Summer break: Chargers to docks, these gadgets make remote work life easier

The gadgets listed below help maintain productivity on the go by addressing the challenges of limited power outlets, connectivity, and data storage

My workspace, both at home and in the office, is well-organised, allowing me to focus on the job with minimal distractions. Naturally, one cannot expect the same level of comfort in external environments, but certain gadgets can help maintain productivity on the go. These include a power strip, a universal charging adaptor with multiple power outlets, a connectivity dock with various ports, and external storage devices. Let us find out how each of these contributes to maximising productivity while travelling.

Power strips and charging adaptors

Keeping all your devices charged is essentially one of the most challenging tasks while travelling. This is despite the availability of power outlets at most public places and public transport system because most of them are usually occupied. And even if there is a power socket available, you cannot use it to charge multiple devices until you have the right tools available. These tools could be a power strip or a multi-port charging adaptor with support for fast charging.

A power strip is essential for managing multiple electronic devices simultaneously. It ensures that you can charge and use several gadgets without searching for additional outlets, which is particularly useful in places with limited electrical access.

Consider charging adaptors with multi-ports option if you need a power accessory that is compact and portable. Important to note, charging adaptors only have USB ports (USB-A and USB-C) and no power sockets. Therefore, these can be used to power up or charge multiple devices simultaneously as long the source devices support USB interface-based charging.
 

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 65W and Nothing Power 65

While the above listed power strips and multi-port charging adaptors get your power and charging requirements covered during domestic travels, these may not be ideal to travel with on international destination simply because there are different sockets and plugs used in different regions. This is where universal charging adaptors come in to play

A universal charging adaptor with multiple power-out ports allows you to connect to different types of sockets and charge multiple devices simultaneously, ensuring you remain powered up regardless of location.

Stuffcool Nomad 102W

Dock stations and cables

Dock stations are the solution to expand connectivity options on laptops with limited ports. For example, if your laptop or MacBook has limited ports, say just two USB-C ports, you can use one of the available ports to connect the dock station with USB-C interface and then use the dock station to connect multiple peripherals such as keyboard and mouse, external monitor, microSD card, storage devices, and more.

It is important to check the interface support on the dock station and source device because a mismatch could directly influence experience. For example, a dock station with interface based on Thunderbolt 3 specifications will work best only if there is a Thunderbolt 3 port on the laptop. It will work as good when connected to Thunderbolt 4 port, but not so with USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface. That said, it is convenient to consider a dock station that is not tied to one particular interface type. However, such dock stations come at a premium.

Honeywell 8-in-1 Type-C Ultra Dock

Dock stations expand connectivity options, but you would also need supporting cables to get the most from them. Therefore, like the interface on the dock station and source device, it is important to pay attention to cable type. For example, an HDMI 1.4 cable can transmit 4K resolution video signals but only in standard dynamic range (SDR) and at 30Hz. Likewise, a USB-C or USB-A type cable based on USB 2.0 standard will connect and work with the dock, but deliver slow data transfer speed even if the dock station supports higher data transfer rate.

Belkin HDMI 2.1 cable

Honeywell USB-C cable and Stuffcool USB-A cable

External storage devices

Data protection and storage is crucial, especially in work-from-remote scenario where you neither have access to encrypted data storage server nor the experienced information technology staff to help you recover lost data in time – if you unknowingly get yourself in such a situation. Since it is not always easy to get internet connection on-the-go, it is important to keep files backed up on a physical storage device like thumb drive or a solid-state drive.

Kingston XS1000 SSD and SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go USB-C thumb drive