Perfecting Productivity from the show floor at CES 2019.

It can be easy to get lost in all the fun technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. There are countless booths dedicated to the latest game accessory, to home theatre add-ons, and to next generation sound systems, so it’s not hard to see how it might all look like fun and games-but for productivity focused tech enthusiasts there are some hidden gems that are going to make 2019 even more exciting and efficient. I walked the floor and found three new things I think you’re going to love.

In-person meetings are great, but with flexible work on the rise and more people choosing to telecommute and use smart co-working spaces, video conferencing is my first choice for quick, efficient communication. The problem with video conferencing? For the most part it looks terrible: when we’re lit by fluorescent lights from above we all end up looking like horror movie victims. Top light accentuates dark circles under your eyes, and typically makes everyone look a little sickly.

Solution? The Lume Cube AirVC, a smart light that mounts to laptops, phones, desktops, and even home hub devices. It has a suction cup and tripod mount so you can set it up how you want, a light diffuser to adjust the warmth and softness of the light, and it can be controlled by the Lume-X app. It uses a lithium ion battery to provide light for up to 2.5 hours.

This thing is going to be amazing for anyone chatting via video regularly; it’s also a great choice for gamers and streamers. You can get great lighting anywhere, streaming from any device.

For those looking for a stylish new way to work, HP has the Spectre Folio. This machine is another smart convertible laptop/tablet hybrid, with a fashionable twist: in addition to sleek styling and a top end chassis, it has a beautiful leather finish. It’s an incredibly capable device that’s perfect for creatives and professionals who want to interact with it using the HP Pen, and it runs all day with 18 hours of battery life, and it stands out as a unique machine in a field of lookalikes. I’m excited to get my hands on it.

Finally, for those looking to optimize their office, home office, or even just make things easier at home, we’ve got the D-Link Outdoor Wi-Fi smart plug. Smart plugs are great for taking control of devices that aren’t connected to the Internet of Things; older lights are a great choice for this. This weatherproof device lets you add that smart capability, controllable through voice assistants, and tying into smart ecosystems like Apple’s HomeKit.

We’ve got more from CES coming your way. Check out our first blog from Las Vegas here, and stay tuned to this space for more soon!