Useful devices for your smart home office

The smart speaker is the cornerstone of your smart home office set-up. Google Home is a good option to sync with the many integrated Google services such as Google Calendar and Google Keep. Google Assistant creates a to-do list, adds and reminds you of events, and streams music or white noise through Spotify or Google Play.

Amazon Echo lets you add to list of tasks, manage calendar, reorder supplies, listen to music or podcasts, or set timers to remind you to switch to another task or take a break.

Apple's HomePod gives you better quality conference calls and lets you type hands-free while you're taking them. You can also keep calls on hold and switch between them with just a tap.

Smart ear buds can both augment and block surrounding noise in your home. Bragi Dash Pro has "passive noise isolation", iTranslate integration, and a signal of 15 metres to connect with your smartphone for calls.

Xperia Ear functions as a personal assistant companion to an Android smartphone. It has "intuitive gesture sensitivity" -- meaning you can nod your head or make hand gestures to give commands.

Poor quality air in the home can result from dust mite allergens and moulds, cleaning equipment, and even office equipment such as laser printers. Dyson's Pure Cool air purifier uses Air Multiplier technology to pump out clean air and "capture 99.97 percent of particle pollutants as small as 0.3 microns".

This battery-powered device monitors VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that come from cleaning equipment or cooking and keeps track of temperature and humidity levels. It also offer you insights based on data to help you improve in-home air quality.

Think the transformation to a smart home office will be too costly? No problem. Plug standard home appliances into a smart plug and they become internet connected. D-Link smart plug creates on and off schedules, records energy use statistics, and prevents appliances from overheating.

For those who prefer a using a pen over typing to jot down ideas, the Rocketbook Wave notepad sends your notes to the cloud with the scan of a QR code and needs a spell in a microwave oven to wipe its pages clean. The Rocketbook Everlast, meanwhile, just requires a wet cloth. Both include a Pilot FriXon pen.

The Livescribe Echo smart pen has in-built microphone and camera and syncs up the audio with your pen activity. Once connected up to the Echo Desktop, the movement of your pen is retraced on the paper UI in line with the audio. This is a good option for deciphering your hastily scribbled conference call notes.

Timeular's ZEI time keeper is a small die consisting of eight sides. On each of these sides your can mark down a symbol to represent a particular work task. When you start a task, just flip the die so that the corresponding side faces up. All the resulting data is sent to the accompanying app to track time spent on tasks and projects.

Having a ready-made cup of coffee for you at 9am is always a plus. Nespresso Expert Espresso Machine is slick, stylish, and features four coffee cup sizes for your pleasure. The accompanying app lets you manage schedules, personalise your coffee, and keep ahead of capsule supplies.

Smarter Coffee starts brewing from the moment your alarm goes off. It adjusts settings based on number of cups, strength, and filter vs freshly ground. It also connects to both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, turning your smart speaker into your own personal barista.