These Tech Products Will Help You Work Faster When You're on the Move At home, in the office, on an airport layover, these products keep you logged in whenever you need to be.
By Sal Vaglica
This story appears in the April 2022 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
1. A window becomes a desk.
Road warriors who turn layovers into deadline-crushing stints will appreciate the Motis by DeskView ($195; deskview .co). At just 4.5 pounds, you can slip this portable standing desk into a backpack or carry-on, then flip it open to create a steady 14-by-14-inch surface capable of holding up to 20 pounds. Stick the suction cup to a window (or a tempered glass whiteboard), pull down the lever, and you have a desk with a view ready for your laptop. After sitting in a cramped plane seat, your back will thank you for taking a stand.
2. Wiser Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi 7, which promises to make wireless tech faster than wired, isn't quite here yet. For now, a lot of our tech (iPhones, laptops) is optimized to run on a Wi-Fi 6 network — meaning if your wireless router is older than eight years, it's time to upgrade to something like the Orbi Quad-band WiFi 6E Mesh System by Netgear (from $1,500; netgear.com). It will unleash the faster speeds baked into today's gadgets and can service up to 200 devices. A kit with a router and two satellites blankets about 9,000 square feet with fast Wi-Fi. And the app lets you control who has access to your network.
Related: Working From Home Is Complicated, but These Tech Products Make It Simpler
3. Charged and ready.
On your desk, the Nest by Orbitkey ($110; orbitkey .com) functions as a handsome, 10-watt wireless charger. But it really shines when you're on the move: The 9.5-by-4.7-inch box (the charger is in the lid) opens to neatly organize all your work essentials: plugs, cords, a mouse, a stylus, memory cards, keys, snack bar. Repositionable hook-and-loop dividers make it easy to customize the space for whatever you're hauling and prevents things from jostling around in transit.
4. The video call booster.
Raise the Zoom bar. Video calls have transformed work, but trying to look your professional best can clutter a desk in a hurry. The B600 Video Bar by AnkerWork ($220; us.ankerwork.com) compacts a 2K camera, a pair of speakers, four microphones, and a diffused LED light into a 7-inch-long stick, and it plugs into your computer's USB-C port. Stay in the center of the camera's attention or cover it by flipping the light down for privacy. And if you work in a noisy office (or house), the microphones home in on your voice, so colleagues will hear you loud and clear.
Related: 3 New Productivity Tools That Can Automate Your Workday
5. Hearing what's important.
Noise-canceling earbuds are great for barring distractions, but you have to yank them out every time someone asks you a question. Instead, the LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds by Sony ($180; electronics.sony.com) welcome the outside noise while becoming the buds you can wear all day. A hole in the earbud lets ambient noise in — conversations, Uber honks, Slack pings — but with a 12mm speaker driver that allows you to focus on calls and podcasts. Bonus points: These buds are made with recycled plastic..
