Are you making a list and checking it twice? As you prepare your list for Santa Claus, give some thought to these Microsoft gadgets. Here are three Microsoft tools that are definitely on my list. Since it’s the season of giving, I’m following those up with three of my favorite apps. Here’s wishing you happy tech-ing!
Gadget #1 – Microsoft Surface Go Tablet
The Surface Go is portable and compact. It makes on-the-go work simple. Featuring Windows 10 enhanced performance, it’s ultra portable and convenient. What’s more, the LTE version is now shipping, making access in a non-WiFi area possible. While the WiFi version may provide what you need in K-12 setting, the LTE version offers more. You won’t get stuck trying to access critical work files when the WiFi in your building fails. Parents, students, and staff are eligible for special pricing.
You can get the 64GB/Intel 4415Y / 4GB RAM/WiFi version for $359.10. Compare that to the 128GB model with 8GB RAM WiFi for $494.10. The LTE model of the 128GB model with 8GB RAM is $611.10. For each of these models, you will need to pay extra for the Surface Go Signature Type Cover and Surface Pen.
Gadget #2 – Oculus Rift + Touch
Ready to immerse yourself in virtual reality? Give the Oculus Rift plus Touch ($399) a try. (Just make sure to check your computer’s compatibility first). You get a headset, controllers, and six free games with this device. The games include Robo Recall, Lucky’s Tale, Quill, Medium, Dead and Buried, and Toybox. Here are some of the claims about the VR immersion experience from the Rift website.
- The headset is light, adaptable, and comfortable. When you‘re in VR, the headset goes away, and you go somewhere incredible.
- Touch brings the magic of hand presence to life in VR.
- Rift users enjoy integrated audio. This design takes VR immersion deeper than ever.
Gift Oculus Rift + Touch and embark on a virtual journey of discovery.
Gadget #3 – Razer Blade Gaming Laptop
Need a gaming laptop and productivity workhorse? Sending a child off to college in the fall of 2019? Check out the Razer Blade – 15.6″ Full HD GTX 1060 Max-Q Gaming Laptop (256GB SSD). Boasting a 256GB solid state drive, the Razer Blade comes with 16GB of memory. You can save 20 percent on HyperX gaming accessories when buying this laptop. The laptop is eligible for discounted pricing for students and military personnel. The cost is about $1,709.10.
The 8th Generation Intel Core processors deliver power and responsiveness. Make photo and video edits with ease. Switch between programs and windows quicker than ever. Consider getting a few games to go with it.
Change someone’s life with the Razer Blade Gaming Laptop.
Now that you’ve seen my top three gadgets, here are a few of my favorite apps you may like for your Android or iOS device.
App #1 – Microsoft Launcher
Curious about Microsoft Launcher? It’s an app for your Android phone. You can rely on it to open items from your Windows PC. Items you can open include calendar, documents, and recent activities.
One of its best features is that it continues on your PC. Let’s say you take a picture on your phone. Want to move that picture to your computer? Launcher makes it easy. Working on an Office 365 document? Keep editing on your device of choice with Launcher.
Put Microsoft Launcher to work for you. Note that this link will not work unless you are using a personal Google account. This is because it connects to the Android Google Play Store. This free app is Android only.
App #2 – Friendly
Managing many social media profiles? Want to block fake news stories via keywords? Give Friendly for Facebook a try. I switched to Friendly as my go-to app on-the-go for Facebook, Twitter, and Medium. It allows me more control over several Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The keyword filtering feature lets you hide posts and articles containing certain words. Any posts that have those keywords will not appear. You can choose to seek out posts with keywords. This makes it easy to highlight topics (e.g. micro-bits, TCEA, cats, OneNote) you do want to see more of.
Start with Friendly for Facebook. This app works on Android or iOS. This app has in-app purchases, but they won’t set you back much.
App #3 – Xodo
Need a quick way to view or sign PDF files on the go? Xodo’s handy app (Android or iOS) makes it a cinch. Use the app to edit, annotate, sign, and share PDFs. Rely on the Xodo web app, too. It makes merging many PDFs, from either your computer or Google Drive, easy. You can insert, delete, reorder, and rotate pages in a PDF document.
Gift Yourself Microsoft Gadgets and Apps
I hope you enjoyed the chance to see some of the gadgets Santa Claus may drop under your tree this holiday season. And don’t forget to play around with the apps to see what might work well for you. Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear what’s on your Microsoft wishlist this year!
