Kaelyn Chua - June 2021
9 Ways To Upgrade Your Work-From-Home Productivity Setup
With the current Covid-19 situation, it seems like Work-From-Home (WFH) is here to stay and for a much longer time than previously anticipated. With that, it might finally be time to consider investing in some tech gadgets that can elevate your WFH environment into a more comfortable and productive one.
The best part about these gadgets is that majority of them will continue to serve you well even after you return to default office arrangements, bringing you benefits in the long run.
Sum DIAL Wireless Charger
Wireless chargers have been shown to be an extremely effective tool for around the home, especially when you're bound to your desk all day. The Sum DIAL Wireless Charger is a beautiful, premium aluminium wireless charging pad and phone stand designed for everyday use.
By placing your phone on the Sum DIAL Wireless Charger instead of simply leaving it on your desk, you're able to keep your battery from running low without having to consciously plug and unplug your phone throughout the day. The Sum DIAL also comes with intuitive Qi-certified fast wireless charging guaranteed to keep you charged through the day.
Talk about a 2-in-1 product, the Sum DIAL Wireless Charger also doubles up as a phone stand. It has a 360-degree rotation that angles the phone to an optimal viewing angle of 29 degrees. This helps to reduce neck strain that often arises from craning your neck to look at your phone, leaving you feeling less sore at the end of your work day.
The Sum DIAL Wireless Charger is compatible with both iPhone and Android devices but should also work with any device that supports wireless charging. Find out more here.
Sum DIAL Wireless Charger
- Convenient and intuitive charging without wires
- Simple, clean, and modern
- Qi-certified fast wireless charging
- Crafted from a block of aluminium and non-slip silicon
- Works with iPhone, Samsung, and more
Behind the brand.
For over 18 years, the people behind Sum have manufactured components for nearly every day-to-day electronic product you’ve used - from phones and TV’s to supermarket barcode scanners. Their relentless pursuit of production consistency led to a solid reputation and growth to be a major supplier for Tesla, Samsung, LG, and other top brands. Sum now leverages their established manufacturing relationships and expertise to provide modern, elegant, and chic products—things that seamlessly fit into everyday life—directly to you.
Infinite rotation.
Weighted body and ultra-smooth rotation system so you can change the shape of the DIAL from a flat charging pad to a slanted charging stand with one quick turn. Easily check your notifications or unlock your phone with facial recognition. Viewing angle optimized at 29 degrees.
Safety tested.
The Sum DIAL has an extremely secure and strong proprietary silicone-rubber composite surface that grips your devices in place so you do not have to worry about them falling off. It also has overheat protection, foreign object detection, and no noisy fans. Its weighted, no-slip bottom ensures that it won’t slide off any surfaces.
Sonos One
A good speaker can play a major role in creating a nice conducive ambience for your home office. The Sonos One is the first Sonos smart speaker that comes with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant in-built so you can play music, check news, set alarms, get your questions answered, and more, completely hands-free.
The Sonos One offers Hi-Res Audio support with the new Sonos S2 application meaning its capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings. This makes for a pleasant audio experience that replicates the quality that the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio at the time of recording.
The new Sonos S2 application also features multi room support where you can group different speakers around your house into 'room groups' and make voice commands like "Alexa, play music in the living room". One thing to note is that this feature works even with other non-voice controlled Sonos speakers as long as the Sonos One is a part of the multi speaker system.
Essentially, the Sonos One is a really solid speaker with unparalleled audio quality good enough to impress audiophiles out there while also providing the element of smart voice control through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It's also one of the only speakers that doesn't force you to choose between either voice assistant, so you'll get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
The Sonos One comes in Black and White. Shop the Sonos One here.
Swiftpoint ProPoint™
The Swiftpoint ProPoint™ ergonomic wireless mouse & presenter was designed from the ground up for productivity and ergonomics. Conventional computer mice use a claw grip that orientates your hand and wrist in an unnatural position that over time can cause pain associated with Carpal Tunnel and Tendinitis. ProPoint™’s innovative pen grip design aligns the hand and wrist in a more neutral position, providing comfort and precision at your fingertips.
The Swiftpoint ProPoint™ fits in the palm of your hand and is one of those gadgets that is useful even in an office setting, but in the current WFH situation its' portability really shines through. With the ProPoint™, you're no longer confined to just your work desk set up at home. Instead, you can take your work to the couch or the bed to truly maximise the benefits of working from home.
