At the 2014 NCRA Convention & Expo, TRAIN chair Lisa Knight, RMR, CRR, presented a session on new technology and gadgets as recommended by reporters. The session, titled “Treasure Hunt: Top Gadgets,” offered suggestions that freelancers might want to incorporate into their kits.
HARDWARE AND ACCESSORIES
- Google Nexus
- Galaxy Tablet
- Asus tablets and Lenovo Tablets, which, at a cost of $150-$500, can make a decent investment in stand-alone realtime tablets to offer unprepared clients
- Surface Pro 3
- iPad
- Bamboo Stylus for iPad – There are many different models on the market, including some that combine the pen and the stylus. Any stylus is better than using your finger.
- iCVN by Stenograph
- myView by Advantage Software
- second monitor (recommended with MIMO, ormultiple-input and multiple-output, which allows for sending and receiving more than one data signal on the same radio channel at the same time via multipath propagation.)
- Join.me can be downloaded and installed on a Mac, a personal computer, an iPhone, or an iPad. And, if the client uses a screen-capture software on the other end, the depo can be played back as a movie, started, paused, and stopped. Join.me doesn’t allow the client to make annotations in the file, but an expert can view a depo from his office, make notes as the testimony is going on and then replay after the depo is over … all free!
- Evernote
- mobile hotspot, such as your cellphone’s data connection, a Cradlepoint connection, or Verizon’s MiFi
- travel router/adapter with USB port
- portable scanner
- Doxie Go is wireless and portable. You can just scan and upload the document.
- Fujitsu’s ScanSnap is a big scanner, but it works in the field
- NeatDesk and NeatReceipts are two hardware scanners, one that sits on a desktop and one that is portable. The best thing about Neat is it will automatically categorize receipts on scan with their software. You can also use software with Fujitsu scanners.
- Andrea PureAudio Sound card can be used as an external sound card and is helpful if you set up an extra throw-down laptop to provide sound sync. If you need this kind of audio support, you can also consider Boosteroo for listening amplification.
- backup system: Seagate GoFlex Wireless, Clickfree, Carbonite, and Crashplan are a few that work through a WiFi connection. Some of these systems may be little more expensive, but these programs are well worth it.
- surge protector
- iPad stands
- USB fan
- 360-degree swivel stand for iPad
- Dymo 450 label maker (for exhibits)
- surge protector extension cord
- gaffers tape (or SafCord Cord Cover)
MANAGING STUFF
- juice defender – helps keep the life in your battery by managing what is using up the power on your smartphone
- Google Keep – manages checklists, voice notes, and photos with annotations
- Onavo – compresses data on your phone to reduce data usage
- Screebl – an app for saving battery life on your phone
- SnapPea – moves stuff from your phone to your PC and vice versa
WORK APPS
- If you proofread on an iPad app, look into one of these apps: PDF pen, iAnnotate PDF, and Goodreader for iPad. PDF Pen is a Mac App. iAnnotate and Goodreader are PC/Mac.
- Recordium Pro, a voice recorder app for iPhone, lets you record and share sound while taking notes and memos.
- Voxie ProRecorder
- TRAIN’s app (NCRA.org/TRAIN)
