Some really useful PC items there. One of mine is a USB SD card and Micro SD card reader as I use both types of cards a lot for data storage/transfer and for backups.
@LaciDoszka Says:
Next to the SATA, i have M2 USB adapter too.
@petercapon9878 Says:
Just bought one of these comes with micro to USB-C converter as I lost my original mico USB one. I bought a couple of tiny digital voltmeter LED displays a while back and connected one to a USB A plug and one to a cigarette lighter plug. Handy when on the move;
@roygardiner2229 Says:
Excellent! Thank you.
@Null42x86 Says:
Just be careful when choosing theses SATA to USB adapters because if you get a low quality one like i did it can damage the hard drive and the data that you have on it
@RohitKumar-qt1hr Says:
Great video!!
@HardToSee Says:
I'm someone who really hate having to bring a bunch of cables with me. For some reason, it's very easy to find cheap, low quality cable USB A split 3 ways to 3 different port like Lightning, USB C or Micro B. I go with a 25W Anker charger cause it have both USB C and A port, a high quality C cable for high powered device and low quality 3 splitter A cable seems to work wonder for me.
I still hate how there's literally nobody making a A cable splitter high quality from any famous brand that I can trust like Anker or Ugreen
@DAVIDGREGORYKERR Says:
For those people who have problems with crappy WIFI what about getting a set of eero 6 Pro MESH or a eero 7 Pro MESH routers and the problems will go away.
@atlas4733 Says:
Tiny usb wifi dongle! Great for oh shit moments.
You just need it for long enough to get wifi drivers downloaded, so I prefer the old and tiny variety.
Anything that’ll automatically work with Linux and windows.
@fyremoon Says:
SATA to Slimline SATA so I can connect an internal laptop DVD or BluRay to a USB to SATA adapter. HDMI to MiniHDMI, MicroHDMI, DVI, VGA and DisplayPort because no manufacturer can decide what standard connector to use. HDMI to USB video capture makes life easier if you don't want to disconnect your monitor, you see the display in Microsoft Camera as a webcam. I have a collection of USB adapters, like C to A and C to Micro B for older devices and USB male to male (ideal for connecting a XIAO board to a phone charger)
@ArifGhostwriter Says:
🇬🇧 👍🏽 October 2025
Brilliant tips!
Salient for me was the hardware-encrypted USB drive - had no idea those existed!
Hitherto, I've instead been grappling with Bitlocker, to achieve a similar end.
~
@MrThomascd Says:
I have a usb drive that has a connector on the other end that fits into my cell phone so I caqn copy the pictures to it and transfer it to my hard drive on my laptop (usb)
@TonyLiolio1 Says:
The dust covers they remind me of the dust covers on a Single Mode or Multi Mode Optic Fibre. These adaptors are awesome 😊
@smievil Says:
6:40 i think i have usb dongles with usb ports and ethernet
@tronicgo8873 Says:
i use male hdmi to female vga cable it's useful. i might buy usb sdcard reader it seems handy :D
@EnjoySynthSounds Says:
A great gadget is a usb to hdmi capture device easily bought at Ebay. Connect your hdmi out from a computer or game console to the in on the capture dongle, and use a tablet as a small or tablet hdmi screen. Use Usb camera pro to accept the screen signal and record footage. Maybe a training video or some gameplay.
@real-webbe Says:
Okay so I've been traveling a bit lately, and I have a collection of small computing things that I have been taking with me. Many of my devices have become USB c over time, but I still carry adapters with me. My ethernet to USB adapter is not often used, but when I need it I am extremely happy I have it. I carry a USB A & C thumb drive that I've encrypted with VeraCrypt. YubiKey is the great! As I have a backpack that I take to-and-from work, I also pack a small docking station and a small mouse & keyboard.
@Lucifronz Says:
I bought a VGA adapter for an old garage sale monitor. It was to another old monitor input/output. While it was only useful for that particular monitor, I got a lot of use out of it even when I gave the monitor to my family.
I find adapters to be essential if you like using various devices. For video output or for USB translation like from A to C and vice versa or for microSD and SD card access. I especially needed the latter since I love tinkering with homebrew on my N3DS system and having access to a PC is handy if not outright essential for updating firmware and installing programs.
So yeah... adapters. Can't live without them. They tend to be invaluable.
@CaltaTomas Says:
Man I like your videos, but those USB-C dust covers just scream "I'm a boomer" 😂
@abzhuofficial Says:
"Those things are small"
That's what she said. I'll get my coat
@BOplaid Says:
Will the SATA to USB cable work with 3.5 inch HDDs?
@MrRofl131 Says:
Informative! Now I want to try connect my phone usb c via usb a to sata to a 1 tb hard drive. Will it work as huge additional storage?
@dianekivi5349 Says:
A device that I use regularly is an old fashioned buld and load resistor connected to a USB A type power connections. I use it to fully discharge a battery, in say a computer, to increase battery life by removing battery memory!
@deadlyqueen Says:
Are you TheReportOfTheWeek's dad?
@Shnick Says:
They make these for M.2 or NVME drives as well. Nice bit of kit.
@maxpolaris99 Says:
I got a USB kit with about +25 little double ended pieces that will convert just about any USB connection to another USB connection or something else entirely. PS2 , RJ11 , RCA, Console, Modem, Ethernet, Power meter etc etc etc. It's crazy. Tinker Toy, Meccano, Lego, Lincoln Logs and Erector. Set for USB
@maxpolaris99 Says:
I can't tell you how many times I''m looking around for this stuff or completely forgotten I have something already only to go buy it again and then find 2 of them before the new one arrives!
