Holiday Stocking Stuffers and Gifts

It’s that time of year again when many of us are on the lookout for a gift or stocking stuffer for our techie friends or relatives.  This week and next I will give you some ideas that should help in your quest and not break your budget.

No matter if we are using the most powerful feature-filled iPhone or a five year old “flip” phone, we need to keep them charged up or they revert to nothing more than digital bricks.  Many kitchen counters or junk drawers today have more different cables and plug in power supplies than foodstuff.   The phone, the iPad, the GPS, the MP3 player all have chargers.  Fortunately most also are using USB cables.

For less than $25 you can replace all of these different plug-in chargers with a unit that mounts directly on your existing 110v outlet.  The unit has multiple regular AC receptacles for the coffee pot or radio as well as two or more USB power ports. You can use these ports rather than the individual chargers that came with your device.  An added benefit is that there is a built-in power surge protector in the unit.  There are several models available.  Best bet is to go on line or to a store that specializes in computer equipment like MicroCenter.

For the more ambitious, you can buy units that actually replace the existing AC receptacle in the wall with one that has both regular plugs and USB plugs.  They are as easy to install as replacing a regular receptacle.  You can find them at Home Depot for about $15.

While some new cars have USB power ports factory installed, older cars don’t.  It is not uncommon for several devices to require power while driving over the river to grandma’s house.  You may have the kids in the back seat using a tablet and also want to charge your phone and perhaps plug in the GPS.  There are several companies that make a multi-port USB power adapter that plugs into the standard power port (nee cigarette lighter). I have seen these for sale at automobile parts stores, electronics stores and of course on line.  Depending on the number of ports, plan on spending between $10 and $20.

No matter how much we prepare there will be times when we really need our phone and the battery is on life support.  About the size of a deck of cards, a portable battery power pack can be a real life saver.  The device has a rechargeable battery and a USB port.  When not in use it can be stuffed into a purse, backpack or briefcase. The unit stays charged for months. You can find various models on line and at most big box and electronics stores.  They cost between $20 and $60 depending on the number of charges they can handle.