It’s time to get back to work in 2015 with gadgets like tiny printers and drop-tested tablet cases

Holidays are over and work is beginning again. Source: Getty Images

FROM the world’s lightest and smallest wireless printer to fancier keyboards, here are five accessories to improve the way you work.

Logitech Multi-Device Keyboard K480
Logitech / 4/5 / $69.95 / logitech.com/au

Logitech Multi-Device Keyboard K480 Source: Supplied

This one keyboard can rule them all. Well, it can rule three of them. You can pair it with a trio of devices at once, using a simple dial to swap between them. This could prove handy if you’re typing on a computer, for example, and want to switch to type a message on a smartphone. It has angled slot that props up phones and tablets, though only at a fixed angle. It’s solid and the keys have a reassuring, if noisy click. Some may find it too chunky, however.
Epson WorkForce WF-100
Epson / 3.5/5 / $399 / epson.com.au

WorkForce WF-100 Source: Supplied

Epson calls this the world’s lightest and smallest wireless printer but there are some fine print qualifiers. Smallest or not, it’s certainly compact and could be just the thing for the student or traveller who needs to print colour A4 documents wherever they go. Fold back the front cover and it forms the paper tray, with a 1.4-inch screen showing settings. Easy to set up, you can connect your device wirelessly or with a Micro USB cable, allowing you to print direct from an tablet, computer or smartphone.
UAG Military Standard Case for Surface Pro 3
Urban Armor Gear / 3/5 / $80 / urbanarmorgear.com

Urban Armor Gear Military Standard Case for Surface Pro 3. Source: Supplied

Microsoft markets its professional tablet as lighter than Air, but being portable puts it at great risk. Urban Armor Gear seeks to solve that with the first case to meet drop test military specifications. The case features a rubber insert that sits against the back of the tablet, and hard plastic bumpers on the outside to withstand corner drops. Space is left for air vents, ports and Microsoft’s Type Cover keyboard, and a five-angle kickstand features at the back. The case does add noticeable weight to the tablet, however, and relies on an added keyboard to protect its screen.
Crumpler Milestone Moment 13-inch
Crumpler / 4/5 / $185 / crumpler.com/au

Crumpler Milestone Moment Source: Supplied

If you’re looking to kick off the year with a new briefcase, Crumpler’s Milestone Moment has a lot going for it. It has a padded pocket to hold a laptop up to 13 inches in size, plus another padded slip pocket for a tablet. There’s a handy zipped pocket upfront for a phone, and a removable “pencil case” for chargers and cables. You can throw it over a shoulder with the padded strap or slip it on to a suitcase handle with an integrated luggage sleeve. Like all Crumpler bags, it is made to last.
Belkin QODE Ultimate Pro Keyboard for iPad Air 2
Belkin / 4.5/5 / $199.95 / belkin.com/au

Belkin QODE Ultimate Pro Keyboard for iPad Air 2 Source: Supplied

This is not Belkin’s first “ultimate” keyboard for an Apple iPad but with each model it gets closer to justifying the title. This offers impressive improvements, including the ability to have the iPad in landscape or portrait mode, use even when detached from the tablet, backlit keys, and easy swapping from iPad to iPhone. The aluminium keyboard doubles as a screen cover, with the tablet held into one of two angled positions by magnets. A compact and clever case that turns a tablet into a workhorse.

Source