Tech savvy: essential gadgets for today's modern executive.

• Author: Springer, Alex
• Position: Techknowledge

A generation ago, every respectable executive carried a sleek briefcase. These days, executives have ditched the briefcase for an array of tech gadgets, from smartphones and tablets to wearables like fitness trackers. Three local companies have added unique devices to the mix, helping busy execs better manage their on-the-run lives.

Solar-Powered Battery Packs, Goal Zero

When we're on the road, our smartphones and laptops are the lifelines to our business. If that connection is severed by a dead battery, we inevitably lose more than just our patience. With that in mind, Goal Zero has dedicated itself to manufacturing independent power generators and rechargeable battery packs that convert solar energy into battery life.

Though its catalog offers generators that are durable enough to power large appliances, its smaller generators and recharge packs are sure to become lifesavers to the modern executive.

"The products that most appeal to executives would be our Sherpa 100 Powerpack and the Switch 10 Multitool Kit," says Lisa Janssen, PR coordinator for Goal Zero. "The Sherpa gives you the flexibility to keep your laptop running so you can stay productive on a flight. If your plane gets delayed, you're not one of those people huddled under a drinking fountain trying to charge up your laptop."

The Switch 10 is a more portable option and is designed to work specifically with smartphones. "It's lightweight, fits in your pocket, and will give you a full charge on your cell phone," Janssen says.

Portable Tablet Keyboards, ZAGG, Inc.

As tablets have become more of a fixture in the modern executive's toolbox, the need for a portable keyboard has become more pronounced. To meet this need, ZAGG created the Pocket, a portable keyboard that can be folded into a compact rectangle that is small enough to fit into a shirt pocket.

"We all use mobile phones, and some of us will have the...