Pandemic has changed our idea of workspace or at least it has for a large part of workers we call knowledge workers. Not simply because it has taken the workspace off the pedestal, effectively removing the gap between work and leisure. That is because it has questioned what we need to work and how relationships within this space can be maintained. Removing the worker from his routine has recalibrated his needs by giving him an agenda that mainly involves remote connections where previously there was the anxiety of face-to-face. Technology has done the rest.
Essential devices for smart working and digital nomads
By the end of the decade, half of all American workers will be freelancers. But the trend is global. And the design of work devices is adapting to the new needs.
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- Alessandro Scarano
- 22 December 2021
Audio, for example: we hardly realised how important it was to have a safe acoustic bubble to work in, whether in the bar, at home or in the office. Headphones have become the new essential accessory, the putative symbol of the new era of work. Recently Urbanista, a Scandinavian collective, presented a solar-powered rechargeable pair combining necessity with the image of the “remote” worker who flees from Berlin to the Canary Islands in winter. But the audio breakthrough has arrived to fixed workstations as well, with devices such as Logitech’s Logi Dock, which integrates a built-in speaker, optimised – obviously – for Zoom, Teams or Meet conversations, into a desktop hub designed to optimise connections (and get rid of cables).
The idea of taking energy with us is increasingly linked to mobile work: Lenovo recently launched a 20,000 mAh “super battery” for recharging laptops among its Go accessories designed for agile work. On Kickstarter it has raised four million Hong Kong dollars (about half a million euros) for the Storm 2, a super battery with a vaguely futuristic transparent look designed for digital nomads. Therefore, in the catalogue of a manufacturer as Anker there are solutions that use sunlight to recharge devices.
Another growing trend is the multiplication of screens. A few months ago, we thought there was “the work computer”, a monolithic desktop that only worked during office hours. The situation for many is no longer the same, divided between monitors and displays, not only those of smartphones, tablets and laptops, but also external monitors that amplify the experience or next-generation note-taking devices such as ReMarkable. Even devices such as eReaders, which we used to associate with leisure, are increasingly integrating functions to be useful at work: the new Kobo have larger screens and a stylus, turning them into productive reading tools, also useful for work papers, allowing us to leave folders at home.
Finally, in a society that is still settling down between the dream of a post-pandemic and the need to deal with COVID-19, it is impossible to overlook the importance of bags and backpacks designed for mobile workers, such as Unico, the backpack-case designed for the worker during the climate crisis. Because let’s not forget that the next challenge for the world, and not just the working one, is precisely that.
It has been a year since Apple launched its first pair of headphones. So much has been said because of its unassuming design and anything but cheap price tag. The truth is that these headphones are among the best around and Tim Cook’s gamble is a winner. First of all, in terms of audio: the noise cancellation is very good, the microphone good but not incredible. But these are also the features other headphones have.
What the AirPods Max pull away from the competition on is the sound rendering of music with spatial audio. A masterpiece of engineering, it lifts headphone listening from a certain density we have always associated it with, to lighten it up and deliver a unique experience. This makes the AirMax Pro great for work: whether it is Jon Hopkins’ Music for Psychedelic Therapy or Satie’s “furniture music”, the sensation will be that of being in an isolated and comfortable sound bubble even when the volume is not at maximum. The ability to operate the settings from the iPhone’s control centre makes them easy to use. Obviously, these are benefits that Apple users and Apple Music subscribers will appreciate the most. For everyone else, they would probably just be an empty status symbol.
The second strong point is the choice of shapes and materials, which make these headphones particularly comfortable. The use of the wheel borrowed from the Apple Watch to manage listening is certainly a functional choice, much more so than the touch controls chosen by other manufacturers, even if at times reaching it feels a little unnatural. The only slightly odd note is the case, which protects the headphones up to a certain point, leaving the precious headband exposed. However, it certainly makes the headphones practical to carry in your bag, without increasing their bulkiness too much.
Have you ever thought of using your iPad to extend the screen of your laptop? This device makes it possible. But that is not all, because it opens up a wide range of potential, such as using the screen of a MacBook to create an additional monitor for a Windows or Linux computer. All thanks to a dongle – with different configurations, Usb-C, Displayport and Hdmi – and a software platform. It works without cables and with a sustainable latency of 16ms, enough to manage messaging or a browser tab on the extended screen. Do not plan on playing Warzone multiplayer with it, though.
Anker perfectly uses the magnetic docking potential of the new iPhone models to create the power bank that was missing. Not only is it portable and has just the right amount of power for charging on the fly (5000 mAh), but the integrated cover, clearly inspired by the iPad one, turns it into a stand so you can use your iPhone in landscape or portrait mode while you recover battery packs.
Designed to relieve pressure on your forearms, shoulders and hands while typing, this wavy wireless keyboard has only one flaw, the learning curve. Once you have mastered it – a process probably not for everyone – you will appreciate the quality of the keys (scissor switch and 1.8mm tactile feedback) and the comfort of the cork hand rest. A removable magnetic pad allows you to customise at least some of the keyboard’s inclination.
