Essential Gadgets for Filipino Mobile Workers

These days, working at home is not limited to freelancers. Even people with traditional jobs are allowed to telecommute, or work from home. This is because companies now have reasons to loosen their reins on workers. According to a February 2015 study published in Oxford Journals, working from home lead to a 13% performance increase. The study’s experiment was carried out on Ctrip, a 16,000-employee Chinese travel agency that is also a call center. Call center workers who volunteered for the experiment ended up working more. But working more didn’t mean they were stressed. Volunteers actually reported improved work satisfaction. Now that managers are finding more ways to improve employee satisfaction, you may soon find yourself with new benefits like telecommuting at least once a week. But are you ready to work from home or places like coffee shops? Here are the essential gadgets for workers on the go.

Laptop/Netbook

If your company provides you with a laptop or a netbook, it’s easier to get things done especially if you own an unwieldy PC. The most essential gadget for mobile working, you just need to find a place to plug in.

Smartphone

It’s hard to find someone who does not own a smartphone these days. These gadgets are more than just tools to check your social media accounts – they are actually computers that can fit in your pocket. If you find yourself lacking a laptop or a netbook, you can use your smartphone to do your business. There’s always an app for something you need.

Powerbank

While smartphones are heaven sent gadgets that can do almost everything, they are limited by their batteries. The best smartphones in the market lasts a full day of intermittent use. But using it for work means mobile data or constant connection to WiFi, which can drain your battery in a couple of hours. Powerbanks can make sure that you have enough charge to send in those reports after you write them.

Pocket WiFi

If you find the internet connection at the cafe a bit lacking, you can say goodbye to those bandwidth hogs on the other table by having your own internet connection. Having pocket WiFi means uninterrupted work while saving on battery. Just make sure you set a password.

Extension cord/Power strip

You don’t want to be the guy who uses all the available outlets in the coffee shop. With an extension cord, you can sit further at a more comfortable table without any outlet. If you also find yourself at the airport, you can be this guy who just saved everyone whose phone’s battery is running low.

Universal Adaptor

If you’re the kind of mobile worker who fly to different places, you might find yourself staring at an outlet that is incompatible with your plug. Do yourself a favor and get one of these:

Solar Charger

By this time, you should know how essential power is. In the Philippines, sometimes you can’t really tell when electricity will be out, especially if it is city-wide. By the time your pocket WiFi and smartphone drain your power bank, what then? A solar charger may not be the fastest way to juice up your gadget, but it is dependable.

Earplugs

With all of these gadgets, its hard to not get work done. You have your laptop, your smartphone, and you have power. But all the hard work setting up your station will be all for naught if you can’t concentrate. If ambient music is not for you, then get yourself one of these. No need for an expensive noise-cancelling headphones.

Of course, you don’t have to bring all of these whenever you go out. But it’s always better to be prepared.