Charging made easy
Charging made easy
Ever placed your device on a wireless charger only to find later that it never charged? Apple’s MagSafe wireless charger makes sure your iPhone is in the perfect position for charging. Perfectly aligned magnets attach to iPhone 12 models and newer to provide faster charging. MagSafe also is compatible with Qi charging so that iPhone 8 and later also can be wirelessly charged. $39, apple.com
Bluetooth no matter what
Watching cool new movies is the best part of flying, but what about when the janky earphones they give you on the plane are unable to connect? AirFly Pro has got your back. The small transmitter allows you to use your favorite wireless headphones on a system that would otherwise be incompatible. Want to stream music from your phone to a non-Bluetooth speaker? AirFly Pro can help you do that as well. It’s also great to use in vintage cars and on the treadmill. Just plug it in and establish a connection. $55, twelvesouth.com
An author’s best friend
Advertising and promoting your book can be daunting and confusing. BookBub takes the edge off by making your book release as smooth and effective as possible. Authors can advertise their work and accumulate a following on a platform geared toward those who love to read. Once you build a following, BookBub notifies your followers by email every time you have a new book coming soon with summary information and a preorder link. Authors also can run “featured deals” with discounted rates. Sign-up is free, bookbub.com
Never lose a video again
Your time is valuable; the last thing you want to do is waste it by repeating yourself or rerecording the videos you use to promote your business. Backup plans are important, and Stellar Video Repair restores videos that may have been corrupted or damaged in the move from your recording device to your computer. $50, stellarinfo.com
Better safe than sorry
Whether you are charging a portable device from an outlet at the coffee shop, an airport gate or any public USB socket, you’re vulnerable to loading a virus and data transfer. The PortaPow USB-A to A Data Blocker is compatible with computers, smartphones, tablets, MP3 players and Bluetooth headphones. It plugs into any laptop or charging port to eliminate the possibility of juice jacking by blocking the transfer of data from your device to the port. Comes in red, black and white $6, portablepowersupplies.co.uk
The video conference capsule
Being ready and well equipped to host video conferences is important. The Meeting Capsule by eMeet is a video camera, microphone and speaker all in one and can help you appear put together and professional while participating in virtual meetings. It features a 10-watt hi-fi speaker, eight built-in microphones for multidirectional voice pickup, and a camera that has 360° panoramic view with 1080P resolution. The camera also contains AI autofocus and five display modes — collaboration, classical, speech, spotlight and in-private, depending on what suits your situation. $560, emeet.com
Grip and click
Have you tried holding a thin smartphone with one hand, stretched your thumb to the touchscreen shutter, only to shake your device and ruin that group photo or selfie? SnapGrip by ShiftCam gets rid of that annoyance. It’s an ergonomic phone grip that magnetically snaps on and makes holding your smartphone securely and pressing the wireless shutter easier. Switching from landscape to portrait mode is hassle-free, and the grip also is a battery that charges wirelessly to keep your phone powered throughout the day. $70, shiftcam.com
Compact laptop stand
Hunching over a laptop is uncomfortable and bad for your health; that’s why finding the right laptop stand can stop your slouching. The Nexstand K2 Laptop Stand is compact, adjustable and will bring your screen to eye level, which will allow air to flow underneath your device and keep it from overheating. This stand is portable, weighing just 234 grams, so you can take it anywhere and work on the go. $36, nexstand.io
The router that does all
With hacking becoming more prevalent every day, it’s important to assure all your cyber safety measures are in place. Firewalla Purple is a gigabit cyber security firewall and router with Wi-Fi. Comes with a built-in virtual private network and a safeguard for all your personal and professional data. It also has network controls, allowing you to block Wi-Fi-based gaming without turning off your internet completely. $340, firewalla.com