Road Warriors: Keeping USB and 120VAC Devices Powered On

If you spend a lot of time in the car and need to keep your devices powered up, or even to have as a "just-in-case" item to keep in your car, you will need a 12VDC to USB or 12VDC to 120VAC adapter/inverter to plug them into. I like the Griffin Compact USB Ports just because it is so small. It is basically flush when you plug it in, even so much so that it allows Ford, and GMC socket covers to close over it. The cover in my wife's Pontiac would not close over it, and recently, it wasn't deep enough to reach the bottom of a Mazda power port (frustrating!) Also, since it is so compact, it is sometimes difficult to remove, so I would recommend it for a semi-permanent installation. It is a 1 amp USB port, so will not support iPad and other high-current charging devices. If you need support for iPad or some other device up to 2.1 Amps then the Bracketron is also a good compact alternative. Also, this one is a little easier to grab for removing it if you have only one port and/or other devices that you use in your power port. If you need 120 Volt AC power for anything else including PCs and other devices that use 120VAC, I would recommend a Black and Decker 100 Watt Inverter.  However there are a few disadvantages. With a 12VDC-120VAC inverter you will get some noise if you are listening to audio off of a PC for example. This is because you are converting 12VDC to 120VAC then to 19VDC. (Generally PCs use 19VDC power.) The noise is generated in the 12VDC to 120VAC inversion function. There is also some fan noise on these so check the other reviews. So, for some specific applications you may want to spring for the 12VDC-19VDC converter option, but they will only be useful for that particular type of device even if you get a universal converter with multiple tips. The 12VDC to 120VAC are a little more versatile because you can use them for a number of devices. I like the pocket sized one just because it is so portable. I carry one in my backpack with me. Several even have USB ports as well. Another one I liked for the car was the Rally 200 Watt Cup Holder Inverter. It has (2) 120VAC outlets, a spare 12VDC Outlet and a USB Port, although, I am not clear on how many amps the USB provides.