@ShakyShots Says:
Fantastic bloke. A bit Robert Peston, but I've learned much from you !
@solanaceae2069 Says:
My drawer full of _useful small computing things_ became a big box full of _useful small computing things_ then two big boxes, then three, then four, then five and growing. lol
@PlanetLinuxChannel Says:
Regarding using a hardware-encrypted USB to store your passwords, are they essentially stored in a spreadsheet on the drive? How do you go about filling account passwords when you’re on a mobile device (like a smartphone)?
@mackjay1777 Says:
All that stuff is very useful. Owning computers for over 20 years I find I own many of them, as well as others. I like the c-port plugs: great idea! Some phones had a flap for the charging port, but I don't see them much now. I recommend the small USB (any type) to C adapter. I use it almost every day, now that more devices take C-type
@PlanetLinuxChannel Says:
This has inspired me to really take my digital security seriously! Going to check out your videos regarding the Ubikey 2FA and the encrypted USB for passwords.
@FreedomToRoam86 Says:
Really great video! Some of the most useful info I’ve watched in years
@davidharvey8381 Says:
Do you ever use USB-3 to USB-C adapters to plug USB-C devices/cables into a USB-3/USB-A? They are handy to plug USB-C devices into older computers which have no USB-C ports.
@MarkSolder Says:
A computer centric Scotty Kilmer clone.
@chromebox Says:
Apologies if this has been asked before - what is the tiny laptop/device at 06:36 ?
@scaredcrower Says:
My 40 inch 4K display connected visa miniDP to my X230
@JeffBourke Says:
8:13 Unfortunately the BIG WEAKNESS in the datAshure encrypted usb drive is that from the wear, i can see that your password probably is a combination of 1, 2, 4 and 6. This could narrow down your possible passwords to 10x9x8x7 which is a reasonably finite number for a determined adversary. A possible defence to this is to deliberatly scratch and wear eroneous keys.
@KellyClowers Says:
If you aren't using the totally offline KeePass variants to store your passwords that are on that USB, you are just an idiot, plan and simple.
@GeorgesDupont-do8pe Says:
Nope, that about covers it, good advice, thanks. hbjkllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll,l,l,l,l,! - oops - except a mini Rii keyboard (hence the crappy text). Easy to pack, better than nothing. Very frustrating with the Mini Mouse slab just on the right where your hand brushes and suddenly your cursor is God knows where (what would Mickey say?). Maybe a Mini Mouse too.
@abunk17 Says:
My favorite small computing things are probably:
1. USB Type C hub (2 Type A + 1 Type C passthrough + 1 HDMI)
2. Drive caddys/enclosures (USB to SATA & USB to M.2)
3. USB flash drives with various ISOs burned or multiple ISOs using Ventoy
4. Small Flashlight for working inside PC cases as a phone may not be always convenient considering phones have grown in size over the years (not a thing that plugs into a computer though)
1 & 2 are frequently in use when I do backups from phones and the Type C hub having passthrough means I can charge and power the external drive at the same time.
There's Type C hubs that combine Type A & C ports, Ethernet controller, M.2 slot, SD card slot, HDMI, etc. making them a sort of swiss knife tool if a bit big to be a "Small Computing Thing".
@REXXSEVEN Says:
This is such an informative video. Didn't know some of these things existed. Some of them even simplify things by putting everything into just one cable that previously required several cables including separate power supply to accomplish....Such as the SATA to USB adapter.
@MarkBush-en5cz Says:
You should offer a kit for sale. Buy in bulk and sell as the user selacts.
@Amanda-f3i1b Says:
Sata to usb 3.0 interfaces are my favorites 🤓👍🏻
@Fred-g2k Says:
What happens if you lose your UB key security USB?
@mpmansell Says:
Does anyone know what that little handheld device at approx 6:32 is?
@MrEvilWasp Says:
That ethernet to usb connector would be ideal for me because I often install a new OS and it sometimes wipes out my regular ethernet port driver. I don't have wifi on my pc so it's a pain to sort out. Is it just plug and play?
@JackFrost--5 Says:
I love these small gadgets that never get any attention but increase the flexibility & usability of our devices. Thx for the video
I have some of those cheap rubber USB caps, mine for USB A tho, and they fall out easily all the time 👎 I cannot recommend those at all sadly.
I absolutely love the ethernet to USB dongle, mine uses type C tho. Thats a must buy for anyone with a modern laptop. I dont know if it also works w phone & tablet. Hope so.
Until we get to the point where USB A is fully phased out, I would also add adapters going from USB C to A. I think you showed them in the video but did not individually mention them. I would suggest a different USB card reader than the Lexar one you showed, this one features two ports A & C at opposite ends and supports both SD & microSD, incredibly versatile. What about ethernet couplers & a case for holding/organizing 10 or more USB flash drives. The case that fits micro & SD cards is also handy. Should definitely add the external USB enclosure for M.2 NVMe and SATA SSDs & the 3.5mm to USB adapter.
@davegreen3518 Says:
Brill. Was going to buy a USB wifi dongle for my old PC which has no LAN port. Thanks to Christopher's video I now see I can just get a LAN - USB adapter. 👍
@MoonlightShinesparkle Says:
My favorite things to keep around are... a lot of USBs, an ethernet adapter with USB slots, a thunderbolt 2 to HDMI cable, a HDMI to VGA adapter, a micro SD in an SD in a case and its adapter to USB, an HDMI cable and a ethernet cable
LATEST COMMENTS