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It's that time again when I start to reminisce about the literally countless gadgets and gizmos that have been through my hands over the past year. And just to give you an idea of how many that is, the content that gets reviewed here on ZDNET is just a fraction of what I've started testing. Less than half.
Most that don't make the cut are just not up to scratch, others I have some issue partway through the review, and the item gets pushed to the back burner (I can't spend too much time trying to fix something I'm reviewing), and then there's the white label rebranded stuff that almost always disappoints.
And then there's the material I've been using but haven't yet gotten around to reviewing.
Also: The 5 most innovative tech products we tested this year (including a tri-fold surprise)
It's easy to feel that I've reviewed everything, but I know that there's an ever-growing pile awaiting my return to the UK, and that next year already has some very exciting stuff lined up.
But back to this year. What's the stuff that's made the leap from being something that I reviewed to becoming an essential part of my kit? The things that live in my pocket or laptop bag, or that accompany me on my travels, both on-grid and off.
I normally leave out any and all Apple gadgets for fear that they'd dominate the list, but this year I'm going to throw in at the end an Apple-branded gadget, and one Apple product that's made so much better by the accessories made for it by a particular third-party company.
OK, talk is cheap, let's get to the list.
1. Nitecore NB Plus power bank Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET It's small, sleek, durable, and, rather importantly for me, doesn't mind getting a bit wet. At 10,000mAh, it's not a large power bank, but it can simultaneously top up two small devices using both USB-C and USB-A ports. Review: I've yet to find a power bank as durable yet travel-friendly as this one I used to want the biggest power bank available, but I found that when I needed it, I'd left it at home because the size and weight got in the way. So I've transitioned to smaller units, and they seem to be there when I need a top-up. And it's not like I don't have access to bigger power banks if I need one! Show more View now at Amazon
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