7 Tech Upgrades for Your Small Businesses

culled from:http://mashable.com

1. The Touchfire

iPad users know the frustrations that come with typing long emails and meeting notes on their device, but some concepts such as the Touchfire -- which raised almost $100,000 on Kickstarter -- can make the process a lot easier. This lightweight and thin overlay goes over the iPad's screen, so it feels more like a keyboard. In fact, the defined keys make it actually easy to look away from the screen when typing. It also lives in the iPad cover, so it folds into the cover when you don't want to use it. Ah, tablet typing made easy.

2. The AudiOffice

The AudiOffice by Invoxia -- which features a dock equipped with speakers for devices such as the iPhone, iPod and iPad -- works along with apps such as Skype and FaceTime. This combination allows businesses to communicate with others via video chat and cuts down on communication costs. The unit also takes being tied to a traditional computer out of the equation.



 

3. Seagate External Hard Drive

Seagate drives for PC deliver easy-to-use, flexible protection for all your files -- including photos and videos from your social media accounts. This is also key for anyone who travels with an iPad and wants to access music, movies and more while on the road.



 

4. Samsung 830 SSD Series

The Samsung 830 series may be about a year old, but it's still considered one of the best reviewed SSDs on the market. This slim solid-state drive boasts super-fast speeds -- up to 80,000 IOPS -- and can take web browsing, gaming and more to the next level. Mashable's Christina Warren has used the 830 for almost a year in her MacBook Pro and says it was the best tech investment she's ever made. Overall, if you are in the market for speed, Samsung's 830 series is worth the investment, especially if you have a more modern machine.

 

5. Parallels

If your business is among the many that supports both Windows machines and Macs, desktop simulators such as Parallels and VMware Fusion can help get all your computers running the same apps. For example, Parallels lets you run Windows on your Mac, and the trick is you can run both operating systems simultaneously, with your Windows apps showing up just like Mac apps would. Version 8 supports Mountain Lion features, such as dictation and notifications, for Windows apps.


 

6. Mophie Juice Pack Air

No one likes to carry around a phone charger, and similarly, there's nothing worse than watching your mobile device's battery slip away, especially when you're traveling for business. Thanks to smartphone cases with built-in batteries such as the Mophie Juice Pack Air ($79.95), it nearly doubles your battery life and is much more lightweight than other battery cases.

 

7. Steadicam Smoothee

Video rigs such as the Steadicam Smoothee for the iPhone ($149) is a worthwhile investment, allowing small businesses to shoot video clips on the go with ease. Think of it as a table-top tripod.