I just realized how common hardware with USB ports are. My phone was out of power and I left my charger at work. Could I use my Tivo to charge it?

I did however have a USB data cable for my cell phone. My laptop however was also left behind. My Tivo has USB ports, so I figured I’d try plugging my phone into it. The Tivo started charging my phone.

So I took it one step further. My iPod was also low on power. I plugged it into the back and it charged it as well.

You can do this with almost any device now. Some cable boxes even have USB ports. You can find USB data cables for almost any cell phone. Just google or eBay “nokia data cable” for example.