The Swiftpoint ProPoint™ gives you the full functionality of a three-button mouse and scroll wheel with the unique addition of gyroscope technology which allows you to make use of tilt gestures for panning, zooming and rotation. You can assign separate functions to all three buttons when the device is tilted, making for a total of 6 button actions essentially. You will also be able to assign shortcuts to the tilt gestures, like app switching, and the actions you use the most.
Swiftpoint ProPoint™'s gyroscope technology also makes it functional as a "presenter" with a flick of a swtich. You'll be able to lead your online presentations with the virtual laser pointer and draw on the screen to highlight key points.
Wireless mice need to last all day, if not they wouldn't be a very wireless at all. Luckily, the Swiftpoint ProPoint™ Wireless Mouse is powered by Rapidcharge™ which will get you 1 hour of use from a 60 second charge and up to 2 weeks of use from a full 2 hour charge.
Comfortable to grip and easy to use. Transform the way you work with the 2-in-1 Swiftpoint ProPoint™ Wireless Mouse and Presenter. Find out more here.
Swiftpoint ProPoint
Pen-grip Mouse and Presenter
Ergonomic wireless mouse & presenter. Award-winning pen grip design & tilt gestures. The ultimate tool for designers and power users, in the office or on the go.
Ultimate travel mouse – No desk, no problem. On the sofa, in a cafe, airport, plane, bus or train.
Ergonomic pen-grip design – “The most comfortable mouse on the market” Huffington Post.
Works on an iPad* – Use your iPad to remote into a Mac or PC with full mouse control.
In-air presenter – Stand tall and control your presentation. Use hand gestures to draw on the screen.
Power users & designers – Word or Excel, Photoshop or CAD – the world’s only mouse with tilt gestures for scrolling, zooming and rotating.
Ergonomic pen-grip design
Tiny in size, big in comfort. ProPoint™ was designed from the ground up for productivity and ergonomics. Conventional mice use a claw grip that orientates your hand and wrist in an unnatural position that over time causes the pain associated with Carpal Tunnel and Tendinitis. ProPoint’s innovative pen grip design aligns your hand and wrist in a more neutral position, providing comfort and precision at your fingertips.
Remote Desktop Apps
Swiftpoint has partnered with many of the world’s leading remote and virtual desktop infrastructure developers to give you even more power. Not only does PadPoint work with your native iPad apps, such as; your favourite web browser, Mail, and Calendar, but you can use one of the supported iOS applications to access your Windows or Mac desktop directly from your iPad – no matter where in the world you are!
Ultimate Travel Mouse
If you’re sitting on a sofa with your laptop, in a cafe, on a plane, or in a train or bus – this is where ProPoint™ shines – you can use it right on your laptop palm rest. You can connect via Bluetooth, or with the USB receiver (which also charges the mouse). Its size, compact, lightweight (a mere 24gms – 25% of the weight of a conventional mouse) and battery features (1-hour use from a 60-second Rapidcharge™; up to 2 weeks from a full 2-hour charge) all combine to make the ProPoint the perfect travel companion.
Take Command of your Presentations
Not only is ProPoint™ the most comfortable mouse in the world, but with Swiftpoint’s gyro technology, it’s also a “presenter” – meaning it’s actually two devices in one. Stand tall with the ProPoint™ in-hand, and flick the switch to transform it into the ultimate presenter device. Navigate your slides and lead your audience through your presentation with the virtual laser pointer, you can even draw on the screen to highlight what matters most.
Precision and Gestures for Designers & Power Users
ProPoint™ not only gives you the full functionality of a three-button mouse and scroll wheel but, with our unique gyroscope technology, it opens up a new world of tilt gestures for panning, zooming and rotation. Unlike other mice that use the scroll wheel for middle mouse clicks, ProPoint™ has a dedicated 3rd mouse button that’s easy to click. You can assign separate functions to all three buttons when the device is tilted, so there are actually 6 button actions right at your fingertips. Assign shortcuts to the tilt gestures, like app switching, and the actions you use the most. In-office programs like Word and Excel, use tilt gestures to effortlessly flick up / down, or even left / right.
In design programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, flick to the area you need to work on – without even pressing a button. In 3D modelling programs, use tilt-gestures to effortlessly rotate, zoom and pan.
Logitech C270 HD WebCam
Zoom calls and Microsoft Team meetings now play a daily role in most WFH work arrangements meaning you probably need a good webcam if your current desktop doesn't come with one. You don't need one thats expensive, just one that's reliable like the Logitech C270 HD WebCam.
