Pro Tip: Must have dongle for your travel kit

Seems like we’re still living in a USB-A world. They’re everywhere! I keep a couple of USB-A to USB-C cables handy now. They’re great for planes, but my favorite use case is hotel nightstands.

I use my iPhone as an alarm clock, and it seems like there’s never an open outlet to plug a charger into. Of course, I only discover this late at night after being out (meaning I’m drunk), trying to move a heavy nightstand away from the wall. And to make matters worse, nine times out of ten, the outlets are so worn out they can’t even hold the weight of your charger. Or maybe I’m the only one this happens to?

But here’s where Uncle Greg drops a pro tip. A lot of those hotel alarm clocks — and even some lamp bases — have a couple of USB-A ports built in. That’s where this little dongle earns its keep. The 3-foot one lets you do a little doom-scrolling while charging when you finally hit the sack. You’re welcome.

Pro Tip #2: Buy several, because you will end up leaving them behind.