Loadshedding Solutions, Better Streaming & Other Gadgets We’re Loving this Month

If you’re looking to take your home or work environment up a notch, there are some simple and affordable tech products that can do just that. From media enhancers to power back-ups, we’ve highlighted three products worth considering for your day-to-day activities:

Titan Elecstor NPS

Price: R1,799

While loadshedding seems to be a long-overstaying problem, having a UPS of some sort has gone from an optional accessory to a necessary one. Thankfully, there are some great models, available, including the 100 watt Titan Elecstor NPS. This 24,000mAh uninterruptable power supply is a fairly compact unit that features a built-in lithium-ion LiFeP04 battery that offers 75-watt hours of power.

Equating that, you can basically keep a wireless router and ONU fibre box alive and ticking for up to 7 hours, a reasonable-sized computer monitor on for 2 hours, or can keep your security camera system (DVR included) powered for over 5 hours.

It features 4x 12V3A output ports, 5x 12V8A ports, and one 5V output. You can also switch between 9V and 12V current for the output ports, so based on whatever router or your device needs, you have the right current.

While some mini-UPS devices do the trick, something with a little more oomph is often needed, especially during those 4-hour power outages, and we can’t recommend the Titan Elecstor NPS enough for the job.

Logitech MX Anywhere 3S mouse

Price: R1,408

In the remote and on-the-go working world of today, many need flexibility and portability with their PCs, laptops and peripherals, and Logitech’s extremely comfortable MX Anywhere 3S is a mouse designed for those who are on the move but need the comfort of their workstation.

Rather than having a bulky and cumbersome mouse that creates a hump in your backpack, the MX Anywhere 3S is a compact and slick little accessory, that isn’t just streamlined, but also features high-end mouse features you’d expect from costlier options. It has an 8K DPI and can track effectively on any surface — even the tricky glass surface test was successful. Furthermore, it features very quiet buttons and a wheel that is essentially silent, so your coffee shop sessions won’t bother those around you.

It does come with a dongle, but you can also connect via Bluetooth, so there’s no disaster if you leave the USB connector in your at-home or at-work PC.

Colovu C1 Plus

Price: R1,369

OK, just about every TV comes with smart functionality these days, but let’s be honest: a lot of the proprietary systems on these TVs aren’t the best. Hence the need for a decent media box, that will not only streamline and speed-up your media viewing, but also give you some additional capabilities.

The Colovu C1 Plus is an Android-powered media box (that has a slick pebble-like white design, might we add) that has been given the thumbs up from the likes of Google and Netflix, offering 4K output and a few other features. The great thing about the C1 Plus is that it has also been pre-installed with the Showmax and DStv Now apps, which is a bonus. It also includes a LAN port, SD card slot, USB-A, and HDMI port.

In use, this is one of the best operating media boxes around thanks to its quad core CPU, making sifting between and through YouTube, Netflix or other services quick and stutter-free. On top of that, the accompanying control is simple, easy-to-use, and has dedicated app buttons for YouTube, Netflix, Prime and the Google Play Store. If you’re looking to speed up and slicken-up your media experience, this is a great option.