Best tech for under a tenner
Some of the best tech purchases can also be the cheapest. Will Stapley casts aside the expensive gimmicks and reveals essential low-cost gadgets that can make a real difference to your computing
It’s amazing what tech improvements a few quid will buy you. We round up the best bargain gadgets you shouldn’t be without
Websites such as Amazon make online shopping simple, but it’s not always easy to avoid the plethora of cheap and substandard products that litter online shops. That doesn’t mean there aren’t bargains to be had, though. Here we reveal our top tech picks for under £10 that offer great value for very little money.
Convert your old hard drive into an external drive
In Issue 582 (page 62), we explained how to upgrade a laptop by replacing a traditional hard drive (HDD) with a faster SSD. But what should you do with that old drive? With a USB enclosure you’ll be able to quickly copy old files across to your new drive and then use your old drive as portable storage device.
Sabrent’s enclosure (£8 from www. snipca.com/35172, pictured below) is easy to use. Simply slide open the case to insert your drive, then use the supplied USB cable to connect it to any computer. It draws all the power it needs via the USB connection, so there’s no need to plug it into the mains.
One word of caution: hard drives aren’t as robust as SSDS, so take care not to drop it on your travels.
Speed up network devices
Wi-fi is convenient, but wired network connections are often faster and more reliable. And the more devices you can connect to your router using a wired connection, the less congested your Wi-fi network will be, meaning the remaining wireless devices on your network will perform more quickly.
Most modern routers only have four Ethernet ports for wired devices - some, such as the Sky Q Hub, have only two. The good news is that you can boost the number of wired ports on any router using network switch. They are easy to set up: simply connect the switch to an existing port on your router (or powerline networking adapter) using an Ethernet cable.
Avoid switches that are listed as ‘10/100’ models – this means they’ll only deliver speeds of 100Mbps. Instead opt for a Gigabit model, which can reach up to 10 times that speed. Our choice is Tp-link’s LS1005G (£9.89 from www.
snipca.com/35173), which gives you five Gigabit ports (pictured below left).
Install Windows using a USB stick
Most of us have a collection of smaller USB sticks that are 4GB or below. These are fine for transferring documents, photos and videos between PCS, but they are useless for installing operating systems such as Windows.
For this, you need at least 8GB. But USB sticks have plunged in price in recent years, meaning you can buy high-capacity sticks for under a tenner. For example, at the time of writing, Sandisk’s Ultra 64GB stick was discounted from £17.15 to £9.79 ( www.snipca.com/35174, pictured below), which is an absolute steal. If that deal has disappeared when you check, you can buy the 32GB version instead for just £6.44 (click the 32GB button on the the same page). Importantly, both are
USB 3.0 sticks, which means they’re capable of read speeds up to 130MB/S. And thanks to its sensible design, you can slide the USB connector into the plastic shell for protection when not in use.
Increase your phone’s storage
It doesn’t take long to fill up a smartphone’s storage with high-resolution photos and videos. If your phone has a memory card slot (this includes most Android models, though not iphones), you can add more memory in no time. First, check what type of memory card your phone takes (it’s likely to be a microsd card), then choose from models such as Sandisk’s 32GB microsdhc (the ‘HC’ means it’s a high-capacity microsd card - £6.49 from www.snipca. com/35175) and follow your phone’s instructions to install it.
Add Bluetooth to an old PC
It might be slower and cover smaller distances than Wi-fi, but Bluetooth is a great way to connect to a wide array of devices, including smart speakers, wireless headsets, phones and tablets. And while most modern laptops have built-in Bluetooth, older models and many newer desktops PCS may not.
To resolve this problem, buy yourself a USB Bluetooth dongle such as Sabrent’s Bluetooth 4.0 Micro Adapter (£7 from www.snipca.com/35176, pictured below). There’s nothing to install - simply insert the dongle into a USB port and wait for Windows to recognise it.
Make your laptop easier to use
Touchpads on laptops can be infuriating. You may have to swipe multiple times to move the cursor across the screen or your wrist may accidentally activate it when you’re typing. Avoid using it and opt for a simple, wireless mouse instead. Logitech’s M185 (£9.99 from www.snipca.com/35177) is a great choice and will last up to 12 months before the batteries need replacing. It’s a little smaller than most mice, so might not suit people with larger hands, but this does make it easier to transport when you’re out.
Charge USB devices in your car
Newer cars come with a selection of USB ports for charging you ur devices, but not older models, which typical lly have just a single 12-vo olt adapter. Anker’s Car Charger (£7.99 from www.snipca. com/35178, pictured right) provides two USB ports for charging devices as you drive.
Share your music in private
If your neighbours don’t appreciate it when you and your family members listen to music while relaxing in the garden, appease them by buying a headphone splitter. This lets you connect additional headphones to your phone (or any other device with a 3.5mm headphone jack), letting you and the people you’re with listen in private. The Amazonbasics splitter ( www.snipca.com/35179, pictured above right) only costs £6.09, and lets you connect up to five headphones to the same device simultaneously.
Protect against power surges
Delicate components inside a PC can be damaged by power surges. You’ll find plenty of cheap, multi-plug surge protectors for under a tenner, but many offer very little protection. APC’S Surge Arrest Essential (£9.48 from www.snipca. com/35180) can withstand up to 918 Joules - that’s around three times more than most other protectors, and enough to keep your PC safe from most spikes and surges from the national grid. If you want one to protect several devices, you can buy a five-plug version of APC’S adapter for just over £20 (click the ‘5 Outlets’ button on the same page).
Connect all your USB devices
Like routers and their wired ports, modern laptops seem to be offering fewer USB ports. Some only come with two, and if you use one of these for charging you may only be able to plug in one USB device at a time. Make that device a USB hub and your problem is solved.
The Belkin Travel Hub (£9.30 from www.snipca.com/35181, pictured above), turns one USB port into four. You can also use it as a simple desk-based docking station for your laptop - leave a keyboard and mouse plugged in and you can connect both simply by plugging the hub into your laptop at your desk.
Be warned: because the hub doesn’t have its own power supply, it won’t be able to charge devices such as phones. Also, it’s a USB 2.0 hub, so USB 3.0 sticks such as the 64GB Sandisk stick (see page 62) will be limited to speeds of around 60MB/S, meaning large files might take a while to copy over. You won’t notice any difference with devices such as USB Bluetooth dongles, however. For faster transfer speeds, consider Anker’s Ultra Slim Hub (£11.99 from www.snipca. com/35182 – but see box left).