This pandemic forced us to see the world in a new way, as the home office became the new normal, office gadgets the tools that helped you not to go mad, and remote work a new standard. We had to isolate from friends or family and face the fear of a new threat with limited knowledge and resources. And where social distancing prevailed, technology was there to fill in the gap. It offers people in need a helping hand and makes these dire times more bearable.
We started with makeshift respirators. We made 3D printed masks. We even used robots with aid and assistance on a global level. People started using technology more than ever before, to help with stress, to pick up new skills, or find new ways of transportation. This pandemic forced us to see the world in a new way, and this new reality is going to shape our decisions in the future.
Some of those decisions are going to be around workflow. With most work hours spent at home and the need for new ways to organize, and power everything on the go, some gadgets might help. We put together a list of items you will find interesting, as these gadgets will come to help with unforeseen needs that you might encounter. Plus, you’ll find remote work tech that helps keep you in shape bot physically and mentally, because remote work can have a negative impact on your wellbeing and there are some safety considerations you should take into account when planning your home office.
A Smart Notebook or Planner
A smart planner in the age of the tablet, cloud storage, password managers, and smartphones doesn’t make a lot of sense. However, most professionals do keep a hard copy notebook with them at all times. Technology is great and all, but when you run out of power, you can always rely on good old fashion paper. Now, if we update the concept of what a planner could be and infuse some tech into the equation, we might have the perfect diary or journal.
The concept of a smart planner is not a new one. In the past, you could get one with maybe a Nokia charging USB cable inside, perhaps some extra functionality, like a calculator. Now with biometric technology becoming cheaper to produce, sensors, and other fancy ways to protect your data, the 2020 smart notebook is a sight to behold. You can get a faux leather organizer, with a fingerprint sensor or face scanner, that doubles as a power bank, and cable holder, for a surprising price.
Costs range between $100 US to maybe even thousands if you place a custom order. Even in the case of a low-end smart planner, you get something impressive. Below, you can see a few of our suggestions for smart notebooks or organizers.
A new backpack for all your gear
This pandemic has taught us all that we need to carry more stuff with us. Depending on what you need to transport, the backpack is the easiest way to organize and shoulder your office around. Gone are the days when a rucksack was a tube of impermeable fabric with a cover. New materials and new needs convinced manufacturers that carrying bags have to change.
You can now get a smart backpack with a GPS tracker, a power bank built-in, pockets and holsters for all your gadgets, and in some cases, even an emergency signal. Backpacks have evolved and adapted to the needs of the markets. You can now go for specific needs and builds. You mostly carry your laptop around, and usually don’t have a power source? Or maybe you are a photographer, and you need to haul around objectives and camera bodies? All you need to do is go online and do a quick search. You will end up with something that you desire. If you want to save some time, we have below a list of smart and practical backpacks.
A new means of transportation
Some people still need to go around town to do their jobs. Not all of them have access to a motorized vehicle, and public transportation is not ideal right now. If you are in this situation, you can buy a cheaper electric transit method. Recent advancements made EVs not only convenient but also financially accessible.
In the past five years, the EV market exploded with new offers, new vehicles, and new innovative means of transportation. Gone are the days of the expensive Segway, with EV manufacturers exploring alternative design philosophies and dropping the price point even further.
With the current offering of means of electric transportation, you can now choose from a moped, a monocycle, hoverboards, a classical bike, a skateboard, or a scooter. It all depends on the distance and terrain you tackle to get to your point of interest. If you go around town, maybe a bike is the solution (if you have a safe space to store it). If that’s not the case, perhaps you can go for a hoverboard or an electric skateboard, as these types of EVs can be stored in a bag at the destination point. Here are a few top-notch list electric-vehicles for different needs.
A new type of power bank
So you got yourself a new planner, a new backpack, a new means of transportation, and you are ready to face the music. One small problem, all your tech and gadgets use power.
These power banks are designed to work in harsh environments, holding a lot of electrical charges and can be used to power all your devices. Even your new EV vehicle. They can be useful in a variety of situations, with some of them capable of keeping the user off the grid for days, even months. All because we learned to harness the power of the sun to power our devices.
Power banks quickly evolved into power stations, holding electricity to power your phone, laptop, bike, and a few other gadgets. Power stations are also the answer to energy outages, some of them coming with regular sockets and even solar panels, to assure the user they will never run out of power. They also represent a hefty investment, as they go over $100 US most of the time. But if your household can afford it, they can solve a lot of energy problems. Below you will find a list of suggestions.
A way to relax and learn at the same time
Downtime at the office can be a pain. With the new normal of doing most of our jobs from home, we need new ways to keep us entertained until that blasted email punches through. During your breaks, you can use the time to learn new skills, read up on something new, exercise, and so on. At the end of the day, it’s your time, and you decide what to do with it.
In this regard, we chose a few gadgets to help you with self-improvement, picking up new skills, relieving some stress, or getting back into shape. You know, those things that you put up for so long because you had no time, blaming it on the long work hours.
With this excess of time, you can learn to play the guitar, get back in shape even. Below we listed a few items for your convenience that might interest you. Some of them even gamify the fitness experience or stress relief aspect of the activity.
Follow TechTheLead on Google News to get the news first.
