This Cevaton Screen Extender adds two 15.6" 1080p screens that wing out from my laptop. I use it when I'm working on my treadmill desk. It folds flat when done and comes with a sturdy carrying case for travel, but both monitors plus the stand weigh about five pounds, so I don't plan to travel with it (I use an iPad as a second monitor when I'm on the road.). It comes with a variety of cables to connect to most laptops. (Note: it won't work with basic M1/M2 MacBooks.) — MF

I bought a couple of TagVault Fabric Mounts to attach Apple AirTags to my luggage, which I use to keep track of their whereabouts. These flexible mounts have an adhesive backing that makes a permanent bond on fabric surfaces, securely holding the AirTag while allowing it to flex with the material. Suggested uses include jackets, backpacks, and purses. I stuck mine on the inside of my suitcases under the lining, making them nearly invisible. — MF

Our once wired home is now totally wireless. I recently upgraded to a mesh wifi network, with multiple wifi units around the house creating one extended network with one shared password. We went with the Eero 6 system (owned by Amazon) which Wirecutter gives the highest marks for its ease of setting up and speeds. In our kitchen we get 700 mbps. You can easily daisy chain the units ($90 each) with small overlaps to reach anywhere in a sprawling household. It’s great to never have to think about reliable and robust wifi. — KK

This Anker 67W USB-C charger is about half the size of my MacBook's original charger, but it powers up my laptop just as quickly. The foldable plug makes it travel-friendly and pocketable. It's not just for laptops either; it fast-charges my iPhone and iPad too. At around $25, it's significantly cheaper than Apple's offering. The only downside is that it only has one port, but the small size makes up for it. — MF

Disk Prices is a bare-bones, text-only website lists the prices of hard drives, solid-state drives, and USB drives available on Amazon. It’s a superior way to search for storage compared to searching directly on Amazon. — MF

This wireless charging station is a space-saver on my bedside table. It allows me to charge my iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch all at once, eliminating the need for multiple cords. I can charge my phone in landscape modes, which turns it into a StandBy mode clock. — MF

Every year, Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, posts a photo of the things he carries in his travel bag, along with detailed descriptions. His 2023 photo includes 53 items plus a backpack that holds everything. The thing I want the most from his list is the Rolling Square inCharge XL 6-in-1 Multi Charging Cable. — MF

If you have a phone charger and cable set up in a common area of your house and it hasn't vanished, then you probably live alone. The Lock Socket is a simple plastic device that attaches to a power outlet cover, making it impossible for the charger and cable to mysteriously disappear. Your family may be upset, but that's the consequence. — MF

We’ve recommended Anker superchargers before; they will charge phones and computer devices really fast. Now, even better is a four-slotted Anker 747 supercharger, which can handle three USB-C cords (the emerging universal standard plug) and one classic USB. This is ideal for traveling, particularly for more than one user, with multiple devices (phone, Kindle, watch, laptop).  I used to carry a homemade squid with multiple chargers from one outlet, but this fist-size cube is much more compact, simple, and faster. It can charge up to four devices in a jiffy. — KK

Direct eye contact is the critical missing ingredient on zoom. It’s hard to achieve because each person is looking at the other person’s face and not at their camera off the screen. Years ago I built a contraption that suspends a small webcam in the middle of my monitor so I am looking at the camera as I look at the face. It gave me great eye-contact but was bulky and blocked parts of my screen. I have since replaced it with Center Cam ($120), which is an itty-bitty camera mounted on a very slender adjustable gooseneck that suspends in the center of my screen. It is tiny enough that I don’t even notice it, and it gives a clear, high-res image of me looking directly at you. It would be great if everyone else had one of these so your eyes would look directly at me. — KK

I’ve had a Kindle since they were first introduced about 15 years ago. Every now and then I upgrade. The current version, the Kindle Paperwhite (11th generation, $140), is by far the best reading experience I’ve had. Its clarity, in dark and in sunlight, speed, battery longevity, and ease of highlighting are outstanding. In 8 out of 10 factors, I find the new Kindle is better than reading a paper book. (There is also a Paperwhite Kids version that has a rugged cover, an extra year of insurance, and a clever way to share and curate books with your kid.) The upgrade to Paperwhite was definitely worthwhile. — KK

I had no idea how useful this small and extendable LED flashlight by Vibelite would be when I bought it. We keep it out on a side table in the living room, which is a perfect place for it because we often need to fix something behind our TV or Wifi setup and I’m always searching underneath our recliner to find my dog’s runaway toys. I'm going to buy one more to keep in my basement. — CD

A squid cable is a power cable that splits into multiple strands so that each arm can be connected at once to the same source. I carry one as my main charging cable while I travel. There are many generic no-name brand models that are very lightweight, efficient, and versatile. My Puxnoin Multi Charging Cable ($13) is an All-in-One deal; it can charge (but no data) up to 4 devices from one USB plug. The four-foot long cable divides into two lightning cables (iPhones), a Type C cable (IPads, tablets, Samsung, Pixel), and a MicroUSB (Android, Windows, headsets, controllers). One cord to rule them all. — KK

I bought the ​​Ustine Portable Selfie Stick Tripod for $8 to take better selfies of my wife and myself while traveling. It exceeded my expectations. It has a detachable bluetooth button on the handle that makes it easy to take photos and video. It extends from 7 inches to 22 inches. And it has tripod legs so I can set it on the ground and take photos from farther back. I wish I’d gotten it sooner. — MF

I recently bought a 3-disc CD set and needed to rip it to iTunes but my laptop doesn’t have a CD/DVD drive. I bought this tiny USB-powered CD/DVD reader-writer for under $20. I plugged it in my laptop and inserted a CD. iTunes opened automatically, I clicked a button and the songs downloaded to my computer without a hitch. I’m sure it will come in handy for watching my old DVDs, too. — MF

I keep my bulky laptop charger at home and travel with the Anker 735 charger. It’s smaller, lighter, and more powerful than the PowerBook brick and it has 2 USB-C and 1 USB-A ports. — MF

The best place to research what gear to buy is still the Wirecutter (now owned by The New York Times). I comfortably rely on their recommendations all the time. But The Wall Street Journal wants in on this game so they have a new site called BuySide. Their gear reviews are not as broad, deep or as well-researched as the Wirecutter, but they are often a good second opinion. — KK

The inCharge All-in-One charging cable is so small it fits in my wallet (along with a band-aid and one Advil tablet). It has USB-C on one end for plugging into a laptop or battery, and a convertible Lightning/MicroUSB connector on the other side for phones and devices. Magnets in the cable let you snap it on a keyring. — MF

I am a convert to Apple AirTags. I hide these tiny buttons in my luggage to keep track of where it is. On a recent walk in England our luggage was forwarded each day, and with the AirTag I could track their whereabouts. If I stray too far from my daypack (as if I had forgotten it) I get an alert on my phone. And attached as a fob on our car key, I can track where in the house the keys were left using my phone. I have a friend who slips one in critical packages he ships. I am putting one in all my bicycles. Each AirTag is $29, and its replaceable battery lasts about a year. — KK

In my experience, you can’t have too many usb ports at your desktop. I have an Anker 13-port USB hub mounted on my desk. I can charge several devices at once but most of the ports are for data comms with the many peripherals I have connected to my PC, such as headset, mic, label printer, wacom tablets, CD player, etc. I already have all 13 slots filled and next time would go for a 16 port hub. — KK