Ten gadgets to keep you sane
Gaming, music and video platforms drive the virus blues away.
The two-month enhanced community quarantine made many of us uneasy if not manic due to the increasing cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) not just in the Philippines, but the entire world. People were forced to stay or work from home and to generally adapt to the new normal.
However, boredom naturally kicked in and folks needed things and activities to keep them entertained, help with workrelated tasks or to just feel comfortable with the summer heat. Luckily, we have gadgets that made us lose track of time or stopped us from being too introspective while looking at the four walls of our abodes.
With the slightly relaxed general community quarantine that keeps students and many other workers at home, here are the top 10 gadgets that can get us through this pandemic:
1) Smartphones — Whether you are an Apple, Android, or Windows OS user, having a working smartphone will get you through the early and often rough phases of the quarantine. We always use social media to update us on the news (both local and international), play games such as Call of Duty, Mobile Legend and, King of Fighters All-Stars and watch or upload videos like on TikTok.
Your smartphone can keep you company all day regardless of the struggles you feel when trapped at home. 2) Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi
— During the quarantine period our household experienced internet problems and made it very difficult working at home. Thankfully, Globe had Globe at Home Prepaid wifi broadband devices that proved to be a lifesaver while being cheap.
We have two units in our house that were powered by Globe’s prepaid offering -- the Huawei Model: B310AS-938 and the Model: ZLT P25. I used the Huawei Model: B310AS-938 at work due to its having a faster boot time with a download speed of 9.23Mbps and an upload speed of 1.50Mbps. The Model ZLT P25 was used in our living room with
a download speed of 3.33Mbps and an upload speed of 1.21.
Both models cost P1500, but they are available in Shopee for P999. 3) Seagate 1TB slim External
Hardrive — When it comes to external hard drives, Seagate is one of the best brands to buy due to its durability and large storage capacity. I currently use the Seagate 1TB slim when watching downloaded movies, vacation photos and videos, and storing important work files.
4) Sony PlayStation 4 —For gamers like myself, I used the quarantine as an excuse to play long hours since I cannot get out of the house. I own a firstgeneration PS4 which has a 500GB storage size and I installed an ORIA vertical stand cooling fan to keep it from overheating.
The games I played during the quarantine included The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Kingdom Hearts 3, Spider-Man, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Resident Evil 2 Remake, DMC 5, and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. I also used my PS4 to watch shows or movies on Netflix.
5) Nintendo Switch — The latest handheld console from Nintendo, the Switch is one of the most popular video game devices today and it can be the perfect buddy for you during the quarantine. While I don’t own one, I had the experience playing a friend’s when I tried Mario Kart.
The device features a main console, Joy-Con controllers for two-player activities,and a Switch Dock to charge and connect to the TV. When it came to games, my friend suggested Mario Kart, Super Mario Odyssey, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing. 6) Eufy 30
RoboVac — The most unique household gadget due to how it can spot dirt from hard-to-reach corners. The RoboVac features 3 brushes and Three brushes and strong suction power effectively loosen, extract, and vacuum dirt. Its large wheels can roll over carpets and climb over door ledges, leaving you assured that it would not get damaged in the event if falls.
RoboVac’s drop-sensing technology allows it to avoid falling down and its specialized dual-Hall sensors allow it to detect boundary strips to ensure RoboVac only cleans the areas you want. It also has nine anti-collision infrared sensors that help RoboVac avoid obstacles so it can clean non-stop without assistance. I used it to clean every room in our house and it is fun to watch as it does its job without complaining.
7) Samsung Galaxy Watch — I am not really into watches, but I instantly took a liking to the Samsung Galaxy Watch even before ECQ. The watch has many features that allow you to monitor your heart rate, stress level, the number calories you burn, and the number of minutes it takes for you to finish a particular exercise at home, from push-ups to running on treadmills.
The watch can also connect to your phone whether it’s Samsung or Apple as long you install the Samsung Wearable app. From there you can customize the look of your watch, receive updates from social media, and even play music.
8) JBL Go Speaker — The only portable speaker in my room that I use whenever I want to hear music. It has a convenient noise-canceling speakerphone, allowing you to pick up calls without turning your speaker off. It can last up to five hours per charge. 9) JBL Soundgear — Whenever I try exercising I use the JBL Soundgear instead of regular earphones to listen to music that would pump my blood. You can connect it to your phone using Bluetooth and you don’t have to worry about your neck because it is surprisingly light and comfortable, while having six hours of battery life.
I also use it as a speaker whenever I make calls on deliveries such as food and PPEs.
10) Dyson Bladeless Cool Fan — If your electric fan does not cool you off, then you need Bladeless Cool Fan from Dyson. Its air multiplier technology amplifies the surrounding air for high velocity and long-range air projection that can cool you down easily.
It has a remote that allows you to increase the fan’s speed, a set timer, and rotate to feel the breeze from left to right.