10 New Gadgets to Improve Your Workspace

Look at your desk. Could you use a new mouse? Additional digital storage? A better monitor? A place to charge all your mobile devices?

You’re in luck. With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, all kinds of gadgets and peripherals are starting to hit the market. Here are 10 to consider if you want to improve productivity, spruce up your workspace or make it easier to take a much-needed break.

Paul Mah is a freelance writer and blogger who lives in Singapore. He has worked a number of years in various capacities within the IT industry and enjoys tinkering with tech gadgets, smartphones and networking devices. You can reach Paul at paul@mah.sg and follow him on Twitter at @paulmah.

The Griffin PowerDock 5 charging station ($99.99) is optimized to charge five iOS devices at the same time, though it will also charge most Kindle and Android devices. Each “charging bay” is roomy enough to accommodate a tablet without removing it from its cases, while the 2.1A of charging circuitry per USB port ensures that devices are charged quickly. Bear in mind that the PowerDock 5 doesn’t come with charging cables, while the individual frosted backrests aren’t designed to be removed once they’ve been assembled.

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The Mini Jambox ($179.99; available in nine colors) is the slimmest portable speaker by Jawbone yet. Crafted from a single piece of extruded aluminum, the Mini Jambox offers a lightweight form factor weighing just 9oz (255 grams). But it produces big sound despite its small package, with a pair of proprietary acoustic drivers and a passive bass radiator delivering music playback. The Mini Jambox supports Bluetooth 4.0 or 3.5mm stereo connectors and recharges using micro-USB port for 10 hours of continuous playback.

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