In time for September, here are some tech tools to improve your productivity and help you push through to the end of the calendar year.

 

Traditionally, January has been a time of renewal. A time to reflect and recalibrate in anticipation of what the new year will bring. However, it can be argued that September also has a similar function – at least in the northern hemisphere.

With schools on holiday, many people take the bulk of their vacation leave in July and August, resulting in skeleton staff in offices and a slowdown in activity. In September, people are rested and rejuvenated and are gearing up to meet targets and close out the calendar year with a bang.

Having said this, it can take a bit of effort to get back into the game after being on holiday for a few weeks. However, these gadgets and tools may be just what you need in your arsenal.

 

1.  Webcam

Whether you are back in the office or working remotely, the odds are you are participating in more online meetings than you did before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the cameras on most desktop and laptop computers are functional at best, as they have not been designed to provide you with the quality images you would like. Having a dedicated webcam could solve that problem.

A webcam that may be worth the investment is the NexiGo N940P Webcam, which provides 2K QHD video, autofocus and a 90-degree field-of-view, along with dual microphones with noise-cancelling technology, and up to 3X digital zoom. The webcam also includes a privacy cover and a remote control.

 

2.  Air purifier

Persons who live in highly enclosed areas with air conditioning and thick carpets, or tend to be familiar with air purifiers to reduce the stuffiness and improve the quality of the air circulating indoors. For us in the Caribbean, an air purifier may be a useful purchase as increasingly we are having more frequent instances of Saharan dust in our air, which not only can irritate the skin and eyes but also if inhaled cause respiratory disorders and cardiovascular incidents.

In confined spaces, an air purifier is a must. Luckily, air purifiers are available at a broad range of price points. However, to select the purifier that is right for you and your situation, pay attention to the type of air filtration technology it uses, the design and ease of use, the noise level, energy consumption and maintenance cost.

 

3.  Noise-cancelling headphones

Whether you are at home or the office, it may be disruptive to others around you if they can hear the webinar or online meeting you have joined, and vice versa. However, instead of just getting some random earbuds, a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones are better suited for a broader range of situations where we want to buffer ourselves from what might be going on around us.

To be fair, good quality noise-cancelling headphones are not cheap, so expect to pay at least USD 100. Some of the factors that will have an impact on price include whether active or passive noise cancellation is being employed, the style of the headphone, sound quality, plus any other special designs or features that have been included.

 

4.  All-in-one printer

Although printers might seem redundant or wasteful in this day and age when we are all supposed to be reading and editing documents digitally, often, you don’t miss having a printer until you need it.

Sometimes is really more efficient to have a printed document in front of you instead of flipping back and forth between windows on your computing device. Also, you may live in a place where you are still required to print and sign documents in order for them to be accepted. And though you can access the neighbourhood print shop, it can begin to add up depending on the size of the documents you are printing and how frequently you use those services.

Depending on the features of the printer, expect to pay at least USD 50. The HP ENVY Pro 6455 is a good example of a budget-friendly yet quality printer. It offers all-in-one capabilities—printing, copying, scanning and faxing – with both colour and black-and-white printing and print speeds of up to 10 pages per minute. It can also be connected to Wi-Fi and allows fast, multi-page scanning with an auto-document feeder.

 

 

Images credit: Mikael Blomkvist (Pexels); Amazon; HP; Amazon; Amazon;