10 unusual gadgets that will help you in your work and creativity

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Curious devices for artists, musicians and those who just want to work efficiently.

1. Additional keyboard

Panels with buttons and potentiometers will come in handy where the classic mouse and keyboard are not very convenient: in photo editors, music programs and video editing software. Sometimes auxiliary controls are built directly into classic devices: for example, the control dial is on the body of the Logitech Craft keyboard. The creators of Loupedeck, a console with five dozen controllers for fast photo processing, went even further. There are also universal programmable systems, such as Palette Gear - a constructor made of magnetic modules, from which you yourself can assemble the keyboard of your dreams for your purposes.

2. Wireless flash drive

If you don't trust data to cloud services, and classic USB ports are less and less common in your life, you may like the gadget from the veterans of "flash" SanDisk. The compact device is used with both USB-interface and Wi-Fi. Information can be transferred not only to computers without USB ports, but also to devices where such an input is not provided at all: to smartphones running iOS and Android. In addition, video from a flash drive can be streamed to multiple screens at once.

3. Tablet for drawing on paper

A graphic tablet is an indispensable device for artists and drawing designers, but many people enjoy creating patterns, sketches and paintings on paper much more.

Wacom tried to combine simple digitizing graphics and analog drawing experience: the Intuos Pro Paper Edition tablet. It works like this: you put a sheet of paper on the tablet and draw as you are used to, and the device translates the result into an image on the computer screen. The gadget can be used with any paper, and a special pencil is already included in the kit.

4. Individual solar panel

In fine weather, low-power gadgets like smartphones, headphones, and smartwatches can be powered by a solar panel. Brands offer different solutions: Samsonite makes suction cup window batteries that can be installed in the office or at home. And Yolk's modular Solar Paper solar panel is easy to hang on your backpack and carry with you.

5. Compact color identifier

The Nix Sensor is a keychain-sized gadget that reads the color of any surface and sends the analysis result in RGB to your smartphone. It can be used when choosing paint for walls (to buy a new one exactly like a burnt-out old one) or simply to memorize cute color combinations that you can use, for example, when updating your wardrobe. This gadget does not have many applied purposes, but it can really help those who work with graphics and draws inspiration from the world around them.

6. Desktop Robot Arm

Perhaps the most futuristic gadget in our collection is the multifunctional robotic arm from Hexbot. If you like to create something with your own hands, then you will definitely find an application for this device. Just insert the appropriate module and set the program on the computer. The manipulator can do laser engraving, draw, work as a 3D printer and move objects using a suction cup.

7. Electronic bow for guitar

The classic bow is not suited for playing a regular electric guitar, but experimenters have found a way to produce a similar sound using a board with a pair of pickups, an amplifier, and a battery. With the Aeon String Sustainer or EBow electronic bow, the guitar sound stays on long after the pick hits the string. Usually the device is used in conjunction with additional effects.

8. Mixer for online streaming

Roland is a veteran of the musical instrument and equipment market, and continues to make the most of the devices today. One of these gadgets is the multi-functional VR-1HD mixer for bloggers and musicians, with which you can single-handedly organize professional broadcasts with changing angles and audio tracks. The remote has built-in sound effects, as well as preset frame layouts from various video sources.

9. Additional screens for laptop

Packed Pixels are two tablet-like displays and a bracket that attaches them to the sides of the laptop screen. The entire device takes up even less space in the backpack than the computer itself. If you are a frequent traveler and are used to multiple monitors, Packed Pixels may be for you.

10. Time tracker for productivity

Saent is a desktop button that acts as a time tracker. The developers were inspired by the Pomodoro technique: by default, the button fixes 25-minute intervals for work, interspersed with five-minute breaks. Saent works in conjunction with a special program for Windows and macOS, which blocks sites and applications that can distract you during these very 25 minutes.