In alternate years, Sony updates its top-of-the-range series of headphones and earphones. In 2021, it has been the turn of the latter, now in its fourth generation. Compared to the previous “mark 3”, the design language loses its personality, sacrificing the retro-futuristic lines for better functionality and compactness. From an audio point of view, they are among the best noise-cancelling earphones around. Isolation, if you will, is pretty much complete, and these earbuds allow the wearer to enclose themselves in a sound bubble, to isolate themselves from surrounding noise.
They feature touch controls and offer a wide choice of customisation. The microphone is good but not the best, despite the use of bone conduction technology, and is the only (almost) weak point, along with the absence of a multipoint connection, which would make it easier to switch between pairing with the phone and the laptop, saving time and energy. The earphones are also compatible with the 360 Reality Audio system.
And now for the bad news: in 2021 there wires still exist. On the one hand, they are an incredibly uncomfortable element, despite a return of wired headsets and headphones in a certain fashionable Gen Z niche. They get twisted, they get tangled, they are always too long or not long enough.
On the other hand – and this actually makes it worse – they are essential. If you forget that cable with the special adapter that allows you to connect your laptop to your portable screen at home, you may not be able to use it. Think if you are on the plane to the Canary Islands. To alleviate this mass of problems, Horizn Studios, a Berlin-based company that has always focused on luggage for the digital nomad, offers a practical case with pockets and a booklet opening, for the damn cables and any devices (plugs, a small mouse, earphones and so on). Added values, it is compact, waterproof and made from vegan materials.
Even in the age of the cloud, it is hard for an external hard disk not to be needed at some point. This one has it all: the sleek lines that make it beautiful no matter what, the convenience of the Usb-C input, the light weight, and the LaCie brand warranty. It guarantees fast transfers (Thunderbolt 3/Usb 3.1) and is available in sizes from one to five tons. It is just a shame that the colour scheme is so restrained, we would have liked to see a rose gold at least.
As it was unfortunately to be expected, face masks have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Especially for those who travel a lot on planes or trains, or for those who work at a table in a bar and must or prefer to protect themselves from droplets. Among the many masks on the market, this one from Moshi combines the comfort of a fabric mask with adjustable elastic bands with the filtration guaranteed by Nanohedron technology against viruses, bacteria, pollution, dust and allergies. The filters are interchangeable and can be sanitised with an alcohol spray. Moshi is an American company specialized in tech accessories and this mask was initially developed for its employees.
An idolised company in the gaming world, Razer has for some time now realised that what is good for gaming is also great for work (a connection we can think many thoughts about). The Pro Click Mini is an appropriately sized wireless mouse, pleasant to click, and can be connected to three devices via Bluetooth and a fourth via a dongle. What is most incredible is the attention to detail: there are 7 fully programmable buttons and the scroll wheel has a horizontal mode.
Along with the mouse, Razer also presented an XXL-size mouse pad, practically a big mat. Extremely comfortable for stationary workstations, vaguely problematic if you are used to eating while working, it is a shame you cannot use it for some yoga sessions in between emails.
A practical charging station with minimalist lines, ideal for iPhone and Apple Watch users, thanks to the MagSafe vertical docking station, which allows you to take a look at your phone even when it is charging. The dongle for charging the watch can be removed and is very useful on the move. There is also a wireless dashboard and a USB-A output. The only real downside is the absence of a USB-C socket, which is now standard for fast charging.
In the everlasting doubt between backpacks and bags, Chrome’s messenger bag stands in the middle, taking good things from both sides. They’re the iconic bags used by bike messengers, which have become an urban style icon coming from San Francisco to the world over the past decade, aided by the cultural and admittedly somewhat fashionable boom of fixed-gear bikes in every major city on the planet. Meanwhile, Chrome Industries changed ownership and home, moving to Portland, Oregon. The company’s portfolio has expanded since then, and now includes backpacks and sling bags, now very popular, clothing and shoes. But the messenger bags have never lost their identity, nor their quality: comfortable and spacious, they are organized only with two large internal compartments that make them simple, but versatile; they are good for carrying a laptop with the necessities for a day’s work, or to be a hand luggage for a weekend, with a maximum capacity of 24 liters; in the front a couple of smaller pockets, one with a zipper, and a cartridge box for pens and other things.
At the end of the padded portion of the shoulder strap, that's actually very comfortable, you can find the characteristic Chrome quick reselase buckle with the emblem of the griffin, inspired by that of seatbelts, that locks with the rest of the strap: it is a simple but very functional solution, which allows you to place the bag on the shoulder or to remove it quickly, or to move it quickly to the front position. It also works as a bottle opener. Over the years, the company has continued to innovate while trying not to lose authenticity. The new BLCKCHRM 22X line for example uses a strong, lightweight nylon used for boat sails. Or the Night version, with reflective elements and red details. Two percent of every Chrome product purchase from the store ends up in the coffers of Citizen Chrome Grants, the company’s nonprofit initiative to make cities better places through initiatives from art to skate parks.