INTHEBLACK February / March 2026 - Magazine - Page 54
WORK SMART
TECH STACK
Must-have
gadgets
for 2026
Kick off the new working year with the latest gadgets designed
to keep accounting and finance professionals connected, productive
and healthy in the workplace.
Words Adam Turner
AS HYBRID WORK CONTINUES TO BREAK
the link between productivity and proximity,
it is important to be as effective at home as
in the office. This requires having the right
technology at hand to enable a seamless
transition between workspaces and stay
productive anywhere, anytime.
The productivity benefits of a dual-screen
monitor set-up at the office can be replicated
on the go thanks to laptop screen extenders.
Alternatively, a dual-screen laptop ditches the
physical keyboard in favour of two touchscreens,
with the ability to call up an onscreen virtual
keyboard or connect an external keyboard
for typing.
The latest laptops running Windows 11 sport
Microsoft’s AI-powered productivity tools such
as Copilot — a smart assistant which leverages
the power of generative AI to streamline tasks,
improve decision-making and give professionals
back more time in their day.
54 INTHEBLACK February/March 2026
Other gadgets are designed to make hybrid
meetings more effective, from coordination
via smart hybrid whiteboards and digitising
handwritten notes to offering real-time
language translations.
When it comes to striking a healthy work–life
balance, smart wearables like watches and
rings are designed to monitor stress levels,
optimise focus and track exercise to support
a healthy lifestyle.
Meanwhile, upgrading to a wi-fi 7 home
router helps ease the stress caused by flaky
connectivity. Wi-fi 7 offers faster and more
reliable wireless networking, to help make the
most of broadband connections. Some wireless
routers also offer automated 4G/5G mobile
broadband fallback in the event of a fixed-line
outage, to ensure reliable connectivity even
when disaster strikes.
Here are seven options to round out any
home-office set-up.
