5 must-have gadgets for nomad workers

If you're prepared, you won't have to worry!

I have to take my laptop outside, pop it open and work on the go... Anyone can have such a scene. Nomad workers who do not have an office and continue to work while on the move are no longer rare. However, there are some things I want to prepare because I work away from my home or office. Because I neglected to prepare for it, I should be able to feel very painful.

So, let's introduce 5 must-have items for nomad workers recommended by the US Gizmodo editorial department. Although there are various product names, it is natural that the situation is different depending on the country, and it seems that there are many cases where such a good product is available in Japan. Just for reference, try to find the perfect 5 items for yourself.

Mobile Battery

No matter how good a laptop's battery life is, after working for a long time, the remaining battery power will always be exhausted. Will you be forced to cut the work in the middle, or will you be able to secure power so that you can finish it to the end? This can result in significant productivity differences.

If you want to charge your smartphone for a while, you will be quite limited when it comes to a power bank that can sufficiently charge your laptop. But I think it's worth the money. The $150 Mophie Powerstation USB-C XXL is compatible with laptops that charge via a USB type-C port, and has a capacity of 19,500mAh that can charge two devices simultaneously. . The $83 (about 9,000 yen) "Anker PowerCore+ 20100" can also be charged via the USB type-C port and is a high-capacity mobile battery with a capacity of 20,100mAh.

When choosing a mobile battery, check the wattage required by your laptop. Most laptops (models that can be charged from a USB type-C port) can be charged with the above power bank, but some models require 60W output. For example, the normal Macbook is 40W, but the Macbook Pro has a difference of 60W. In catalogs, etc., there are some notations such as 12V/4A, so let's find the wattage by multiplying both. With the previous specs, 12 x 4 means 48W. There is also a “Maxoak” mobile battery with a capacity of 50,000 mAh!

Mobile router

The easiest way to prepare an Internet connection environment while on the go is to turn on tethering on your smartphone. Although there are some concerns about security, you may be able to use public free Wi-Fi.

But in the long run, it would be better to have a hotspot with some kind of mobile router. Considering that securing a power supply is the biggest problem for nomad workers, I would like to use a dedicated mobile router for internet connection instead of tethering, which eats up the battery of my smartphone.

The ZTE Falcon Z-917, which works with T-Mobile lines, is available for $45, albeit with a two-year contract. Up to 10 devices can be connected at the same time. On the other hand, the "Jetpack MiFi 7730L" that can be used on Verizon's line supports up to 15 simultaneous connections. You can buy it for $ 49.99 (about 5,500 yen). It's a great thing that has a function as a mobile battery ~.

External drive

It has become common practice to store data in the cloud and not store it locally. Having said that, I honestly want to be able to quickly access data wherever I go without having to connect to the internet.

Nowadays, you can get a variety of inexpensive external drives. But if you do choose one, make sure it's the largest drive you can afford. The WD-branded My Passport SSD offers 256GB of storage for $99.99. SSDs are also very fast to read and write. Seagate's Duet is also $99.99, but it's a larger 1TB drive. Auto sync with Amazon Drive is also supported.

Power Adapter

If you work overseas, you may need to prepare a different adapter because the shape of the AC outlet plug is different. Even if it's not such a big move, just having a usable power adapter in your bag will come in handy.

The "Foval International Power Travel Adapter", which can be purchased for $37.98 (about 4,100 yen), and the "Iron-M Universal Travel Adapter", which costs $16.58 (about 1,800 yen), can be used to plug AC outlets around the world. correspondence. It also has an output to a USB port, which alone can charge multiple electronic devices at the same time, increasing efficiency.

Earphones

When you work outside, the noise around you is still a concern. How about playing some music so that you can work calmly?

Earphones don't have to cost a fortune, but you should be able to get a decent one. In any case, it would be a good idea to choose a model with a built-in microphone and prepare a model that can be used for video conferencing.

If you have the budget for wireless, you can't beat Apple's AirPods. At $159 (about 17,000 yen), it's not a cheap purchase, but you can pair it not only with Macs and iPhones, but also with Windows machines. Also, for those who want to stick to sound quality even if it's bulky, Sony's "WH-1000XM2" is also recommended. Some people say they sound better than BOSE headphones, and they might be worth the $348 price tag.

Image: Gizmodo US
Source: Apple, Version

David Nield - Gizmodo US [Original]
(Shingo Yuki)