Mobile Productivity Part I: Six Essential Gadgets
Our customers often ask about the best ways to maintain productivity when they or their staff are away from office, whether they are traveling, working at home, or visiting a customer or construction site. This article lists essential gadgets, and the next article will cover methods to access files or programs at the office.
- Smartphone – Most of our clients carry a PDA (personal digital assistant), a phone with Web, email, and organizer software. The BlackBerry is popular, We often install BlackBerry Enterprise Server which synchronizes with Microsoft Exchange or Small Business Server.
- Laptop or Netbook – To type long messages or work on files, you need a laptop. Today’s smaller, lightweight laptops, often called netbooks are easier to carry along. I just bought a small, powerful Lenovo for my own use. For more tips on choosing a laptop, see my blog entry on laptops.
- Broadband Connector – While WiFi is widely available, you need not search for a WiFi hotspot by getting a mobile broadband device. You can insert a Verizon card into your laptop or tether your laptop to your cell phone. Be careful to get unlimited data plan from the cell phone provider as it’s all too easy to go over the low monthly limits, and overage charges for Internet service are astronomical.
- Chargers – To avoid forgetting this all-important component, pack a duplicate charger with your business travel gear. That way you’re not always scrambling to find cords at the last minute while packing, and if you leave those duplicate cords packed, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting one. For international travel, you may need a conversion kit. Know whether your kit is just a plug adaptor, or whether it has a voltage transformer you need to converts to safe levels for your electronics.
- GPS – A GPS unit can help you navigate. Some only offer mapping services, while more advanced units can download waypoints for local attractions and restaurants. Look for a unit with a traffic receiver accessory to give you the most recent updates on your route.
- Digital Voice Recorder – These tiny devices are handy for mental jottings or recording conversations or interviews. Laura got a Sony that includes software for her PC, which lets her transfer and listen to files.
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