Tiny Undervalued Hardware Companions (2024)

Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away my apple magnetic charger was right angled. Unfortunately the technology was forgotten and eventually lost with the passage of time.

One for flash storage + usb dongles, another with every usb adapter + short cables, audio things + usb power meters, pens, and other stuff. It is so nice being able to quickly use almost any device without a scavenger hunt first.

One USB A-to-C adapter I particularly like is a cable with adapters tied to each end, so you can use it for any combination of (A or C host) to (C or micro device).

FM transmitters you have to be slightly careful - they need to get power somehow; think about how that will happen.

I got a storage organizer with 24 drawers. One for each type of cable I use. So instead of one big box that I have to hunt through, I have instant, labeled access to all my usb cables, and a few other cables and items.

I also have a set of USB adapters that plug into each other and let me charge anything with the same cable. Again, less stuff to pack.

I wanted headphones for FPS games with a good soundstage. Generally, gaming headsets are not known for price-to-quality value.

After researching, bought Sennheiser HD560S, but I needed a mic.

V-MODA makes a $20 attachment called a "BoomPro Mic", which uses standard 3.5mm audio jack and gives you not only a mic, but also a volume dial.

It turns out that having an easily-accessible volume dial is the best thing since sliced bread.

Can't believe I never got a cable with this feature before, they ought to put them on all headphone audio cables.

Roll of very sticky Velcro tape To mount things under desk.

A “toaster” style sata adapter: I treat it like a tape drive, clunk in a “tape” (sata or spinning disk) to back up to.

This is assuming you don’t have one of the newer i devices that has a usb c connector, then…

15- and 25-foot power cables to eliminate outlet strips and extension cords in some installations.

Outlet strips with super long cords -- especially useful for avoiding the need to chain outlet strips in settings where doing so is considered to be a safety violation.

My adapter was just a tiny bit underpowered and would cut out if I tried to run a heavy CPU load while the battery was charging. I think this eventually killed the cheap adapter cable.

Just buy two

All the endless efforts and dollars spent on cybersecurity is just lol I guess.