At Home with Tech

It’s not as complicated as it looks. Tech tips for your life.
September 27, 2026

Can You Charge a Camera Battery Using an Apple Power Adapter?

If you don’t have a charger for your camera’s battery, you might consider using another charger like an Apple power adapter. But is okay to do that? I faced that exact question as I unboxed my new Fujifilm X-T30 III and was surprised my camera didn’t come with a battery charger.

When you proudly unbox a new piece of tech, you shouldn’t get worried if you’re missing the battery charger. That’s because the manufacturer simply didn’t give you one. Today, you’re often expected to buy it separately or use a power supply from a separate piece of gear. Sometimes you can plug your new thirsty device into your computer for juice. 

It’s your problem to figure out. (You’re welcome.)

Of course, it’s a great way for our favorite brands to save money… and perhaps make some more.  And one could also say it helps reduce waste as you should already have access to any number of ‘compatible’ chargers for your other pieces of tech.

But is it really okay to use other random chargers and cables with your new tech as long as the connector fits?

That’s the question I suddenly faced when I unboxed my new Fujifilm X-T30 III camera… sans charger.

External Battery Charger Vs In-Camera Charging

Yes, I could simply purchase an external battery charger for my Fujifilm battery. But my nifty APS-C camera can also charge its battery in body via its USB-C port. (Easy!)

So, I could do it by the book, order a battery charger and wait a few days for it to arrive in the mail, or I could power up my new camera… almost immediately.

I could delay my moment of tech gratification, or I could get my dopamine hit in the next hour. Hmmm…

As I considered my options, my gaze zeroed in on a sleek, white rectangle plugged into a nearby outlet. It was my trusty Apple 20 Watt USB-C charger I use for my iPhone. It never looked so beautiful…

Would that work?

Will an Apple 20 Watt USB-C Power Adapter Work with my Fujifilm Camera?

I quickly went to my Fujifilm manual. It suggested I could use a ‘recommended’ AC adapter of 7.5 watts or more. (That guidance seems rather vague.)

The fine print also read, “Use a USB-IF certified AC adapter or USB-C to USB-C cable when charging with the camera. An AC adapter of 7.5 W or more is recommended.”

Well, my Apple charger offers more than 7.5 watts. But is 20 watts too much more? I don’t want to damage my new battery… or my camera.

We know that Apple tech requiring less juice connects safely with its 20-watt power blocks. The power supply is engineered to provide the correct energy flow that the particular Apple device needs. 

But what about other manufacturers’ cameras and the Apple power adapter? Will they “talk to each other” and successfully negotiate wattage needs too?

In simple terms… Will my Apple charger be friends with my Fujifilm camera and its battery?

Approval Received?

The common online wisdom regarding this topic is YES:

  • The battery in the Fujifilm camera will indeed only pull the wattage it needs from the Apple charger. It won’t take the full 20 watts… just the 7.5 watts. (Both A.I. and humans offered this guidance.)

So, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Fujifilm’s manual seems to align with that conclusion (with enough room in its language for plausible deniability).

Online forums also generally agree. Though there are purists who don’t like powering up a battery in camera due to concerns over possible heat generation (battery gets warm) that could affect the camera’s long-term health.

That said, my research found no one complaining about actual damage.

So, guess what…?

I immediately went ahead and powered up my Fujifilm camera battery with my Apple USB-C charger… No problem.

Yay!

And My Camera Finally Comes to Life for the First Time

Yes, this took some thinking through and certainly should not be the first topic I obsess over after I unbox a shiny new piece of tech.

Perhaps we simply live in a time when bringing your own power supply to the party should be common knowledge by now.

I’ll try to get out more.

And when I do, My Fujifilm camera will be ready to go.

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September 20, 2026

9 Clever and Fun PG-13 Movies to Stream

Choosing a good action film to watch with your family can be a challenge if you’re not looking for ‘intense’ or ‘dark.’ Here are nine options to consider that offer a brighter outlook.

The week is finally over. Time to unwind. Perhaps it’s time for a movie to stream? If so, is this your vibe for choosing a flick to watch with your family on a Friday night?

  • Dark
  • Unsettling
  • Scary
  • Violent

Well, not so much for me and my family. Though we sometimes cross into the more intense R-rated realm with our 16-year-old son, we often collectively prefer the more comfortable PG-13 zone.  And we particularly like a more optimistic vibe…

  • Charming and smart
  • Fun and funny
  • Clever
  • Action packed

Yes, that’s more like it. That’s family friendly for us.

Once upon a time, it would be Indiana Jones… Men in Black… Jack Sparrow. Call it what you like, but I think you know what I mean.

Unfortunately, not that many get made these days. Any even fewer of these flicks hit the mark. So, I’m always searching for winners to add to ‘Barrett’s movie list’ for my family.

If you’re also interested in finding new film choices to add to your cue, here are my previous two PG-13 lists:

But as my above recommendations are a few years old, I’ve decided to pull together a more recent collection of PG-13 movies that meet ‘the criteria’ from 2023-2026.

