Buying a connected car or house? Better get it wiped

useful info
21

That’s when those cheap (AC) extension cables from the dollar store come in handy!
Or the not-so-cheap ten foot Anker microUSB cables

22

Anker stuff is pretty good. I’ve been pretty happy with their cables and such.

I’ve also got a “great” non-Anker and probably not-officially-licensed cable that I used to keep in my bag when I was using other devices that has multiple connectors on one end:

  • Micro USB
  • Micro USB-3/0 (the weird “split” connector)
  • Lightning
  • 30 pin Dock

It’s probably a fire hazard waiting to happen, and I really think I should retire it (it’s really flat cable, so probably thin) but it’s great as an emergency backup and worked fine when I wanted to charge my 30 pin old iPhone and lightning iPad at work or on trips.

I also keep a travel power adapter in my bag when traveling that lets me break out a plug into 3 outlets plus a couple charge-only USB. If you’re nice, you can convince people to let you plug it in to an outlet in use so you expand an available plug at an airport or similar.

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23

Found this earlier today.

Because why make smart toys that aren’t wide open to everything? We’d have to hire tech folks and that would cost money.

24

I have one of those, too. Beside being an outlet expander, it’s a surge protector.

I did discover, however, that the USB is watt-limited. Tablets don’t charge, or charge well, and two smartphones exceeded the capacity.

I have since upgraded to a dual 1.2 AMP USB version.

25

Huh. I may need to upgrade my travel adapter at some point. Mine’s relatively ancient and it does charge my iPad Mini, albeit slowly. Any recommendations?

(Or should I just look up-thread?)

26

The 5/6 port ones that Woodman and I have are both good bets. That they have a removable power cord (standard two prong figure 8) really comes in handy, like for plugging into the outlet behind the nightstand at a hotel.

I also have a couple travel/mini 3 outlet charger power strip thingys. One stays in my electronics travel/toiletry bag, one goes in my backpack if I think I might need it.

27

Car charger. Works awesome.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CN6ARHO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I got my 6 port and a bunch of 6 inch cables for use on a cruise ship and it was awesome. Charged camera, two cells, and three tablets ASAP. Plus occasional iPhone charging. It was good for charging stuff during the early afternoon nap, or the before/after dinner clothing change.

Peeve level 9001. No s in my name :pig:

28

Doh! Sorry, fixed.

That’s what I get for not using the @ call

29

This is the one I bought. The rotating part means stuff fits better in various hotel room configurations. I usually have a camera-battery charger and a laptop brick, but wall warts would fit, too, of course.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C0QEUCG

The same company makes bigger ones, and fancy colored extension cords.

1 Like
30

I’ll have to find the info on mine. One benefit is it acts as a mini-power strip, so useful if you have things that don’t charge of USB… Although admittedly I don’t travel with many devices that don’t use USB these days. I think even newer Gameboys can use USB, right? Work laptop is a Lenovo and a normal power brick, but that’s minor.

@DocDubious posted one that might be a good replacement.

31

That’s sexy.

32

By the way, I did some cable stuff today and noticed the following:

  • My WonderDirect Frankencable charges my iPad. My Anker proepr-spec does not. (This is the previously-mentioned ‘flat’ cable.)

  • The WonderDirect occasionally attempts to draw too much voltage or something. Which temporarily resets a couple USB ports on my work laptop.