A guide to passing time with quality
By Daniel Thompson
The new academic year has not long started, and due to COVID majority of people are home-based during their studies. Therefore, it is a good time to start speaking about gadgets and fun tech that can improve your lifestyle during this home-based academic year. So, here's a list of gadgets worth knowing about. Let’s get started!
1. Razer Kishi
Image Courtesy of Kevin Allen via Razer Press
When you think of controllers for mobiles, you probably think of those bulky Bluetooth controllers that always have some sort of connectivity issue or a huge input lag. This gaming controller is probably the best mobile game controller you will ever use! It will fit any smartphone, and because it is physically connected to the USB C port, there is almost zero input lag. For the most part this is an Xbox controller for your phone. My only issue would be the price as it is rather expensive for the plastic finish the controller has.
Razer Kish, £79, amazon.co.uk
2. Duolink Go
Image courtesy of Duolinkgo
Duolink here is of a unique concept. On first impression this is a Bluetooth speaker, and a fairly decent one. It will not break any barriers with sound technology, but the key mechanic here is, if you give it a little pull, then you suddenly have two speakers that operate in a stereo pair. They function up to 22 feet away from each other, or 6.7 meters. But here is the best bit- inside each half are a pair of true wireless earphones, and they are pretty good! However, the sound isn’t revolutionary, but the selling point here is the multi-functionality of the gadget and the way the individual parts work together. You could be listening to music with your wireless earphones, insert them back into the speakers and you will be able to play the music for everyone at any given point. Not only that, as the music is playing through the speaker, they are charging your wireless earphones back up again!
Duolink Go, £69, duolinkgo.com
3. Helpers Lab 105W Dual USB type C travel Charger Adapter
Let’s talk about chargers! You might know already that the typical phone charger has 5 watts of power. You can get fast chargers that sit around 15-20 watts, and then superfast chargers which range between 30-65 watts. Well this next gadget is a 105W charger, and because it is made with a special compound called Gallium Nitride, it is actually a lot smaller and more compact than it should be. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t be able to use all 105 Watts for your phone alone and charge it up in 15 minutes. However, with this much power in one unit you can charge any four devices at full speed, simultaneously. It is so powerful that you could use this to charge two smartphones and two laptops at the same time!
Helpers Lab 105W Dual USB type C travel Charger Adapter, £60, amazon.co.uk
4. Anker Powerconf
Image Courtesy of Anker
With most things being home-based now due to COVID this is a perfect gadget for those online meetings. This gadget connects to your phone via Bluetooth and acts as the speaker and microphone for your calls, facetime and, in general, online meetings. It uses six microphones in an omni-directional array to pick up your voice as much and as clear as possible- from far away and in any direction you are speaking.
Anker Powerconf, £109, amazon.co.uk
5. Lookstand
If you aren’t really for sticking things to the back of your phone- be it wallets, little pouches, speakers, or phone holders- then definitely give this gadget a second thought. This is the lookstand - it is a 100% aluminium and fully adjustable stand for your phone. It is really compact, which makes it easier to fit in your pocket, and it is quite impressive what they managed to fit in such a small contraption. Once you attach it to your phone, it has a very strong adhesive, you can unfold it and then pull it to extend an aluminium stand. It also locks itself into each orientation with a satisfying click. You can adjust the angle of your phone, orientation, and there’s also three different height levels.
Lookstand, £36, amazon.co.uk