So here are nine more movies for your consideration:

9 Action Flicks for Family Movie Night

Mayday (2026)

Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
Stars: Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh
Reynolds continues to nail the formula, and who knew Kenneth Branagh could be so funny?

“Hail Mary” (2026)

Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Stars: Ryan Gosling and Sandra Huller
This is not as light and breezy as my other picks, as it chronicles a long-shot mission to save humanity from extinction. But it’s a great buddy movie with warmth and humor.

“The Gorge” (2025)

Directed by Scott Derrickson
Stars: Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy
Romance/Action/Zombies. Hit it!

“The Fountain of Youth” (2025)

Directed by Guy Richie
Stars: John Krasinski, Natalie Portman and Elza Gonzalez
It’s a Guy Richie flick. Need I say more?

“Argylle” (2024)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Stars: Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell
Over the top and uneven, but you can’t help but chuckle throughout.

“The Fall Guy” (2024)

Directed by David Leitch
Stars: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt
A remake of the TV series with old-school charm and lots of fun.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (2023)

Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
Stars: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant
Though it couldn’t find an audience in its theatrical release, it’s absolutely delightful.

And let’s not forget the MCU!
While many recent Marvel movies haven’t matched the MCU’s previous success, I think these two have definitely broken through…

“Thunderbolts*” (2025)

Directed by Jake Schreier
Stars: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour and Wyatt Russell
Yes, it underperformed at the box office (for a Marvel movie), but its dry humor is so winning. Plus, Harbour’s endless optimism as Red Guardian supercharges the adventure for this underdog team.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (2026)

Soon to be released on streaming
Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink and Mark Ruffalo
Biggest box office of 2026 by far. And the best Marvel movie in a long time. 

What’s Next?

I hope you enjoy the above films for your next family movie night at home. But as we all know, we always need to feed the pipeline. 

So… any other suggestions out there?

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September 13, 2026

What the Heck is Happening in the Sci-Fi Series ‘Silo’?

After three seasons, “Silo’s” mystery continues to deepen. Here’s my spoiler-free view of this great series on Apple TV.

The world ended hundreds of years ago, and ten thousand people live in a massive underground circular bunker that stretches down for a mile without an elevator. This society is functional though constantly resource stressed. Technology is limited, and possessing anything from the past is a crime.

History has been erased, and nobody seems to know why they’re stuck in this prison/sanctuary. They don’t know if the world outside is really a barren, poisonous landscape. 

Misinformation. Confusion. Psychological control. 

Mechanical vs IT

Welcome to “Silo,” which has wrapped its third season on Apple TV. 

With solid storytelling and strong acting, it stars Rebecca Ferguson as a mechanic who becomes an unlikely leader for a growing resistance movement against this restrictive society and Tim Robbins as an ‘evil’ manager from the IT department. (Yes, in this future, IT controls everything.)

But what they’re all fighting against is more complicated than they understand.

A Puzzle in a Mystery

And I’ve felt a similar confusion watching this series across the years. I don’t know what’s going on either. That’s “Silo’s” storytelling design. The reveals take their time, and every answer leads to a new question.

The ‘enjoyment’ that comes from this process is the satisfaction of understanding. Sure, I don’t feel as clueless as when I started watching the show, but we’ll all have to wait to the fourth and final season to receive all the pieces that answer the one big question…

Why?

Season 3 invested significant time developing a separate flashback pre-silo storyline that, of course, will connect to future events. And its purpose is evidently providing the ‘why.’ But that plot is not straightforward either.

Throughout all this intrigue and confusion, we’ve got a series that’s part mystery, part adventure and part sci-fi. But it also gives itself the time to explore topics like class structure, mind control and inevitable revolution in this dystopian future.

Thoughts on Season 3

“Silo” has clearly savored its major plot twists through its first three seasons. And while I’ve enjoyed the series overall, season 3 felt slower with less gripping action. I think that’s because so much time was invested setting up the pre-silo plot, which stars Ashley Zukerman as a congressman and Jessica Henwick as a journalist who stumble onto a dark mystery they don’t understand.

On the other hand, season 3 also revealed a much larger conspiracy than I thought I understood. Plus, the last episode in season 3 was perhaps the most jarring and intriguing episode to date. It reframed the entire series and reminded me how confused I felt at the start of this show.

It was a great episode, and yes… a cliffhanger that (slight spoiler) weaves our parallel stories together.

The Fate of Humanity?

So this all leads us to season 4, where I expect everything will come together and finally answer the “why.”

Is this silo a just solution to save humanity? Is it a social experiment? Perhaps both? Or has its true purpose not yet been fully revealed?

As the series wraps, it will also have to provide the fates of our many characters as well as the larger fate of this fragment of the human race.

No pressure.

The Truth is Out There

Shows built on mystery often have a hard time sticking their landing after years of flying about through confusion. (“Lost,” “The X Files,” “Fringe”)

But “Silo” seems to possess a clear road map with all its extensive set up. So, I do have high hopes for a great final season.

Season 4 of “Silo” premieres on July 9, 2027.

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