The Logitech C270 HD WebCam offers HD 720p/30 fps video calling with automatic light correction that intelligently adjusts the lighting according to your surroundings, meaning you'll get crisp video even in dim or poorly backlit settings.
Logitech Fluid Crystal technology also makes for smoother video, sharper pictures, richer colours and clearer sound in real-world conditions. The Logitech C270 HD WebCam also come with a built-in mic with noise reduction which helps to filter out any background noise, making sure your voice comes across clearly up to 1.5 meters away.
Overall, if you're looking for a good quality webcam with an affordable price tag the Logitech C27P HD WebCam is the way to go. Shop the Logitech C27P HD WebCam here.
Nanoleaf Smart Lights
Study rooms can be quite boring and dull as we tend to associate minimalism with better focus and greater productivity. While this is true to a certain extent, did you know that different lights and colours can have a huge impact on your mind, including things like focus and concentration.
Adding some colour to your workspace can help get you in the right mood to work and can even boost your concentration while simultaneously keeping you more calm and relaxed. When it comes to smart modular lighting, nothing compares to Nanoleaf for their aesthetics and function.
Still not convinced? Check out our article here on our top 5 reasons why we believe the Nanoleaf is worth your money. See the full range for Nanoleaf Singapore here.
Jabra Elite 85h
We all know the struggle of having to take work calls when the whole family is at home. For times when you can't escape into the comforts of a private room, the Jabra Elite 85h has you covered. The Jabra Elite 85h are some of the most comfortable over-ear headphones on the market with its plush ear cups and padded headband. This makes the 85h suitable for long periods of wear necessary for WFH arrangements.
Advanced call technology uses 6 of the Jabra Elite 85h's 8 microphones to greatly enhance call quality, blocking out more wind noise and background distractions. This enables crystal clear sound, so you can make and receive work calls in total confidence even with the background noise from your family at home.
In terms of user experience, one special feature included in the Jabra Elite 85h is the automatic ear detection which is pretty rare in wireless headphones. Playback will automatically pause when the headphones are removed and resume when they're placed back on. It also comes with a 3.5mm cable for wired usage but also connects to your phone and laptop via Bluetooth 5.0 for a true wireless experience.
The Jabra Elite 85h has an impressively long battery life so you won't have to worry about it dying on you in the middle of an important work call. It's made to last up to 41 hours without ANC, 34.5 hours with ANC and not to mention, a whole year of standby time. Even when your battery finally dies, it only takes 2.5 hours to complete a full charge cycle thanks to the USB-C cable which enables fast charging.
You can even keep the Jabra Elite 85h on when you pop in a quick mid-work workout as it has a water-resistant nano-coating on the internal components of the headphones, protecting it from brief exposure to sweat and water.
Great for concentration, calls and music. The Jabra Elite 85h comes in Titanium Black, Navy, Gold Beige and Copper Black. You can find out more here.
Jabra Elite 85h
Engineered for the best wireless calls and music experience with SmartSound
- Great for concentration, calls and music
- Active Noise-Cancellation
- SmartSound
- Up to 36 hours of battery life
Adapts To Your Surroundings
SmartSound analyses your sound environment and automatically applies your personalised audio, Smart Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and HearThrough settings to give you the sound you need when you need it.
Block Unwanted Background Noise
Smart Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) responds to your environment, switching itself on if it detects unwanted background noise according to the preferences you set within the Jabra Sound+ app. The headphones contain 8 microphones, 4 of which are used by the powerful digital ANC to filter out the noise around you.
Exceptional Music Clarity
The Elite 85h allows you to customise your music settings for a personalised audio experience so you can enjoy exceptional music clarity with purpose-built speakers.
Power Your Day
With up to 36 hours of battery power on a single charge (with ANC switched on) and fast charging, the Elite 85h allows you to power through your day with a battery built to go the distance.
Unmatched Call Quality
Advanced call technology uses 6 of the headphones’ 8 microphones to greatly enhance call quality, blocking out more wind noise and background distractions. This enables crystal clear sound, so you can make and receive calls in total confidence, even in the most challenging conditions.
Rain-Resistant Durability
The Elite 85h is engineered to withstand the elements. Nano-coating of the internal components, combined with a 2-year warranty against water and dust means you can be confident your headphones are ready for whatever your day throws at them – literally.
