Corporate gifting doesn’t have to be boring or impersonal, especially when you can help your employees stay connected and productive wherever they are with these mobile tech gift ideas. These days everyone from top executives to new associates might work remotely, travel frequently, or simply spend more time in the field than in the office. Give them the tools to get the job done no matter the circumstances or the location.
1. Barnes & Noble’s new Nook is great for book lovers, but it’s a good tool for reading documents as well. The E Ink display mimics paper, but still sports a touch screen, making it easy on the eyes and the brain. Add Wi-Fi connectivity, e-book lending, the ability to share passages to social networks, and notes, and the Nook is a robust little reader. (www.nook.com; $139)
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2. Are your associates
tired of hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots while on the go? The MiFi 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot for Sprint may be the answer. It allows users to connect up to five devices at once. It also includes a microSD slot so they can share stored files with any other connected device. (www.sprint.com; $279/$79 with contract)(Continued on next page)
3. The enterprise-minded want more than just a toy that can check e-mail. Enter the ThinkPad tablet from Lenovo. This 10.1-inch slate features the Android 3.1 operating system, a powerful processor, and a scratch and impact-resistant Gorilla Glass display. It also has a stylus and plenty of ports: full-size and micro USB; full-size SD card slot; and a mini HDMI output for presentations. Buy it with the optional keyboard folio for even greater productivity. (www.lenovo.com ;$499, $529 with stylus; $99 Keyboard Folio)
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4. Know someone who
spends most of their day on the phone? The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC does double duty, allowing users to simultaneously connect to a computer and a phone. It seamlessly handles the handoff between the two, so users can go right from a Skype call to a cell without having to reconnect. (www.plantronics.com; $199.95)(Continued on next page)
5. Increase productivity with this combo keyboard and stand from Logitech. Available for Android tablets (3.0 and up) and the iPad, this full-size keyboard connects via Bluetooth–no app or wires required.The cover doubles as a stand to sit the tablet in portrait or landscape mode. When you’re done, fold it back into its slim case. (www.logitech.com; $69.99)
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6. The Dell XPS 15z (complete with an Intel Dual Core 2.30GHz or 2.70GHz processor) provides lean muscle at just under an inch thick. Its sharp display, good battery life (up to 8 hours, 22 minutes), and up to 750GB of hard disc capacity make the XPS 15z a welcome addition to the road warrior’s repertoire. (www.dell.com; starting at $999.99)
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7. For full HD (1080-pixel) video in a compact package, check out the Samsung HMX-Q10 camcorder. Thanks to an accelerometer inside and ambidextrous design the big record button sits under your thumb no matter which hand you hold it in. Access the rest of the controls via the 2.7-inch LCD touch screen and simple graphical interface. (www.samsung.com; $299.99)
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8. The Mac Companion hard drive from Iomega gives users plenty of space for their most important files. Both the 2TB and 3TB drive fit into a compact space, and are designed to fit perfectly at the base of your Mac’s monitor. The two Firewire connections mean speedy transfer, so you can grab large files without having to wait long. (go.iomega.com; $239.99 2TB, $369.99 3TB)
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9. A compact point-and-shoot, Sony’s Alpha NEX-C3 camera is a 16.2-megapixel model that makes it easy to choose the best shooting mode even if you don’t understand the technical terms. It offers the option to switch lenses. The NEX-C3 also doubles as an HD video camera, capable of capturing 720-pixel video at 30 frames per second. (www.store.sony.com; $649)
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10. Everyone needs a good USB key for important data, quick file transfers, and sensitive documents. Verbatim’s Tuff-‘N’-Tiny line of flash drives are almost as small as a penny, and resistant to water, dust, and static, so you can attach one to a keychain and not worry about it getting damaged. Available in 2GB to 32GB. (www.verbatim.com; $9.75-$97.50)