10 best tablet accessories
From a simple stylus to a top-of-the-range drone, IndyBest finds practical, innovative and fun add-ons for your device
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Your support makes all the difference.Tablets are ubiquitous these days. From small pads you can slip in a handbag to bigger devices which can function as portable offices, make them work that bit harder with one of these accessories for work and play.
1. Bamboo Stylus Duo 3: £24.13, amazon.co.uk
Fed up of fingerprints and smears on your touchscreen? A stylus will help and make you look super-professional if you’re doing a presentation. This one doubles-up as a pen, is compatible with most tablets and comes in six colours – our pick is this bright blue.
2. The Perfect Drink: £59.99, firebox.com
Convince friends you’re a master mixologist with this gadget. It tells you exactly how much alcohol to pour in order to craft your concoction and senses it with scales so you don’t waste a drop of the good stuff. It all syncs up with an app on your tablet.
3. Robot Head Portable Charger: £34.99, firebox.com
This portable robot head is big in Japan – the masters of slick tech - and it’s easy to see why: it charges two USB-powered devices but it is small enough to fit in your pocket. With a generous 6000mAh battery, its eyes light-up to give you an idea of how much power you’ve got left.
4. Logitech Ultra-thin Keyboard: £84.99, logitech.com
There is much to love about this case: the magnetic clip latches snug against your iPad, the keys are well-spaced and functional. Plus it has a slim profile, so it really protects without adding any unnecessary bulk. There are also Android versions available.
5. Mother: £249.99, firebox.com
Mother might look bit like a high-tech Russian doll, but it (she) is actually a clever gadget that captures and analyses movement through sensors to monitor everything from how many steps you take in the day to protecting your home from intruders or measuring room temperature. You keep track of actions with the app.
6. Avantree Power House Universal Charger: £29.99, amazon.co.uk
Our homes are chocabloc with gadgets and by default, cables. This multi-tasking port can charge four tablets and phones in one go and supports iOS and Android devices. It keeps all the family’s wires, neat, tidy and in one place.
7. Sphero Ollie: £79.99, firebox.com
You control this whizzy little racer with an app. It can reach speeds up to 14 miles per hour and has rugged wheels to protect it from bumps and falls. You get up to 60 minutes of runtime per charge, as well as a range of 30 metres. Compatible with Android and iOS.
8. Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Power Edition: £287.99, selfridges.com
Parrot is at the forefront of drone technology. With this one, you can watch a pin-sharp live-stream as you direct the drone with your tablet. Swoop, glide and soar around your neighbourhood (or inside) for up to 36 minutes of flight time. Comes with two batteries and different-coloured propellers to personalise your craft.
9. Livescribe Pen and Moleskine Notepad: Pen: £129.99, livescribe.com; £23.50, store.moleskine.com/gbr/en-gb
Scared of losing your handwritten notes? Livescribe has partnered with Moleskine to bring your scrawlings to your device as you write on the page through the Livescribe + app, leaving you with a digital copy on your tablet and a physical copy in a stylish-looking notebook.
10. BooQpad for iPad 2-4: from £15, amazon.co.uk
Ideal for the university students, this is a great option for those who have to scribble down notes during lectures. It functions as a case fitting the iPad on one side and a built-in refillable notepad on the other.
Verdict:
There’s something incredibly fun about app-controlled devices like the Sphero Ollie and the Parrot Drone, just be careful where you’re directing them. If you’re looking to do more work on your tablet, the Logitech keyboard will become indispensable.