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It’s hard to believe yet another year has flown by. But, unlike the past two years amid the pandemic, this year offered more stability because remote working evolved into hybrid working.
This meant we had the freedom to choose where we worked and a chance to nail our routines. This is exactly what has led me to my top three gadget picks for 2022.
Geewiz 1 200V inverter with 100Ah battery
We cannot talk about 2022 without mentioning the record number of load shedding days. It hampered productivity, but I was saved many times by the Geewiz 1 200V inverter equipped with a 100Ah battery.
The online retailer has a selection of self-branded inverters that start at entry-level price points, like the one I reviewed this year. It carries a R5 795 price tag, which is great if you’re on a budget. I started using it before stages 4 to 6 became the norm.
It powers up to 720W of usage, which means it can power my TV, router, mobile devices and laptop for hours on end. But I used it primarily when my laptop was not charged and for my Nutribullet (blender) so I could have breakfast during those early morning load shedding slots.
The Geewiz inverter is a solution in emergencies due to the lifespan of lead-acid batteries. However, you can upgrade to the lithium-ion ones to withstand 2 000+ cycles suitable for stages 4 to 6.
Hobot Legee D7
Robot vacuums are smart home appliances you didn’t know you needed. They are low maintenance and require almost no supervision. Hobot released the Legee D7 model this year, and I loved testing it.
It is one of the few robovacs that clean both floors and carpets. Whether you have kids, pets, or allergies, it does a better job of cleaning up than any human can.
You can schedule clean-ups, create virtual block zones for it to avoid, or control it with a smart speaker using your voice. It features a powerful tangle-less suction, so pet hair or waste won’t get stuck on the brush.
The Legee D7 stores up to five maps in its memory, has eight cleaning modes, such as eco, power, stain, deep cleaning, or dry sweep and can clean according to a schedule – such as half an hour before you wake up, outside of load shedding, or ahead of returning from a holiday.
If it runs out of battery, it will return to the dock, recharge and carry on from where it stopped. Is there anything better than automating chores?
Logitech Zone Wireless
A major pet peeve when working from home is background noise. From generators to construction, power tools or kids, it affects concentration and disrupts virtual meetings.
Owning a pair of noise-cancelling headphones becomes a must, and Logitech, known for its well-built accessories, came out with the perfect solution, the Zone Wireless. It has that all-important active noise cancellation feature that is a must today for working from home.
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The Bluetooth wireless on-ear headphones have comfortable earpads and an adjustable headband, suitable for most people to use for long hours. It is also lightweight and has a boom microphone so you can flip it to mute.
The earpads also have specific controls, such as power on, Bluetooth, active noise cancellation, playback controls and volume control. It can also pair to a phone, PC or tablet simultaneously so you can grab any device, thanks to its 30m range.
The Zone Wireless works with the LogiTune app to fine-tune other settings like how loud you can hear yourself, equaliser pre-sets and general status, including battery life.
What does 2023 hold?
There’s a chance Apple could launch its mixed-reality headset that uses augmented reality and virtual reality before the end of next year. But perhaps asking for a folding iPhone would be pushing it.
On the smart home front, Google is expected to launch its next-generation smart speakers with hardware and software upgrades. We know Samsung will inevitably bring more foldables, but we expect other manufacturers to get on board with this trend.
Apart from gadgets, we can expect more electric and connected cars, as this segment is rapidly growing in South Africa. And lastly, the availability of 5G and fibre connectivity should be rolled out in more parts of the country.
