GIZMOS FOR THE TRAVELLING EXECUTIVE
Battery Packs
Almost all smart phones and tablets are battery guzzlers, but what if you’re out and about and nowhere near a power socket? Battery packs to the rescue! Whenever you need the extra juice, simply connect these portable packs to your devices via USB to charge.
Our Picks
1. The CoolerMaster PowerFort ( 4,999) is one of the best backup battery packs we’ve seen. The device we tested used a 6600mAh lithiumpolymer battery that allows for the simultaneous charging of up to two devices. Its 5V-1A connector was ideal for charging most smartphones, while its 5V-2.1A port charged tablets and bigger handsets. The device has LED status indicators to display power levels and comes with an Apple devices charger attachment, as well as a Galaxy Tab/Note charger tip. 2. Then there’s the Zebronic Power Grid ( 1,990) that uses a 4800mAh lithium-ion battery, and comes with a 5V-1A as well as a 5V-2.1A connector to charge two devices simultaneously. What you also get are micro as well as mini USB connectors. 3. If your need is only for a 5V-1A charger, then you will be well served by either the 2200mAh Nokia Universal Portable USB Charger DC-16 or the 2600mAh PM Powerpack ‘Recharge+’ Power Bank ( 1,499 each). Both these come with LED indicators and are sufficient to charge most small smartphones, including the iPhones and BlackBerry devices.
Buying Tips
Buy a battery pack that uses lithium-polymer cells. These are of a higher quality when compared to lithium-ion, and provide provide double the charge density per unit weight. On the other hand, lithium-ion cells are cheaper and easily available.
Most USB devices draw not more than 1 ampere to charge their internal batteries. These devices will charge over a USB port from your laptop/PC, and even a standard battery pack. However, some smartphones and tablets need 2.1 ampere current. Any high-capacity battery pack won’t charge them, only those with dedicated 2.1A output will. So check your device’s charging requirements before buying.
Most battery packs do not offer more than 75 per cent efficiency, so it’s always better to invest in a higher capacity battery pack than what you require. For example, buy a 5600mAh if you need 4000mAh.
Bluetooth Headsets
If you’re always up and about, a Bluetooth headset that lets you receive and make calls without having to juggle with your smartphone can prove to be a boon.
Our Picks
1. The Plantronics Voyager Legend ( 5,690) is a mono headset with noise cancellation. Its over-the-ear loop keeps it firmly in place. In our tests, call quality was ultra clear, and regardless of how softly we spoke, the person at the other end could hear us clearly. Similarly, voice reception was clear at our end. The device – with around seven hours of battery – announces the caller’s name and lets you handle incoming calls with two voice commands: “answer” or “ignore”. Add to that its water-proof construction, and you have a headset that’s durable, looks good, and works as promised. Besides, it also lets you pair up to two devices simultaneously. 2. The Jabra Bluetooth Supreme Plus ( 7,999) comes a close second. Like the Legend, it has noise cancellation, lets you pair two devices simultaneously, announces the caller’s name, and lets you handle incoming calls with voice commands. Besides, it comes with around six hours of battery. The one downside to the Supreme, however, is that it does not fit as well as the Legend. 3. And if you’re looking for a stereo headset, we’d recommend the Nokia BH-505 ( 3,300) that boasts of a splash-resistant, rubberised design with in-ear speakers. This set promises around 10-12 hours of battery. On the downside, the mic on the BH-505 is not as good as the ones on the Plantronics and Jabra headsets.
Buying Tips
If it’s a mono headset choose one that has an overthe-ear loop. The ones that promise to be a snug fit in your ears, usually aren’t – and are prone to falling off.
Most importantly, go for a set that comes with noise cancellation to get rid of ambient sounds during phone calls.
Seagate Wireless Plus & Kingston Wi-Drive
If you need more storage space on the go, the 1TB Seagate Wireless Plus ( 16,000) and the 32GB or 64GB Kingston Wi-Drive ( 4,999 and 7,499) are great storage options. Both these portable drives, which come with a rechargeable battery, connect to your smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi to act as external storage.
On a single charge, the Wireless Plus lasts for just under six hours, while the Wi Drive gives your around four hours. To access both drives, however, you will need to install specialized apps on your Android or iOS device – the Seagate Media app for the Wireless Plus, and the Wi-Drive app for the Kingston. The downside of these devices is that since they connects via Wi-Fi, you can’t use internet on your tablet or smarphone at the same time – not even your 3G network. However, they do let you create a bridge between your Wi-Fi router and phone or tablet, allowing internet use via the wireless hard drive’s network.
Bluetooth Speakers
Even road warriors need some entertainment – and it’s because of this, we suggest portable Bluetooth speakers. Not only will these devices augment the sound you get from your smartphones, tablets and laptops, but the models we suggest also come with a built-in microphone to let you answer phone calls whenever they are connected to your handset.
