7 Devices That Will Help You Become A Productivity Ninja
One of the issues working from home during the ongoing pandemic is that staying productive throughout the day is not easy. There are multiple distractions which often lead to procrastination, which in turn, ruins your day to day work performance. Thankfully, some gadgets can help you focus on work and boost your productivity. Take a look at some...
Noise Cancelling Headphones | One of the most significant factors for distraction is ambient noise. While working from home, especially, there are multiple noises throughout the day that can hamper your productivity. The easiest way to deal with the issue is to invest in a good pair of headphones with active noise cancellation. If budget is not an issue, we highly recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones (Rs 26,990). If you don't want to spend that much, you can look at the Sennheiser HD 4.50BT (Rs 14,990). If you're going to stick below Rs 10,000, then you can choose between the Sony WH-CH710N, Jays q-Seven and JBL Live 650 BTNC.
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Air Purifier | The indoor air quality has a significant impact on your productivity. The low air quality can lead to short-term health issues such as headache, fatigue, shortness of breath etc. This can immediately impact your productivity by making you feel too tired or unwell to work. With an air purifier, you can get clean air delivered in your personal space, which would help you focus better and be more productive. We recommend the Mi Air Purifier 3 (Rs 10,290) for its compact design, outstanding performance and smart connectivity features.
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Dual Monitors | Multiple screens can significantly boost productivity for almost any kind of job role. With a second monitor, you can have multiple windows and apps open simultaneously – great for references, checks, and quick and seamless juggling through various apps. You can connect an external second display to your desktop and your laptop via a wired connection easily. Some monitors even let you change the orientation from horizontal to vertical if you prefer to or want to view specific content in that format. We recommend getting at least a 24-inch monitor for which prices start from Rs 9,999 onwards.
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USB Desk Warmer | For most of us, coffee and tea act as the fuel to stay focused and productive at work. However, when your drink gets cold, it proves to be counter-productive. The solution to this problem is a simple USB powered beverage warmer. It is made of a silicone coaster, which gets heated when its connected USB port is plugged into power. The beverage warmer works with flat bottom cups (steel, ceramic or glass) to keep your drinks warm for extended periods. Keep in mind that it cannot heat or boil the beverage but can keep a hot beverage from getting cold. Available for as low as Rs 199, this is a must-have for your desk.
Smart Speaker | Smart speakers can do much more than play music or tell you about the weather. The connected speaker, be it powered by Alexa, Google or Siri, can also help you with all types of information needed at work. You can use a smart speaker for calculation, word definitions, suggest synonyms, send text messages, create a calendar appointment, set reminders/alarms, as well as turn on/off lights and connected appliances. You would need to spend some time to set it up properly, but once set up, it can significantly enhance your productivity.
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Multi-device keyboard | At any given time, you are using two devices for work at least – your computer and your phone. Some of us even have a third device like a tablet or a second laptop/desktop connected for work. Instead of switching to each device for typing, you can get a keyboard that works across devices. Logitech's K480 (Rs 2,495) keyboard is our favourite when it comes to this function. It has a sleek design with an integrated cradle to hold your phone/tablet and an easy to use dial to switch between connected device. It is compatible with Windows, MAC, Android as well as iOS devices.
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Fast Charger | While working from home, your smartphone is used continuously for communication, with voice calls or video calls. This greatly impacts the battery and can often result in your phone showing low battery within the first few hours of the day. In this scenario, it's best to have a fast charger handy to quickly boost your phone and not lose out on the productive hours of the day. Not all smartphones come with fast chargers, while the new iPhone's don't ship with a charger at all. This is where a high-quality fast charger such as the AMX XP60 (Rs 1,899) proves to be handy. The charger has 4 USB ports – 3 USB 3 ports deliver up to 17W charging each and a 45W USB-C port with power delivery support. You can charge your phones, iPad and even some laptops such as MacBook Air with this adapter.
Karan Bajaj is a senior tech journalist based in Delhi
