Three accessories to put on your must-have list
As I poked around my home to research this month's column, it struck me how personalised the idea of “essential” tech is. Aside from everybody's central devices – your notebook, smartphone and so on – what accessories are truly must-have in your own daily workflow?
For me, I'd find it hard to part with innumerable things. From an ergonomics perspective, a good, large monitor at head height – paired with a quality desk chair – is vital, so I don't strain my neck looking down at a laptop display. Then there's audio. I can't handle tinny notebook speakers, so a small 2.1 sound system is a crucial accessory. A surge protector is a great idea to protect your equipment from power spikes, and then there are protective laptop and tablet sleeves, noise-cancelling headphones to shut out distractions, wi-fi networking add-ons ... the list is endless.
But if I were to limit it to just three key tech must-haves, they'd probably be a good phone case, a backup drive and a spare battery – basically, a comprehensive insurance policy to guard against Murphy's law happening at the worst of times. What is it? OtterBox Defender How much? $69.95 (for iPhone 7)
Pros: If you drop an unprotected phone onto hard ground, there are three key possibilities: the screen or casing shatters (likely), the whole thing dies (unlikely), no damage results (unlikely). So a shock-absorbing case is pretty much mandatory, and the Defender's “triple-layer defence” gives good protection.
Cons: Defender is probably overkill for most people, in terms of expense and ruggedness. But any case is better than none. otterbox.com What is it? Samsung T5 Portable SSD How much? From $199 (250GB)
Pros: Once upon a time external hard drives were big, bulky things that required their own power supply. Then they became miniaturised. But the real cutting edge is SSD, which is lightweight and has no moving parts. Samsung's T5 squeezes up to 2 terabytes of data into a creditcard-sized package.
Cons: SSD is light, power-efficient, fast ... and expensive. That 2TB model costs $1249 but it's an ultra-convenient backup for all your digital data. samsung.com/au What is it? Cygnett ChargeUp Ultra Portable Power Bank How much? $129.95 (20,000mAh)
Pros: We've all been there. You're trying to finish up some work on the train ... and bam! You hit 0% battery. It's a common occurrence, and it's so easy to avoid. There are oodles of battery banks but larger units like this Cygnett offer enough charge for notebooks in addition to mobile devices, and a pair of USB ports means you can charge two gadgets at once.
Cons: Costly, but so's running out of juice. cygnett.com