There’s never been one perfect rule for how we get things done. In an increasingly connected world, not to mention an increasing need to work remotely, most any job requires a flexible approach and a little digital help to keep the to-do list rolling and the communication flowing. For busy professionals like Dave C., feeling like he’s right there with his colleagues is more important than ever now that he can’t be there to have face-to-face interactions. He joined tech expert Gurpreet Sarin to explore how the productivity features that come with Portal from Facebook might enhance his ever-changing workday.
One of four Portal products sold at retailers like Best Buy, the Portal shares do-it-all offerings that make the workday smoother. The comfortable screen acts like an unobtrusive personal assistant, fielding calls from both the workplace and the front door. On a regular basis, Dave is looking for smarter multitasking. The Portal’s built-in features promote a focused environment and a healthy workspace: start the day by checking the news, create to-do lists on the fly, and cue up calming music when it’s time to buckle down, all hands-free using Alexa integration.
Of course, Dave is already anticipating an even more chaotic schedule as the holidays approach, with never-ending to-do’s and plenty of work to wrap up by the end of the year. Portal wasn’t designed for the perfect lifestyle—it’s meant to support people managing busy lives to help them focus on what matters. Instead it anticipates all the multitasking challenges that life throws at you: barking dogs, construction on the street right outside your window, kids who are so bored and must barge in on your Zoom call and demand snacks. Smart Sound targets the potential distractions of the modern workplace, enhancing the voice of the Portal user whenever they’re speaking while minimizing background noise. (If others in their meeting also have Portal devices, they’ll also benefit from Smart Sound.) The camera is crisp to help callers look their best during any meeting, and the dedicated screen means that Portal users can keep their computer screen dedicated to other work tasks during calls. And for those who like to think on their feet, Smart Camera moves with you, panning and zooming while maintaining a crisp resolution to keep everyone in view. Features like these are meant to be barely noticeable; they simply eliminate what keeps us from doing our best thinking, so that we don’t have to spend our energy where we don’t want to.
Beyond those features, a suite of apps can create an entire custom office setup. As so many offices have gone remote, each company has quickly discovered its preferred communication apps, like Webex and Zoom—a wide range of these are compatible with the Portal. When file-sharing or something quicker than a face-to-face meeting is called for, the Workplace app offers easy chat functionality. That’s on top of Workplace’s other features like team-specific news feeds, which allows for communication that’s far more dynamic than a bogged-down inbox. Portal offers support for connecting the entire team, so that everyone can take advantage of a coordinated setup. (And the same features are available on all Portal devices.)
When it comes to work, the goal is to do more of what matters and fewer meaningless tasks. Portal’s productivity technology focuses on managing the clutter of work-from-home life, whether literal (a lawnmower firing up during an important call) or figurative (chaotic to-do lists). Even during the busiest times like the holidays, it clears the way to sit down, connect with others, and really get something done.
Check out the rest of this series where we explore Smart Cameras and Augmented Reality with Gurpreet.
This story was produced by WIRED Brand Lab for Best Buy.
