will be the first to admit that I finally ditched my wired mouse for a Bluetooth oriented one, along with my corded headphones, just within the past six months. Even though I’m constantly afraid I’m going to lose an earbud or the Bluetooth connectors that go with everything, the name of the game here for me is the “cool” factor. Simply put, lugging all those wires in my backpack wasn’t cool looking, and I found myself spending the first 10 minutes of unpacking my “office” detangling my cords.
For those of you who are on the verge of painful carpal tunnel, Business Insider recommends Logitech’s MX Master Wireless Mouse. With an ergonomic design and fast scroll wheel speed, the reviewer says that it’s limited the amount of wrist and hand fatigue.
If you’re telecommuting solely from home and want fewer cords, Logitech’s K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard is a compact, no-frills option. Wireless, cable-free and only about $30.
Earbuds are probably the most personal wireless decision for me. I want something inexpensive, because I know I’m going to lose one sooner than later. I want something with great bass because I love writing to my jams. I want something small, so large headphones are out for me. I want something that cancels out the noise of the loud talkers or the people who haven’t learned the concept of having their own earbuds in public and still talk via speakerphone or turn up videos at high volume (also my biggest digital nomad pet peeve, but I digress). Check out the CNET editors’ picks of the year for your next affordable and cool earbuds purchase.
Taking Paper and Pen Digital
Sometimes nothing beats making a note with a good old-fashioned pen and paper. But, what happens when you have a notebook full of ideas and you can’t find that “one” that you made at 1 a.m. in the middle of a groundbreaking headline writing dream? The zPen blew my mind. Modern Gadget, which has a list of some of the coolest products of 2020, featured this pen that converts what you’ve written down into digital form. Clip the receiver onto your notepad, turn it on, write down your prose, then unclip and plug into your computer’s USB port. It’s a super cool digital spin that links the best of both worlds.
Working with cool technology? Let us know what your favorite work-from-home hack is!
Tags: digital nomad, earbuds, Floately, gadgets, telecommute, wireless, work from home, zPen
CATEGORY: Brightly Creative
