9 tech gadgets that’ll make your everyday life easier

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A good gadget solves a problem, but solving a problem isn’t the same as making your life easier. A fitness tracker might help you live healthier, but being constantly reminded to move isn’t very relaxing. A drone might help you take awesome photos, but you have to not crash it. A smartphone might let you communicate with anyone in the world, but social media exists.

Below we’ve rounded up a few gadgets that can add to your day, but don’t demand much in return. Some are specific, some are general ideas, but none of them will wind up being Another Thing to Worry About.

Amazon Echo

As you’ve probably heard by now, the Amazon Echo has transformed from a competent-sounding Bluetooth speaker to a competent-sounding Bluetooth speaker that can control your home. Just call on Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based virtual assistant, and the Echo can quickly start up a Spotify stream, call an Uber, control your smart lights, order a pizza, or follow a growing number of other quirky commands. It’s always listening, but it serves you, and it does so swiftly and accurately.

Amazon Echo, $179.99, available at Amazon.

A portable battery

The next time your phone dies before you could call that cab home, you’ll have wished you had a portable battery on you. We’ve recommended Anker’s PowerCore series before, and its PowerCore 10000 packs plenty of power in a compact, not-that-expensive package.   

Anker PowerCore 10000, $19.99, available at Amazon.

NomadKey

The hangup with bringing a portable battery around is that you’ll need to carry a charging cable along with it. Something like the NomadKey lets you keep a (USB 2.0) connector on your person. The bendy little accessory clips easily around a keyring, making it so you don’t have to stuff a lengthier wire in your pockets.

NomadKey (microUSB), $14.95, available at Amazon.
NomadKey (Lightning), $19.95, available at Amazon.