Imagine this: You're well into your eight-hour shift at work and you're beginning to get tired of looking at your computer screen. We've all been there, and you're probably going through it right now as you're reading this (and as I'm writing this). It sucks, but hey, we've all got bills to pay.
While most of us have probably settled into our respective work-from-home setups quite nicely, that doesn't mean we've perfected them. And sometimes the smallest of changes make the biggest of differences – like adding a monitor light bar to your setup.
Looking online, you'll find a bunch of them selling for exorbitant amounts. But at the end of the day, they all really work the same. Conveniently, Xiaomi (which makes basically everything under the sun) has their own monitor light bar, and it's currently going for S$49.90 – down from its S$59.90 retail price – at Amazon Singapore.
It won't stop you from hunching over your desk, but it's a refreshing change for your eyes.
IMAGE: Xiaomi
When figuring out how to upgrade any desk setup, people often forget about light bars for some reason. Sure, you may already have a desk lamp. But let's face it, it will never illuminate your desk properly and evenly. Plus, it takes up a lot of valuable space.
That's where the Xiaomi Mi monitor light bar comes in. Assembly is pretty simple: Just clip it on top of your monitor (or the ledge of a shelf above it) and plug in its USB-C cable for power. Too good to be true? Well, because it's such a simple product in essence, that's really it. And it does wonders for your quality-of-life-and-work needs.
No longer do you have to worry about some desk lamp taking up all the space on your workstation. Your main source of light is right on top of your monitor, where it should be. But aside from taking up less desk space, why, you ask?
IMAGE: Danial Martinus / Mashable Southeast Asia
With its asymmetrical lighting angle, the Xiaomi Mi light bar helps prevent eye fatigue – something you'll find pretty useful, and definitely something you'll notice by 6 p.m. An added benefit of this is the fact that your entire space is evenly illuminated, which means you won't have to 'look' for things on your desk when everything is properly lit up.
Additionally, with 25-degree magnetic rotation, you'll be able to fine-tune the angle of illumination to suit your individual needs. No need to navigate through complicated menus and drop-downs. Plus, the USB-C cable that powers the lamp can be plugged into anything, not necessarily your computer: Let's say, a power bank, or even your monitor itself (if it has an available USB-C port).
Cool lighting for work, warm lighting for the end of the day.
IMAGE: Itigic
What makes the Xiaomi Mi light bar even cooler (pun intended) is its ability to change color temperature between warm (orange/yellow hues) and cool (white/fluorescent), with the use of its 2.4-GHz wireless remote control. It actually resembles an ice hockey puck, but it's definitely more fun to use.
With just a single tap, you can turn the light bar on and off. Turning it either clockwise or anti-clockwise will change the brightness of the light, and holding it down while turning will change the color temperature.
Pretty nifty, no? IMAGE: Danial Martinus / Mashable Southeast Asia
So far, pretty straightforward, right?
But let's just say you've had a seriously long, stressful day, and you've got some Netflix shows to binge. Cue the 'wind-down' mode, which dims down the light and increases its color temperature to a more warm tone. All you need to do is hold down the wireless puck for three seconds, and the light does the rest.
That's pretty much it. The Xiaomi Mi monitor light bar does its job flawlessly, and it's certainly much more reasonably-priced than other offerings.
Upgrade your desk setup with the Xiaomi Mi monitor light bar.
Xiaomi Mi Monitor Light Bar
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