Imagine your phone battery has died. But no worries...you only need to plug it in for 30 seconds to fully recharge! Now, imagine if the key to this super quick charge was available using something you might already have in your home. According to new research, the key to powering the future is at the tip of our pencils. More

PlugBug World
• $44.99
• Twelve South

It was close to a year ago a few of us from the Apartment Therapy team found ourselves on the other side of the globe covering Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan...without an international power adapter. Believe it or not, in the rush of flying abroad, all three of us forgot to bring an international adapter for our laptops and smartphones! I'd be doing myself a service by ordering Twelve South's international update to the dual charging PlugBug (charge your laptop with the option of a 2.1 amp USB charger for your phone from the MacBook power adaptor add-on). The PlugBug World includes snap-on plugs for US/Canada/Japan, UK/Hong Kong/Singapore, Continental Europe, Australia/New Zealand and China, covering all your travel+tech bases in colorful style.

Energizer Recharge Value Charger
• $12.14
• Energizer

I must have about 20+ AA and AAA Energizer rechargeable batteries in rotation powering a trio of mice, a couple of wireless keyboards, various remote controls, and numerous miscellaneous items which require battery power. This latest charging system has an instant 8-hour shut off feature and "bad battery" notification system. One other change worth noting: comparing my current collection of Energizer rechargeables to this latest value pack, the four AA's included are 1300mAh capacity vs. the previous 2500mAh capacity, trading off power duration for quicker charging times. Still, considering how long and often I've used previous Energizers, I'm suspect they'll be just fine powering my peripherals without issue.

I'm back from a long and restless week spent in Las Vegas at the world's biggest tech convention — The Consumer Electronics Show, aka CES. Getting a chance to see millions of square feet (1.9 million square feet to be exact) of technology side-by-side, all-at-once, and in-your-face is a unique experience that allows you to spot the newest trends in home tech. Now that I'm away from the bright lights, with a moment to sit back and take it all in, I'm starting to get a general feel for the overall state of the industry. Read on for a one-word assessment of this year's CES. More

Quirky Christmas Pivot Power
• $29.99
• Quirky

Quirky has gotten into the spirit with a Christmas edition of their popular adjustable outlet for six, the Pivot Power. Considering more and more of us are illuminating and accessorizing our holiday trees with an assortment of lighting and other plug-in devices, the holiday green hued adjustable outlet may come in handy for providing power in an assortment of tight spaces without becoming a distracting eyesore.

This week I've planned a much needed trip away from my home town of Ottawa down to Toronto, Canada's metropolitan hub. My train just departed and thankfully the in car wi-fi is working, because even though I'm traveling, I still have a busy week of work ahead. More

AViiQ Portable Charging Station
• $59.99
• AViiQ

If there's any time during the year when you might find yourself in dire need of a power source to recharge your mobile device(s), it's during the holidays. The prepared traveler might do well to pack one of these Portable Charging Stations from AViiQ, which includes a 4-port USB hub (3 ports for charging) with a retractable USB port, alongside plenty of storage to hold mobile devices and their required cables/cords. Better safe than sorry!

Power strips are always a mess. Even with the best cord-control gear, your power strip is probably still something you want to hide away behind the desk or TV stand. But what about by your bedside? Get the best of both worlds — tons of outlets for charging all your gear and the benefits of not having to look at it — by dropping the power strip into your nightstand's top drawer. More