The power is yours—with a new power cord
What are power cords?
For plugging in and powering all manner of electronic devices, what you need is the right power cord! Power cords come in a variety of types and lengths, and they serve just as many purposes. For example, there are AC power cables and extension cords of various lengths, power bars with multiple AC outlets, charging cables for smart phones and computers (including specialized laptop adapters), audio cables with speaker/mic input/output jacks, cord splitter cables, data transfer cables, cables featuring a variety of different adapter ends (like USB to Type M barrel cables), and many more. If you’ve got something that needs plugging in or connecting, the ideal cable awaits!
What can power cords be used for?
Power cords serve a multitude of different purposes. One of their main uses is to provide electricity to all of your electronic devices (including both charging them up and providing a continuous power supply). Another example is using a USB to Type M barrel cable to charge certain portable 5 Volt devices. Examples of such devices include Bluetooth® speakers, streaming media players, and external hard drives. Having a USB to Type M barrel cable handy means you won’t have to carry around a wall adapter, just as having a multi-outlet power bar means you can split your standard wall outlets so as to accommodate a variety of different electronic devices.
Different types of power cords
The sheer variety of available power cord types can make finding the specific cord you need difficult and confusing. Not only are there common AC power and extension cords (including power bars with 6 or 8 outlets built in), but there are also many types of adapter cables with different connectors at either end of the wire. In fact, different end adapters account for one of the biggest variables you’ll encounter when searching for the correct cord or cable.
For instance, owing to the many different competitors in the smart phone market (along with their constantly changing model offerings), power cords for these devices are one of the biggest examples of cables with a variety of different adapter types, or endings. While iPhones use Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable adapters (the opposite end has a USB-C connector), Samsung’s many generations of Android smart phones use different adapters depending on the generation of phone you have.
And then there are other types of cords that are not for smart phones at all but that still have different ends/adapters, such as those with RJ-45 to Ethernet Extension Gen 2 Adapters, vehicle power cables that plug into your car’s cigarette lighter, audio jacks, and many others. While all of this variety may seem intimidating, just remember that variety is the spice of life and the right cord for your purpose is always out there!