At Home with Tech

It’s not as complicated as it looks. Tech tips for your life.

Category: apple

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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March 15, 2026

Why the Manhattan Skyline Means More to Me than the View

Snapping a series of iconic skyline pictures around Manhattan became more than a photography exercise. It reminded me about my own identity.

When I was a boy growing up in New York City, I remember taking the Circle Line cruise around Manhattan with my mother. I was delighted by the incredible views of the iconic skyline, but it was a blip in my larger experience living in the Big Apple. 

Like many New Yorkers, doing touristy activities was usually something left for… tourists.

A Tourist Comes Home

Today I find that ironic and even a bit sad. Even though I live in Connecticut today, I still commute into the city. So, I’ve tried to pay a little more attention to this beautiful metropolis that I permanently identify with and am always connected to. 

I’ve recently had a couple opportunities to spend time on the water around Manhattan at dusk. And I was excited to see what photos I could capture from the Hudson and East Rivers as the sun set and the skyline lit up.

The Power of iPhone and Adobe Lightroom

I used my iPhone 15 Pro Max to capture these shots. Even in the dark, its software-driven computational photography was able to capture decent images and brighten up the sky and darker regions. It’s actually quite impressive.

Then, I pushed the limits of these images even further using the power of Adobe Lightroom. While the focus of all these shots is all about the Manhattan skyline and bridges, the river and sky occupy half the frame. So, I made the creative choice to make these portions pop a little more than reality offered me.

My Origin Story

So yes, I’m straddling the line a bit between photographer and digital painter. But I don’t think it’s a problem to enhance the glow of the city I love and often define myself by.

It simply represents how I feel about this complex place. And this little photography exercise warmly reminded me that I am forever part of it.

My father used to say New York City is the greatest city in the world. While I know that’s a bit arrogant and certainly invites discussion, you can’t debate the pride that most New Yorkers feel about their hometown.

It is my origin story, and I continue to circle it.

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November 30, 2025

What’s Really Happening in the Sci-Fi Series Pluribus?

The show’s title is spelled strangely on-screen. There are lots of questions, a bunch of clues and very few answers. It wants to be difficult to figure out. Welcome to the complexities of ‘Pluribus.’ Here are my initial thoughts…

I’m hooked watching ‘Pluribus’ on Apple TV. That said, this series doesn’t easily fit easily into a particular genre. ‘Pluribus’ or ‘PLUR1BUS’ (which is how the title credits spell it) is technically science fiction but isn’t what you’d expect from a traditional sci-fi series today. 

Created by Vince Gilligan, this show plays more like an episode from ‘The Twilight Zone,’ but quite not as ominous. That said, in one sense, it couldn’t be more frightening. It’s about the days (spoiler alert) after the human race is infected by an alien virus.

The first episode is effectively a chilling variant of the famous ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers.’ The result is a complete ‘Star Trek’ Borg-like psychic takeover where everyone is suddenly connected to a hive mind. The twist here is this alien-mind collective makes everyone happy and is supposedly benevolent. 

Is Resistance Futile?
Only 13 people in the world aren’t absorbed into this global cult (for some unknown reason) including Carol from Albuquerque, New Mexico, played by Rhea Seehorn. 

Carol, a romance writer, is generally a cranky person, and her negative energy later turns out to be something of a superpower for her.

She’s immune to the virus and determined to find a cure. Each episode follows her efforts to figure out how to reverse the takeover.

While this set up might be perfect for a tight sci-fi thriller, ‘Pluribus’ takes its sweet time revealing its clues. It’s actually way more mystery than sci-fi.

I’m five episodes in, and the writers are clearly more interested in exploring Carol’s understandably overwhelmed reactions to this insanity rather than furthering along the main pieces of the plot.

And that’s just fine with me.

Fan Predictions
I’ve seen some online reactions where fans are intensely studying every detail of each scene to reveal the plot ahead and even how the series is destined to end. (Who has the time for this radical deconstruction?) 

Frankly I’m not buying all these spoiler predictions. I just want to watch this story unfold. No need to rush it. 

In one scene from episode 5, Carol is trying to get some sleep, and the camera focuses on her nightstand with a book clearly in focus. It’s Agatha Cristie’s ‘And Then There Were None.’ Okay… so, that’s certainly a clue for rough times ahead.

Happy Zombies Vs Unhappy Person
I’m really enjoying ‘Pluribus.’ It’s quirky and offbeat. It’s dark but not without its lighter comedic moments. For now, the plot is clearly simmering. You can tell there are likely twists to come.

We’ve got billions of happy, connected zombies living in harmony. Is that so bad? Will Carol save the world? Does the world even need saving?

The writing throws big questions at us: Is restoring individualism worth the price of returning to our horribly fractured society? Isn’t total harmony the utopia we all thought we wanted? But at what cost? 

I think this is what ‘Pluribus’ is about. (Yes, it’s hard to describe succinctly.)

It’s the End of the World as We Know It
If I had to put it in one sentence… This series is a mystery about how one average person tries to repair the human race by saving the essence of humanity.

But I know this is too simplistic an answer. It’s just the framework. Who knows what’s really happening here.

The success of any mystery depends on the answers we eventually receive. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you how the mysteries from other famous TV series (‘The X Files,’ ‘Lost’) have not always been as satisfyingly resolved as we wanted.

The answers simply need to be as good as the questions. 

Season 2 is already confirmed, and the producers want to make a total of four seasons. Here’s hoping ‘Pluribus’ delivers on the expected payoff. 

For now, I’m sitting back and simply enjoying how one woman fights back against the end of the world.

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