Satechi USB Headphone Stand
Now that we've introduced you to our favourite pair of over-ear headphones, you'll need a place to store them so they'll always be within reach. The Satechi USB Headphone Stand is your modern solution to headphone storage, featuring convenient USB-A data transfer ports, a 3.5mm audio jack port, and a compact elegant aluminium design that minimises its footprint.
The Satechi USB Headphone Stand includes three USB 3.0 ports to transfer files or back-up data, with speeds up to 5 Gbps. It also comes equipped with a backside hook to wrap and store cables when not in use, helping you better de-clutter and organise your desk space.
The component of the Satechi USB Headphone Stand that comes into contact with your headphones features a secure rubberised grip that holds your headphones in place while preventing any scratches. It has universal compatibility with support for all over-ear headphones including Bose, Sony, Panasonic AKG, JBL, Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, and more.
The Satechi USB Headphone Stand comes in Space Grey and Silver. Shop the Satechi USB Headphone Stand here.
Neo Smartpen M1+
WFH arrangements often mean staring at your computer screen for long periods of time which can really put a strain on your eyes. Take a break from screens and still get things done with the Neo Smartpen M1+, a smart pen that allows you to digitise your writing into shareable files.
The Neo Smartpen M1+ also features an ergonomic round design with an infrared camera located below the pen tip that captures the pen movement and works with a pressure sensor to understand what you write and how you wrote it. When the pen is synced to the Neo Studio App, every stroke you write will be automatically transferred into the digital copy in real-time.
The Neo Smartpen M1+ is also capable of storing up to 1000 pages of content offline which you can transfer into the Neo Studio App when you go online. One thing to note is that its compatible with the N Notebooks, which are specially made with Neo Smartpen's proprietary Ncode.
Every N notebook is saved to a separate folder with every page saved as an individual PDF file which can be stored in the Neo Studio App as well as across platforms like Evernote, Adobe, OneNote, or Google Drive.
The Neo Studio app provides multi-language transcription, allowing you to transcribe your handwritten notes in English, Chinese, Japanese or even German into text, which you can then easily share with others or copy/paste it onto mediums you require. This makes converting your handwritten musings into official work documents simple and fuss free.
Once transcribed, you can search for information and easily retrieve what you need in a snap and tag pages with keywords to organise your notes. The Neo Studio app also comes with a playback function that allows you to watch how your page came to live as you added notes to the page using the Neo Smartpen M1+. You can even add voice notes to pages for extra information.
In the Neo Studio app, you are given basic editing tools that allow you to highlight text, change the colour of text, change your text brushstroke, and add more notes to the text with your finger or a stylus. An eraser tool is also available for you to delete unnecessary text that you wish to remove from your digital copy, which is really handy in helping you clean your notes up before sharing it with others.
Overall, the Neo Smartpen M1+ offers a good user experience with it's convenient Neo Studio application and comes packed with many useful features sure to improve your day to day work flow.
The Neo Smartpen M1+ comes in 3 colours: chic monotone black, trendy grey, and stylish navy. You can find out more about the Neo Smartpen M1+ here and purchase it here.
JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball
JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball
Its normal to be fidgety when bound to the desk all-day, perhaps a fidget toy can help you our with that. The JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball is a precision machined desk toy that creates a mesmerising optical illusion when spun.
When revolving, the JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball creates an almost magical effect that looks like continuously flowing helix would merge into a surface of tabletop. It's designed to spin on any desk or flat surface and comes with a smooth finish that makes it very pleasant to interact with.
JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball
A simple fidget toy like this can do wonders for your productivity. The JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball is perfect for creators, makers, thinkers and anyone who wants to release their inner creativity and imagination. Improve your focus, relieve stress or simply relax during working hours or brainstorming sessions with the simply by rotating the ball.
The JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball comes in Gold and Silver. Shop the JUYOU Kinetic Desk Fidget Spinner Ball here.
Final Thoughts
Many people tend to see a dip in their productivity when working from home and this is primarily due to the fact that our home environment's just isn't designed to be conducive and productive spaces for us to work. After over a year of WFH arrangements, it's about time to make some changes for the better.
If you found these gadgets helpful and interesting, check out a related article here.
If you want some workdesk specific recommendations, check out this article here.
If you want to check out these gadgets first-hand, visit our physical store — Synced by District, located in Plaza Singapura Level 3 #03-65.
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