BitDepth#1490

Mark Lyndersay

PRETTY MUCH everything on this list falls in the category of stocking stuffer, the kind of small gift that's considerate and thoughtful but not overwhelmingly expensive or likely to create guilt if the giver didn’t actually get a gift.

You might also find this list handy to get yourself something special.

In sifting through my wish lists, bookmarked product listings and annotated screen captures, I've left out the truly odd, very use-specific, and frankly expensive items.

Let's consider the genuinely useful stuff that might be a good fit for you.

A portable speaker is public noise, and I thought I'd never need one.

But I'm using a mid-sized (read: not pocketable) unit in my car because headphones are a terrible idea in that space and the auxiliary plug in the car sound system (old, no Bluetooth) is dead.

In considering a portable speaker, the balance is always between sound quality, size and battery life. Pick any two. Small units are only useful in personal space and have low battery life. Party units are loud, have big batteries and are usually water resistant, but are hefty things. Choose according to need.

Those considerations also apply to a portable battery. Powerful units capable of running a modern laptop are big and expensive, small battery sources won't run modern smartphones for long and are best considered energy top-ups.

An interesting midpoint for smaller battery chargers are those that have a plug and can be used as a power adapter as well.

If your device came with a power adapter and charges using USB-C, it's probably too big for what it does. Modern GaN (gallium nitride) charging technology has dramatically reduced the size of modern charge plugs and powerful units are both smaller and capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously.

If you travel regularly, replacing multiple chargers with one unit that can do double or triple duty makes sense, even more so if it has a foldable wall plug and replaceable plug options for the electrical outlets of different countries.

Also, never buy a straight extension cord again.

There are many choices in extension power cables that include USB outlets that will charge everything from a basic smartphone to a laptop. Units capable of doing power delivery of 65 watts are on the higher end of the price spectrum, but effectively replace multiple chargers while also offering up standard power sockets if you need them.

If you have a smartphone with inductive charging, ditch cables entirely. Inductive chargers have a power coil under their surface that connects to a receiving unit on your phone, charging it without having to fuss with plugs.

Unfortunately, while there is an international standard for inductive charging, most wireless chargers are designed for either iPhones or Android smartphones and smartwatches, so shop carefully.

If you've got a smartphone or tablet, it's likely that eventually you'll need to deal with storage issues, particularly if socially motivated photos and videos are part of