15 Gadgets For Businesses In 2012 (Part 3/3)
1. Airport Express (£80)
We all know how annoyingly restrictive those one-metre Ethernet cables are that you find in hotel rooms, and those little desks aren’t too accommodating either when you need to plough through some last minute pitch preparation. Apple’s Airport Express — like Mel Gibson’s character in Braveheart — is only interested in winning back your freedom as when you plug it into a mains socket and connect an online Ethernet cable it turns into a WiFi hotspot. You’ll then be able to connect to it using your phone or laptop, enter a network security password (if you set one up), and surf the internet while laid on the bed in full view of the TV without having to pay sky-high wireless charges.
Availability: Out Now
2. Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones (£279)
In many jobs that require working under the noisy hubub of office environments, concentration can easily be lost, leading to a frustrating lack of productivity. You could wear a pair of inelegant sponge ear plugs to drown out the noise, but it wouldn’t be too effective and you might attract some unsavoury looks from co-workers. The professional option would be to opt for a top end pair of QuietComfort 15s by Bose — a company with a reputation for producing some of the best noise-cancelling cans on the market. This would allow you to carry out your day-to-day computing tasks without disturbing others while enjoying the pristine sound supplied by Bose’s active equalization technology. If it’s just silence that you require in order to work — simply wearing them will do the trick — something made easier by the headphone’s large, around-the-ear speaker design.
Availability: Out Now
3. Pebble Pro Netbook Charger (£70)
While it’s true that most business conferences and expositions provide a charging spot for your laptop or netbook, not many people would want to risk running out of juice in case vital information needs sending back to the office. Pebble’s portable netbook charger contains a 13,200mAh battery that can charge an iPhone over 10 times and a standard netbook for five hours or more. It comes with 10 connectors to suit a range of devices, which is handy if you’re sharing it with others. Its small dimensions means that you can drop it into a laptop bag and forget about it until an emergency arises.
Availability: Out Now
4. Desktop coffee maker (£20)
Office banter by the coffee machine is a long valued pastime that shouldn’t be taken away; however, those who prefer a decent hand-made cup of proper filter coffee without having to move an inch for it will appreciate this no-frills desktop appliance. It comes with two small mugs, although the bottom plate can be removed to fit an average-sized ceramic one underneath, and comes with a reusable filter, avoiding the need to buy spares.
Availability: Out Now
5. Kensington ComboSaver Portable Notebook Lock (£15)
You would be hard pressed to find many things wrong with today’s ultrabooks — they’re sleek, powerful, lightweight and pack a punch in terms of internal specs, which unfortunatley makes them prime targets for thieves. Kensington’s Combosaver Notebook lock is a cheap way to give you that bit of extra peace of mind when leaving your laptop back in your hotel room or in a public place. It’s not exactly a piece of kit that provides James Bond-levels of security, but it does the job it’s intended for and is a decent deterrent for the price of a round of beers.
Availability: Out Now
