Laptop, cell phone, PDA, camera, wireless earpiece, MP3 player, digital voice recorder; each piece of the modern Road Warrior's arsenal takes it's place in the ever-expanding case or carry-on. Unfortunately, each of these absolutely essential tools brings along it's own baggage, the charger. You know the big black plugs with the thin wires that all look alike?

Every well-equipped, modern business-traveler has to deal with a number of these "wall warts." Whether you're finding a place to plug them in at the hotel room, trying to tell which charger fits each device, or coping with the loss of one of them - chargers are the bane of the twenty-first century digerati.

It doesn't have to be that way. Your laptop USB ports produce up to 500mA of power. This small electric current can be harnessed for much more than mice. A variety of USB-powered chargers are available for your cadre of gadgets. Many of these chargers have interchangeable connectors so that one unit can provide recharging for multiple devices. Even if you do need more than one, the USB charger is much smaller and lighter than a standard charger, because it has no AC to DC transformer. Also, some chargers will also draw power from your car or airline seat power source for even greater flexibility.

What about my vital laptop? Will these things hurt my computer or drain my battery faster? Good questions!
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