Technology does not always need to be flashy or expensive to make a real difference in your day-to-day life. Sometimes it is the small, affordable upgrades, the ones that quietly slot into your routine, that end up making everything easier, smoother, and more enjoyable. These are the kinds of products you use once and instinctively wonder, “How did I live without this?”
Here are three simple tech upgrades that do exactly that.
“Snap-On” Style Power Bank
Power banks are not new. Most of us have one or a few lying around somewhere. But most of the good ones, with the monster capacities, can be an absolute pain when you’re on the go. To be honest, even the smaller ones still require you to carry a cable, or hold your phone in one hand and your power bank in another as you charge.
Don’t get me wrong, the big power banks are fantastic for road trips or travel, like my recent EDC addition, the CUKTECH No.15 20,000mAh. In fact, that one is basically a wall outlet replacement with how fast it charges. But it’s huge, and when you’re on the go and just need a little bit of juice, it’s an absolute pain
That is where snap-on style power banks come in.
These compact chargers plug directly into your phone’s charging port and sit neatly under the device. This way you just need to hold your phone and the power comes with it. No cables (if you don’t want them around). No balancing acts. No fuss. The connector usually acts like a hinge, which means even if you bump it or move around, you are not putting unnecessary stress on your phone’s port. It is a smart design choice that makes mobile charging feel mobile again.
![[Picture of a power bank.]](https://www.pbtech.co.nz/api/files/product_file?path=_20260122121453_2026-01-19-3-tech-items-to-make-life-easier-2.jpg)
My current daily driver is a tiny Momax unit, small enough to disappear into your pocket when not in use, but still enough juice (5,000mAh) to comfortably top up your phone for the day. They are inexpensive too, which is why I grabbed two. When one gets flat you can grab the other and ensure you’re never without power.
Once you get used to charging your phone with one of these it’s hard to go back. Having to actually hold a power bank becomes… eh.
Special mention btw to magnetic power banks. They’re probably just as good if not better at times for convenience. The one drawback at times can be the magnet not working well with your case or phone design, something I’ve found was the case with my folding phone. So that’s why the ‘snap-on’ style is a bit easier to recommend, for pretty much anyone.
A Better Mouse
If you have ever swapped a basic, entry-level mouse for something with real engineering behind it, you already know how transformative it can be. A good mouse is not just about comfort, although that is a huge part of it. It is about precision, speed, and reducing friction between you and whatever you are trying to get done.
A well-designed mouse typically offers:
Better ergonomics, meaning your wrist and fingers are not strained after a long day
Responsive, accurate tracking, so your cursor goes exactly where you want it to
Thoughtful features, like silent clicks, tilt wheels, DPI adjustment, or multi-device switching
Whether you are editing photos, working across multiple documents, gaming on the side, or simply browsing, a high-quality mouse makes your computer feel faster, even though you have not upgraded anything else.
Keyboards can have the same effect, to be honest, but the title of this article is “3” tech upgrades, so let’s not digress.
A Phone Gimbal for Smooth, Stable Video
Phone cameras are incredibly capable these days, but there is one thing they still struggle with: stability. Even with built in optical or software stabilisation, handheld footage often looks shaky, especially when walking, panning, or filming anything dynamic.
A compact phone gimbal fixes that instantly.
These little stabilisers use small motors to keep your phone perfectly level and balanced as you move. The result is smooth, cinematic clips that look like they were shot on a real camera rig, not while sprinting down the street trying to film your dog.
Here is why a gimbal is such a surprisingly useful upgrade:
Perfect for social content. TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts all benefit massively from stable footage
Great for travel. No more wobbly holiday clips
Ideal for family videos. Sports days, birthdays, and events
Shockingly easy to use. Most models unfold, connect, and stabilise in seconds
And because phone gimbals have become more mainstream, they are now lighter, cheaper, and more portable than ever. They slip into bags easily and can turn even basic smartphones into smooth footage machines.
Small Tech, Big Quality of Life Gains
What makes these upgrades great is that they are completely low hassle, low cost, and high impact. A snap-on power bank keeps your phone alive without the mess of cables. A better mouse makes every computer interaction smoother. And a phone gimbal boosts your video quality with almost no learning curve.
None of these are big purchases, but together, they meaningfully improve the little moments that add up over the day, the moments where tech should make things easier, not harder.
Just be careful, because once life does get easier you really won’t be able to go back.
