Tech Diary - At Home with Tech

September 27, 2026

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

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.

September 20, 2026

9 Clever and Fun PG-13 Movies to Stream

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?

September 6, 2026

Why I Like to Convert my New York City Photos to Black and White

I grew up in New York City. It’s my forever hometown. Though I haven’t lived there in decades, my life forever orbits around it.

I’m as close as the 7:55am Metro North train into Grand Central Terminal.

Discovering What’s Around the Corner

Many of the photos I’ve taken of the Big Apple over the years are simply the result of my commutes and what I’ve run into on the streets of Manhattan.

And I’ve found that more than a few of my resulting shots look better as black and white versions.

Prometheus Watches Over the Ice (2021)

Why am I drawn to the black and white look? When you think about New York City, what are a few descriptors that come to mind? For me, I would say:

Classic
Dramatic
Timeless
Gritty

And these are also some of the ways that black and white images present themselves. So, the visual and energy alignment is clear.

Better in Black and White

That’s why I occasionally feel compelled to click on the tiny black and white button when editing my New York City photos on my Mac Studio. (My tool of choice is Adobe Lightroom. It offers a variety of B&W ‘looks.’)

As a result, my selected shots often benefit from their visual conversion into the black and white universe.

Sure, they still look nice in color. I just like them better in black and white. It generates a classic timelessness about them.

Here are more examples.

Atlas Lifts World Cup Awareness (2026)

Scabby the Rat Protests (2026)

Morning Commute at Grand Central Terminal (2025)

East 63rd Street (2022)

48th and 5th Avenue (2021)

Smith & Wollensky (2021)

Bliss (2021)

Outdoor Dining (2016)

Follow Your Flow

I usually don’t go looking for photos to snap on the streets of New York. Certainly not black and white ones. They find me. And I often don’t recognize the opportunity to convert them to black and white till much later… sometimes years later when I review them again.

I’m not sure what that says about me as a photographer, but it does reveal something about my creative process.

We all travel our own road that leads us into inspiration and towards creative execution.You just have to go with the flow and see where it takes you.

At Home with Tech

Category: Tech Diary