Plug-in power for road trips

 
If you're anything like me, then you're probably exhausted trying to keep up with the constantly changing world of electronics. It seems that every state-of-the-art device I buy becomes obsolete by the time I finish deciphering the instructional manual.

(And obsolete to the electronics industry means any device that's older than eight months, at which point it's considered way too slow and heavy and impractical to be of any use to anyone.) 

Despite these frustrations, electronics are an integral part of our lives--like it or not--so why not make the best of it. And to help enhance the versatility and usefulness of electronics, Stanley recently introduced the 100-Watt Power Converter, a compact, plug-in device that delivers household current from your car or truck.

The converter, which is only slightly bigger than a deck of playing cards, is equipped with an AC electrical outlet, and USB power outlet.

Simply plug the device into your vehicle's cigarette lighter (above left) or other 12-volt DC port and use it to recharge and power up cell phones, MP3 players, laptops and other portable electronics.

Stanley also makes a 100-Watt Tailgate Power Converter, which is specifically designed to connect to standard four-pronged towing/tailgate wire harnesses (below right).

The Tailgate Converter is ideal for camping trips and tailgating parties, where it can be used to power a small TV, CD player, radio, or small kitchen appliance. It can even recharge cordless power tools.

The Stanley 100-Watt Power Converters ($30 each) feature silent-running technology, meaning there's no noisy ventilation fan interfering when you're talking or listening to music.