One of the smartest purchases I’ve made was a suggestion from the late Marc Orchant. We were at last year’s Web 2.0 Expo walking around trying to find an open outlet so we could flop someplace and plug in our laptops. No surprise, all the outlets were jammed. That’s when Marc turned to me and smiled.

“Ever seen one of these?” he said and produced this little, portable extension cord. “I love this thing,” he said, “it’s the best way to make friends, plus you can turn one outlet into four!”

And, in fact, he walked over and asked some floor-parked people if he could use his gizmo. They smiled up at him and nodded, plugged their cords into his and then he struck up a conversation with them.

Of course, I immediately ordered one and I have to say, it’s amazing how much I use it. At the airport, at offsites, at conferences, in meetings–that thing keeps me cranking without missing a beat. Plus, I meet a hell of a lot of interesting people.

Thanks, Marc. I miss you, bud.