I used to contribute to travelers gift recommendations, it was entertaining, and the audience enjoyed it. People are crazy about travel gear! Of course, the events of last year stranded many of us for a prolonged amount of time, so we switched to a remote work gift guide, figuring that we would be back on the road by 2021. The best laid schemes and so forth. For the near future, remote work will be the default for most of us with office employment – for better or worse. In fact, it is a reasonable assumption that the pandemic will fundamentally alter the way many firms operate, What better time to make the home office a little more pleasant for the remote worker in your life now that it more than just a fleeting fad?
Last year’s roundup contained an Intel iMac model, so you can bet I will include the M1 model, which released earlier this year. First, let us get the disadvantages out of the way: 1. it is smaller, with just a 24-inch model now available. 2. It requires more ports. I would want an SD card reader to be reinstated (been eyeing this one from Satechi). 3. The new M1 chip does not support all apps. The new iMacs, on the other hand, are powerful, small, and stylish. This is a terrific addition to any home office if you want to splurge on someone who has been trying to adjust to working from home.
If an all-in-one desktop is not for them, a good laptop stand can help a lot. There are plethoras of choices available (and you can get one for cheap). On the surface, it appears to be a straightforward product, thus you are primarily deciding between appearances. Twelve South’s work is consistently excellent, so this is a wonderful place to begin.
When it comes to stands, this is a brilliant (and very economical) standing desk adapter. A full-size standing desk may be out of your price range, not to mention the hassles of sending anything that large as a present. This fits on top of a desk and raises the height of computers up to 15 inches to 16.5 inches. It is a good way to unwind after spending so many hours sitting. Have you not heard? The new smoking is sitting.
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that working from home for the past year and a half has been…a challenge. My problem with five ongoing building projects in my ear may be uniquely New York, but we all deal with unwelcome noise from time to time, especially those of us who live in major cities. A decent set of noise-canceling headphones can save your life — or at the very least your sanity. There are many good earbuds available at a reasonable price, but if you truly want to block out the noise, an over-ear type is a way to go. The built-in active noise canceling works nicely with the natural sound-muffling cups.
That is especially true if you are going to be wearing them for a lengthy amount of time – they are significantly more comfortable, and the battery lasts far longer. On a single charge, most models should last more than a day of use, including teleconferencing meetings. There are many nice choices. For example, Bose just announced new Quietcomforts headphones. While the Sony WH-1000XM4 is getting on in years, it is still the reigning champion – at least until the M5 is out. They offer excellent sound quality, excellent noise cancellation, and are quite comfortable. If you have watched any of my TechCrunch virtual interviews, you have seen me with the M4s on my head.
