By Tabitha Onyinge
The Easels
The last two years have been wonderful times of learning here at Deer Leaps Communications. And as we joked earlier today, who saw us recommending communications gadgets to the world (in this lifetime)? But the process of learning can sometimes turn the learner into the expert, so here we go.
Some items and gadgets, can help communicators save big on time, and since we all (including SOME men) love to multi-task, they make work easier and bring joy to the process. Here are our nine most favourite communication items of 2015/2016:
- The Artist’s Easel
The Artist’s Easel
This, so far, is my (personal) most favourite. The easel is traditionally used by artists to support their work on display or as they work. We use the artist’s easel to showcase our printed work. The easel is simple, and transcends time – they have been in use since ancient Egypt. It brings out the beauty of your creative pieces (including the most mundane ones). It is adjustable to take up different angles, which makes photographing the displays very easy.
- The iPad Photo Scanner
You may not understand how taken we were by this device! We saw one of our clients using it during a conference… she wasn’t shocked to see it on our Christmas wish list. The desktop telephone sized device allows you to scan and save you
The Ipad photo scanner
r treasured printed photos directly to your iPad. You know the way sometimes the Paparazzi snap a picture that is much better than your own, and you spot it pasted on a wall for sale? Here’s where the photo scanner comes in handy: you scan the photo, save it and use it as you like.
- The Livescribe Echo Smartpen
Like the iPad Photo Scanner, the Livescribe Echo Smartpen awed us. The device allows you to record discussions even as you take notes (any investigative journalists in the house?). We recommend this as an excellent tool for multi-taskers, aka communicators.
- The Portable Projector
Perhaps just like us, you’ve always assumed that every hotel and conference facility has a projector and all the necessary supportive gadgets. We were wrong. Not twice or thrice have we been disappointed. We learnt our lesson the first time, and have kept our professionalism and order by carrying our own. The range of palm /pocket size mobile projectors, are easy to carry around, will fit in any space, and show your presentation in it’s original quality.
- Bluetooth Speakers
The livescribe echo smartpen
Vain as it may sound, the wireless blue tooth speaker is a necessary gadget for communication firms. When reviewing a film production to a large audience, the quality of sound is as important as the quality of pictures. And that is what you get from just two cup-size wireless Bluetooth speakers with stereo pairing. We recommend two because they allow you to create your own stereo system, anywhere, at any time.
- Portable Power Banks
We didn’t celebrate enough this special battery that allows you to store electrical energy, just like we do money in the bank, to use later to charge your mobile devices. This is particularly helpful when in a location that doesn’t have electricity – in the field, or on a day you’ve forgotten to recharge any one of your devices.
7. Smarter Smartphones
How many of you here don’t have a smart phone? All we can say is: get yourself one; or upgrade what you already have. The phone will save you lots of headache: Internet activity tracking, audio and visual recording, constant connectivity…
- Palm-sized Camera
The portable projector
Not so long ago, we found ourselves in an embarrassing situation with one of our clients. We were out for a function that needed to be captured on camera, yet the photographer and her camera were missing – the client had told us not to worry about the camera – “we’ve taken care of that”… We had our own camera, a must-have item at all times. We prefer small, light cameras with high megapixels (not a phone please!), which are affordable and ideal for discreetness and light travel. The Sony Cyber-shot series are our favourite.
- Microwave
Portable Camera
I know… we also can’t get over the joke. But we’ve found out that drawing the line between the professional person and the other person who is mother, father, sister… and who eats food, is very difficult. That’s how the microwave came up as one of our ten most favourite items (alongside coffee, sugar, creamer, muffins, mandazi…) A while back, a wise man let me in on a secret: a great employer makes food very, very available to work teams, at no cost to them, during working hours. “This increases satisfaction and productivity,” he said. See, I’m blogging about it now; it works!
