Automakers finally got the cupholder right. But they've got a way to go in providing enough power—and the right kinds of power—for all your in-car technology needs. Here's how to cope.

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Don't forget 12-volt Y-cables (you can get these at RadioShack or in auto-parts stores) that turn one car outlet into two or three. Also buy a spare set of fuses; all these gadgets could blow a fuse in the middle of nowhere. And if you're shopping for a new vehicle, some vans and SUVs let you order a built-in 120-volt adapter.

Auto/air laptop power. Power your laptop from your car's 12-volt accessory socket (you can also do this when you're in business class on international flights) with a transformer that uses a plug-on tip for your notebook, such as the 70-watt Targus APD10US. The tip automatically adjusts voltage for you, which is preferable to having to set it manually. $75 street, www.targus.com/us.

Laptop/gadget universal power. For a bit more money, go for an auto/air/wall transformer that works everywhere and also recharges a second device: an iPod, a cell phone, or a pager. The Kensington 70 Watt Notebook AC/DC Power Adapter does it all, with auto-sensing power tips. Most notebooks don't need the bulkier 120-watt version, which isn't a hassle in the car but weighs down your laptop bag when traveling. $110 street, www.kensington.com.

Universal cell-phone, iPod car charger. Do you and your significant other have his-and-hers cell phones from different makers? One small charger with replaceable tips, the iGo Auto 15 Elite, covers you, for now. Next year, when you upgrade to a different brand, just buy a compatible $10 tip. While intended for cell phones, tips can also charge an iPod, cellphone or PDA when plugged into the car accessory jack. $30 direct, www.igo.com.

Play Xbox in the car. Want to bring along an Xbox or Playstation for the back-seat crowd? Get a power inverter, which plugs into the 12-volt accessory slot and delivers 120 volts of AC power, enough for most game consoles--or for any rechargeable device for which you don't have a 12-volt adapter, such as a laptop, a cell phone, an iPod, or an electric razor. Most 12-volt sockets can handle 150-watt inverters such as the Monster Mobile PowerStation. For the Xbox 360, you'll need a 300-watt inverter, wired (very carefully) directly to the battery. $90 street; www.monster.com.

50-hour iPod battery. If you're like me, you'll quickly run short of 12-volt car outlets for powering small devices. American Power Conversion's Mobile Power Pack provides USB jack power to run and recharge an iPod, a cell phone, or a PDA. I found that it added more than 50 hours to an iPod Nano. And amazingly for an APC device, it's in stylish piano-black. $70 street; www.apcc.com.

Universal external notebook battery. With an external battery plate, you can add 10 hours of runtime to your laptop, even at full brightness. In the car, a battery such as the Valence NCharge VNC-130 can be a great convenience. Its 130-watt-hour output equals that of two to three notebooks batteries. $299 direct; www.valence.com.

iPod transmitter, iPod power. A single Kensington RDS FM Transmitter Car/Charger LINK does three tasks with your iPod: It provides power and charging from the accessory jack, it transmits the signal to the radio via an FM modulator, and for cars equipped with radio data service (RDS) radios that show station names, it displays the artist and track names. Sound quality was acceptable for an FM modulator. $75 street. www.kensington.com.

Compact External Battery Much like the Valence N-Charge but with a smaller form factor, the American Power Conversion Universal Notebook Battery provides 65 Wh or 80 Wh, equal to an additional internal battery. If you use several laptop brands or want to run a cellphone for, well, days at a time, tips are cheaper than the Valance adapters. $150 street for the UPB60, $200 for the UPB8. www.apcc.com.

Gadget Power If you just need to power accessories, don't bother with the bulk of a laptop charger. Get the iGo everywhere Universal Power Adapter, which powers and charges a single 8-watts-or-less device at one time, or two with the addition of a $15 power splitter accessory. It's for cars and wall outlets. $40 street, www.igo.com

Tiny DC-to-AC power inverter Most DC-to-AC power inverters are the size of a Tom Clancy paperback. If you need only about 75 watts of power (many laptops qualify), consider an AC inverter that's not much bigger than the 12-volt jack itself, such as the Xantrex XPower Mobile Plug 75. Buy it now, stick it in your glove box, and you'll soon find a use for it. $30 street, www.xantrex.com.

Find out six ways to connect your iPod in your car: click here.