Cool Gadgets and Gizmos for Your Home Office
Beyond a computer, tablet, or smartphone, what gadgets, gizmos, tools and toys can help you stay productive in your home office?
Home offices are the nerve centers of business for many of us. Whether you’re a freelancer or small business owner, if you work from home you know how vital your home office is to your career. Some home offices are plain, with little more than a computer, chair, desk and four bare walls; others are decked out with the latest and greatest in high-tech gadgetry (like mine!).
Here are a few tech toys that can make your home office extra productive:
Computer Glasses
Though they may not be as revolutionary as Google Glass, Gunner’s Computer Glasses are specifically designed to reduce computer-related eyestrain. If you stare at a monitor for six, eight, 10 or 12 hours a day, you know what a number this can do on your eyes and your mood. If you find your eyes tired after a long day, give a pair of computer glasses a try.
Wall Paint
If you’re still using a dry erase board, then clearly you haven’t heard about Ideapaint’s wall paint. It comes in a variety of colors and enables you to write directly onto your wall. Once you’re done, just run the eraser over your work, and it goes back to being an ordinary wall.
Credit Card Readers
If your small business involves clients who would like to pay with their credit card when they come to meet you, credit card readers like Square or Spark Pay are a must. With nothing more than this these little gizmos and an app, you can swipe client cards without the need for a merchant account or dedicated credit card machine. With credit, debit and pre-paid cards accounting for 73 percent of all in-store transactions, according to the market research firm Javelin Strategy & Research, card readers mean you never have to turn away a customer again because you don’t accept plastic.
The Wall Socket Safe
On top of outfitting your home with the latest in home security and automation offered by numerous security companies, sometimes a simple hidden safe can be the most secure place for your valuables. Though this may not be the most high-tech technique, it is probably the sneakiest.
The wall socket safe looks like nothing more than a normal, empty electric socket. Pull it out to reveal a small compartment where you can store anything from jewelry to a flash drive that contains important documents and information. The Chicago Police Department has even gone so far to say that the wall socket safe hides your valuables even better than a locked safe.
Bucky Balls
Bucky Balls are small magnetic beads you can manipulate into hundreds of different shapes and designs. Use them as a stress reliever or something to play with while you’re stuck on hold—they make a fun addition to any desk.
Just keep them away from the kids, as they can be a choking hazard.
The Laser Keyboard
The Magic Cube laser keyboard is exactly what it sounds like—a keyboard made of lasers. Just plug in the projector, and a full-size keyboard will suddenly appear just a few inches away. It can be connected to most Bluetooth devices and laptops. According to the manufacturer, you’ll be able to type at similar or even faster speeds than you normally do, which may or may not be true; but, it is futuristic, cool and easy to use. And hey, LASERS!
What are some of your favorite gizmos for your home office? Post them in the comments.
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