Best Business Gadgets of 2010

The Best Business Gadgets of 2010

By Rick Broida

Now that we've closed the door on 2010, let's look back at some of the gadgets that made the year special. These six products stood out by making our business lives faster, easier, more affordable, more convenient, and even more fun. Did we leave out one of your 2010 favorites? Hit the comments below and share the object(s) of your gadget affection.

Apple iPad: Was There Any Doubt?

We had our doubts at first, and even after Apple's much-ballyhooed tablet arrived at our door, we weren't sold on its business acumen. Eight months later, we're using the iPad in all kinds of productivity-enhancing ways, from capturing notes to marking up PDFs to hosting or participating in online meetings. It can't fully take the place of a laptop, but more and more we're grabbing it to sub for one.

Clearwire Rover Puck: A No-Contract 4G Hotspot
Hello, future. Clearwire's cute-as-the-dickens mobile hotspot, the Rover Puck, delivers blazing-fast 4G connectivity goodness for up to eight Wi-Fi devices (and it's 802.11n Wi-Fi, too, not pokey old b or g). Even better, Clearwire doesn't saddle you with contracts or commitments like the Sprints and Verizons of the world. Instead, you can pay as you go: $5 for a day, $20 for a week, or $50 for a month. And the Puck itself sells for a reasonable $150. If you've got coverage in your area (it's not everywhere -- yet), get ready for affordable 4G heaven.

Square Credit-Card Reader: Payment Processing in Your Pocket
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Square is a game-changer. Plug this amazingly compact gizmo into your Android phone or iOS device and presto: You can accept credit-card payments. Anytime, anywhere. Just swipe and go. Even more amazing, the Square is free; you pay only a very reasonable per-transaction fee. It's an incredible solution for instructors, salespeople, service providers, booth operators, and anyone else needing fast, convenient, mobile payment-processing. This one's in the running for Best Gadget of the Decade.

ShowWX+ Laser Pico Projector: Turn Any Room Into a Conference Room
The first few generations of pico projectors needed pitch-black rooms for decent visibility, and even then they weren't terribly bright. Microvision's ShowWX+ employs laser technology to help crank out a comparatively strong 15 lumens, with a presentation-friendly resolution of 848 x 480. Plug it into your iPhone, laptop, or whatever, then project your slides wherever there's a wall. The convenience factor is off the charts, and the image quality is among the best we've seen from a pico. Even the $400 price tag can't stem our enthusiasm for this pocket wonder.

Virgin Mobile MiFi 2200: All the Mobile-Hotspot Goodness, None of the Contracts
Virgin Mobile's version of the MiFi 2200 mobile hotspot looks and operates exactly like the Sprint and Verizon versions -- with a couple key exceptions. First, it's sold without a contract, so you're not on the hook for two year's worth of monthly payments. Second, you can pay as you go: $10 for 10 days/100MB, or $40 for 1 month/unlimited data. And because it operates on Sprint's network, you get the same awesome 3G connectivity (where available) for up to five devices. Granted, the Clearwire Rover Puck delivers 4G for about the same price, but if coverage isn't available in your area, this is the next best thing

Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept: The World's Most Affordable Android Phone
The Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept is not the fastest, thinnest, or most versatile Android phone. In fact, it's one of the slower models, with a screen and camera that could best be described as average. But it runs Android, with all the app goodness afforded therein, and Virgin Mobile offers the service deal of the century: voice plans starting at just $25 per month, each including unlimited texting and data. Want the obligatory two-year contract with that? Sorry, Virgin doesn't offer one. So there's no commitment whatsoever: If you outgrow the Intercept in, say, eight months, just sell it and move on. Note to every other phone carrier: that's how you treat your customers.

MY THOUGHTS

where have i been? how come i missed (hearing) about these wonderful gadgets? i'm particularly amazed with the rover puck, the credit card reader, and most of all, the laser pico projector. at $400, a corporate office should invest in this. very handy. very useful. especially for me.