Dolly Parton had it right nearly 40 years ago – working Nine to Five is a hell of a way to make a living. Perhaps it’s her recent duet with goddaughter Miley Cyrus that has turned millennials onto her slacker ethos, or maybe it’s that there are so many alternative options available to online workers in 2018 – as opposed to clocking in at the same office at the same time every day – but more and more people are imbuing their work life with a welcome sense of autonomy and time-freedom.
From digital nomads tapping away from Bali beach huts to city workers who jettison the daily commute in favour of working from home (or bed), remote working is very much en vogue and looks as if it’s here to stay. But to do it right, you’ll need the proper accoutrements – luckily, Anker has got you covered.
Powering up? Pick up a PowerPort+
Anybody who’s sat next to one of the army of remote workers at Starbucks (seriously, do they have any other type of customer?) will be familiar with the sprawl of wires that often accompanies a mobile office. To stop you getting in fistfights over the amount of plug sockets that you’re taking up, the Anker PowerPort+ allows you to plug in up to four USB-A (the normal ones) cables and one USB-C (for new laptops and MacBooks), linking to one plug. Juice your phone, laptop, iPad, speaker and portable battery until they’re full (or Starbucks’ lights go dim, whichever comes first).
Price: $39.99
It’s all about making your core powerful… right, PowerCore?
There are going to be times in every remote worker’s life when you need access to electricity but are bereft of a socket. Maybe one of the aforementioned laptop warriors has stolen the last Starbucks plug socket? Perhaps you take CrossCountry train service’s ‘No Laptops’ sign over their plugs seriously? Either way, you’re going to want an Anker PowerCore 20100 up your sleeve.
With this portable rechargeable battery, you can charge two USB-As at the same time – meaning that you’ve no excuse not to return a call ever again. In addition to the travel pouch, charging cable and 18-month warranty, the PowerCore comes equipped with PowerIQ and VoltageBoost and they provide exactly what they sound like they should – high-speed charging. This really does work, as it gives an iPhone 20% power at around twice the speed of a regular plug. The product description says that it “Weighs as little as a can of soup (12.5 oz) yet charges the iPhone 8 almost seven times, the Galaxy S8 five times or the iPad mini 4 twice.” You had us at ‘can of soup’.
Price: £32.99
Shoot up an on-the-go office soundtrack with a SoundCore Flare
Not to rag on Starbucks yet again but its music can leave a lot to be desired; once you’ve had enough of the ubiquitous coffee shops’ MOR jazz to last you a lifetime (probably by around 13:00?), whip out your Anker Soundcore Flare Bluetooth speaker and blast out some bangerz to your fellow coffee-sippers’ delight. (Just don’t tell the staff who encouraged you.)
For those who enjoy working with ambient instrumental music as a background buzz, the ‘360° Sound’ speaker will work just fine; however anyone who hits their creative sweet spot to the strains of hardcore drum and bass will love the SoundCoreFlare’s ‘Bassup technology’, which essentially allows you to ‘power up’ your bass and pump out a pulsating beat at a bowel-churningly impressive level. And if you spot a fellow Flare Speaker enthusiast on the other side of the café, you can sync up to their speaker of Bluetooth and start the rave at 11:00am on a Tuesday morning.
With its (optional) LED flashing lights, this speaker might be more suited to a Miami pool party than a WeWork office, but hey, when you’ve got to take a conference call, you’ve got to take a conference call, right? Pass the Mojitos and put me through on Line 1…
Dolly would be proud.
Price: £69.99
Author Bio:
David Harfield is the director of PepperStorm Media and writes about his three passions: food, booze and travel.
Photographs courtesy of Anker
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