Our Picks
1.The JBL Flip ( 5,990) boasts good build quality, and clear, crisp sound (150Hz – 20kHz, 80db) that’s enough to fill a small- to medium-sized room. Its rechargeable battery allows for around six hours of playback, making it a very good amalgam of portable style and functionality. 2. Then there’s the Logitech UE Mobile Boombox ( 8,995) that gives you around eight hours on a single charge. Sound quality is almost on par with the Flip (150Hz – 18kHz, 78dB), but its smaller size with a nice metal and rubberized finish makes for a ‘cute’ package. 3.And finally, there’s the Jabra Solemate ( 10,999) that’s dust and splash resistant and sounds just as good as the JBL Flip. These speakers (120 – 20kHz, 120db) are capable of eight hours of playback, and come with a rubber sole, complete with a notch to store its included 13-inch 3.5mm audio cable. Of course, the base also keeps the speaker firmly in place, no matter how loud the bass thumps.
All these products come with their own carry cases, boast of very good build quality, support 3.5mm audio jacks, and are equipped with good microphones that allow for clear conference calls.
Buying Tip
Pick a single unit device that comes with its own carrying case and rechargeable batteries – and it would help if the model you choose boasts of durable and rugged build quality.
Portable Storage
Your data — whether it’s in the form of monthly sales figures or project plans — is of ultimate importance. And to store it securely, you need a solution that is reliable, rugged and with some form of password protection.
Our Picks in Hard Drives
1. The Adata DashDrive Durable ( 5,500 for 1TB) is a USB 3.0 drive that incorporates military-grade shockproof (MIL-STD-810G 516.6 drop test) and waterproof (IPX7) construction. Also, its casing has a wrap-around exterior slot to store its USB cables. Besides, it comes with the free HDDtoGO software that allows for data synchronization between your drive and PC, as well as strong data protection with 128bit AES encryption. This drive, however, was the slowest performer in our tests: 79.8 MB/s (sequential read) and 76.5 MB/s (seq write). Still, this is not a deal breaker as these benchmark speeds are not apparent in most real world scenarios. 2. The Western Digital My Passport ( 5,999 for 1TB) that posted speeds of 90.7MB/s (seq read) and 85.7 MB/s (seq write) is a fantastic proposition that promises password-protected access to your data through its WD Drive Unlock software, and automatic backup through WD SmartWare that instantly backs up the files on your PC as soon as they are added or changed and saved – and you can even schedule backups based on time, the day, and frequency. 3. The Seagate Backup Plus ( 7,700 for 1TB) is the fastest drive in this round up with an average speed of 93.5MB/s (seq read) and 86MB/s (seq write). In terms of software, it has ‘Protect Now’ that backs up all your PC data files to the drive whenever they change and ‘Save’ that automatically backs-up your files from Facebook and Flickr. Still we would have liked an encryption software utility for data protection.
Our Picks in Pen Drives
1. The Corsair Survivor Stealth ( 1,950 to 5,800 for 16GB to 64GB) is housed in strong anodized aluminium casing, with rubberized seals that protect the internals from water damage including submersion. Besides, it’s one of the few pen drives that comes with USB 3.0, posting the highest scores of 76MB/s (seq read) and 22MB/s (seq write). This is one rugged drive that will survive a tumble in your washing machine, and even an accident under the wheels of your car. 2. When it comes to enterprise-grade encryption, we tend to the Kingston DataTraveler 6000 ( 9,999 for 16GB). This drive is protected by 256-bit AES hardware-encryption, and it handles the possibility of password brute force attacks by locking down after 10 intrusion attempts and even destroying the encryption key. What’s more, it is housed in a stainless steel casing. Speed-wise, however, this drive allows for just 19MB/s (seq read) and 11MB/s (seq write). 3. The SanDisk Cruzer Force ( 749 to 2180 for 8GB to 32GB) and Cruzer Orbit ( 431 to Rs 1,862 for 4GB to 32GB) are neither rugged, nor do they support USB 3.0, but both these entry-level devices come with SanDisk SecureAccess. The software lets you create a password-protected, encrypted vault on the drive, into which you can store sensitive data. Then, there’s also the Sandisk Extreme USB 3.0 ( 2,102 to 6,607 for 16GB to 64GB) that comes with the same SecureAccess software, promising both speed and security.
Buying Tips
Make sure it supports USB 3.0, a standard that is theoretically 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
Look for a device with some sort of rubber or shockproof coating that can protect it against accidental drops, and perhaps even from moisture and water damage.
Adata DashDrive Air AE400
Running out of battery? Wish your iPad had enough storage space to watch all of Game Of Thrones on your trip? Meet your new best friend, the Adata Air AE400 ( 4,500) – a portable charger-cum-wireless drive. The DashDrive has a 5,000mAh built-in battery to charge your smartphone or tablet on the move via a regular charging cable. And it can also connect to your handset via Wi-Fi to expand your storage – plug in a pen drive or portable hard drive into the standard USB slot, or slip in an SD card (up to 32GB) in the memory card reader. However, like the Seagate Wireless Plus, the downside is that since it connects via Wi-Fi, you can’t use internet at the same time – not even your 3G network – except when using the DashDrive as a bridge.
TL130602
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