As you probably already know, laptops have a big advantage when there is a power outage in your home or office. The battery power simply takes over and you keep working until the power returns. When using a desktop machine, though, you aren't so lucky. When the power goes out, your computer shuts down and you lose everything you haven't yet saved.

There is a way to protect yourself, though, if your home or office is plagued with bad power, an uninterruptable power supply or UPS. These are basically battery packs which automatically take over when the power fails. They can power your computer and monitor for 10-30 minutes, allowing you to save your work and shut down your computer normally.

These used to be very expensive devices, but now, for under $100 in some cases, you can have your own UPS protecting your equipment and your data.

Link: APC 1000VA UPS

Link: More Uninterruptable Power Supplies

See also:

#18 Sony Playstation Portable
#17 Poppy Laptop Sleeves and A host of Laptop Sleeves
#16 Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss
#15 TomTom GO 300 Portable GPS Navigation System
#14 Linksys WRT54G Wireless Cable/DSL Router
#13 Brother P-Touch Labeler
#12 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
#11 Free Prize Inside by Seth Godin

Holiday Gift Guide Items 1-10

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