Kids have already headed back to school with stylish new bookbags, freshly shaven pencils, unused notebooks, and maybe even the latest tablet or laptop (depending on age or just how lucky they are). But kids don’t have to be the only ones getting fresh new gear. Here are some of the latest workplace tech for either your personal use or something that can benefit the whole office.
Smart Board: Even More Connectivity
Last year, Microsoft unveiled the first iteration of its Surface Hub—a step up from the typical smart boards or interactive whiteboards. The latest version, the Surface Hub 2 (available in 2019), adds new features such as tiling. Now, multiple Surface Hub 2s can work together to form a single image or use different programs such as Microsoft Whiteboard, PowerBI, PowerPoint, and video calls. Also, multi-user sign-in now allows multiple people within the Surface Hub 2 workplace to simultaneously access their documents and ideas and merge them with their teammates. Plus, new rolling stands—created with workplace expert Steelcase—makes this new version much more mobile.
Conference Room: More Than a Sound Boost
The Lenovo ThinkSmart Hub 700 may look like just a speaker, but it is so much more. Yes, with a four-speaker Dolby Audio system it can certainly enhance your conference calls’ audio. But, this hub is also like a mini computer that can detect in-room participants and pair their devices automatically, so they can more easily share materials during a conference. Plus, once sensors detect someone has entered the room, it will power on the device, and then enter standby mode when everyone leaves.
Printer: Sticky Notes Never Looked So Good
The Cubinote Pro ($149.99) is a WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled sticky note printer that uses thermal paper—so no ink is required. Now you can print out text messages, drawings, pictures, ideas, and whatever else you can capture from your device’s screen (phones, laptops, tablets, etc.), and stick it anywhere for someone to see. The printer weighs less than half a pound, so you can easily share it with the whole office.
Mouse: More Ergonomically Friendly
Maybe we have been holding the mouse wrong all of these years. Logitech’s MX Vertical ($99.99) puts a new spin on mouse design with a unique 57° vertical angle. The design is said to be scientifically proven to reduce muscular strain by 10%, reduce the pressure on your wrist, and promote a more ergonomic posture. Additionally, advanced optical tracking helps to decrease hand movement by 4x, which further reduces muscle and hand fatigue.
Laptop: Thinnest Mobile Workstation Yet
Lenovo’s latest addition to its line of ThinkPad mobile workstations is also its thinnest and lightest yet. The ThinkPad P1 ($1,919 to $2,099) is .7-inches thin and 3.76 lbs. Even with the smaller package, the laptop doesn’t skimp on the power with the latest 8th Gen Intel Xeon and Core processors, including support for the Core i9 CPU. The ThinkPad P1 also offers a 15-inch, 4K UHD touchscreen display.
