At Home with Tech

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

Category: shopping

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 22, 2026

What Tech Should You Pack in Your Emergency Go Bag?

It couldn’t hurt to have a bag packed with essential items to take with you in an emergency. Here’s some tech gear to consider for your own go bag and why.

I’ve always tried to pay attention to home safety topics like fire prevention. So far, so good. But you never know where your blind spots might be. Recently, my wife and I had a complementary review of our house’s smoke detectors by two members of our regional Red Cross. 

They found a couple gaps and opportunities, which I quickly addressed the following week. While smoke detection and fire avoidance were the key themes to our discussion, they also talked about being ready to immediately evacuate in the event of an emergency.

And they brought up the important topic of having a ‘go bag’ packed and ready to take if the situation prevented returning home for a period.

Go Bags and the Cloud

Of course, there are different types of emergencies ranging from a stove fire to an extended power outage or natural disaster that could force you to leave your home. A go bag, also called a bug-out bag should contain items to help you get through this evacuation period. 

While emergency supplies are the priority, the Red Cross team also suggested we might want to think about taking important or irreplaceable documents and photos should our house burn down. (gulp)

They helpfully suggested that I could upload some of that to the cloud to mitigate the risk. 

As I nodded in agreement, my brain began to spin.

Are You Ready?

Backing up my important photos to the cloud is a fundamental file maintenance practice I’ve been following for years. But was I ready for this kind of moment? Plus, was this just tip-of-the-iceberg thinking?

I asked myself if I was really prepared to handle a big emergency, leave my home and perhaps not return for a long time.

I don’t think I am. No, not really.

So, it was time to begin closing that gap.

Mountain Bike Duffel Bag

I started by first getting a dedicated go bag to fill up. After doing some research, I decided I liked the structure of a mountain bike duffel bag. 

These duffel bags have lots of pockets for organization and easier access than a standard knapsack. 

I ended up buying one made by Wildhorn. 

Important Tech to Pack

Next, came the packing part. Of course, safety and survival come first. And while I’ve brushed up on which emergency and medical supplies I should include in my go bag, I’m admittedly still a student in this space. So, I’ll leave it to the experts to offer their recommendations.

That said, you’ll likely want to also take along some tech. You might find yourself partially off the grid, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut yourself off without the right tools.

Here’s my tech list that you might want to consider for your own go bag: 

  • Portable power bank(s) to keep your phone and other tech going
    (A solar-charging model is optimal.)
  • Charging cables
  • Wall charger with USB ports should you be able to plug into power
  • Portable power strip
  • Solar or crank-powered radio
  • Analog watch that can keep ticking more than 24 hours without recharging
    (My Apple Watch wouldn’t be up to this task.)
  • A portable hard drive with important files 
  • And of course, a rechargeable flashlight and headlamp

Just Like a Camping Trip?

While I was creating this packing list, I began to realize that the process felt a lot like packing for just another trip, but one that you hope you’ll never go on.

Another, more positive take is this is like prepping for your next camping trip. (There’s a fair amount of crossover.)

On the one hand, you may already have some of this gear at home. But it’s probably best to purchase a duplicate set and then dedicate this ‘emergency’ tech to a permanently packed go bag that you wouldn’t borrow from under normal circumstances. 

Get Organized

So now that my go bag is packed, I’ve set it aside and hope that I’ll never have to use it. (It’s like spending money on insurance.) One ongoing detail will be to make sure battery power remains charged up.

Yes, completing this project has provided me a little peace of mind.

But I also know I have more work to do on a variety of fronts. There are many chapters in the book of Organizing your Life.

How prepared are you?

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December 14, 2025

How to Prevent Yankee Swap from Ruining Your Holiday Spirit

Here are three important ways I approach this group game to help minimize the pain if you don’t feel like a winner at your next Yankee Swap.

Many years ago, I learned the art of Yankee Swap. And that’s when I figured out it’s also a sport. This group holiday gifting game goes by other names, including Secret Santa and White Elephant. 

If you haven’t yet participated, Yankee Swap is a game of chance, as everyone first picks a number out of a hat to determine the order of gift selection from an anonymous pile of presents. However, there’s plenty of strategy involved, especially if family members ‘unofficially’ align as a team.

Yankee Steal
There are variations on the rules, but in short, each person picks a wrapped gift and then decides whether to keep or swap it with a previously opened present. If everyone gets into the spirit of the game, it becomes ‘Yankee Steal.’ There’s usually a gift or two that everyone wants, that those get swapped multiple times throughout the game.

So, if played properly, this game is effectively about stealing the best gift for yourself and leaving everyone else with the lumps of coal. (You’ve got to feel comfortable being a little ruthless.)

Three Ways to Feel Like a Winner
I must admit that after participating in this holiday tradition many times, I often found myself disappointed with the results. (Statistically, that’s going to happen to many players.)

So, I’ve learned a few tricks that help me feel like a winner, no matter what happens. Here are my top three tips:

#1
Worst Gift Ever
Yes, it’s always nice to give and receive a great gift. But a terrible gift… that can actually be the best Yankee Swap present ever. But it has to be over-the-top bad. If so, it will get a huge laugh in the group. 

The best ‘worst’ gift I ever saw was a 15-pound frozen turkey gift wrapped in a box. Priceless.

I’ve given my share of intentionally terrible gifts over the years. A few of my favorites include:

  • Ugly Lumberjack Winter Hat 
    (for a Brooklyn/Manhattan crowd)
  • Giant Angry Bird plush toy 
    (This one was an unexpected hit.)
  • NapSack Sleep Hood 
    (This was just a box with a photo of a man sleeping on a bench wearing a blue sack over his head. The box was empty. The gag was just the silly idea of it.)

#2
A Boring Gift Should Not Affect your Holiday Zen
But a boring Yankee Swap gift is that exactly that… and nobody wants one of those. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of nicely wrapped boxes fall into this category. 

And these are the ones that can really suck the holiday spirit out of your soul. There’s nothing you can really do about it, other than accept it’s like walking into a casino… the house usually wins. 

So, the next step is to recognize that this game should be more about the fun and laughs…not snagging the best gift. That’s how you can retain your holiday Zen when holding that useless item. 

Yes, it will surely go in the garbage when you get home (or banished to your regifting pile, if you do that). But you’re still smiling thinking about that frozen turkey Uncle Harry got.

#3
Bring a Gift You Wouldn’t Mind Getting Back
I can’t tell you the number of times someone swapped back my own gift with me, especially the ones that were ‘terrible.’ That’s the result of other players learning my gifting style over the years and predicting I was the original culprit.

So, I’ve adapted my strategy a bit and made sure that I would be happy enough taking home whatever Yankee Swap gift I show up with.

That can also make shopping much easier. Simply buy a gift that you’d want for yourself. (That increases the odds you’ll bring home a present you can use.)

The Real Gift is Spending Time with Your Group
New England often has harsh winters. Yankee Swaps are no different. So, mindset matters more than anything when playing this game.

Remember, this is not about the present. It’s about being together with a group of people and having fun. It’s about celebrating this little world you’re a part of… family, friends, and yes… maybe even co-workers.

It’s about time well spent, being together… and not alone. And that’s usually a gift worth celebrating.

Happy Holidays, and here’s to always feeling like a winner at every Yankee Swap!

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