Most year-end top gadget lists include the most advanced products and the most ground-breaking technologies. For me, the products of the year are those that have become an indispensible part of my everyday life. And so, in alphabetical order (until my top pick) here are my Top 10 Gadgets of 2011.
This clever gadget occupies an important spot in my travel gadget bag. Instead of relying on a hotel's often shaky Wi-Fi connection or stringing a long Ethernet cable across the room (if you remember to bring an Ethernet cable), jack this Belkin router($80) into a hotel's wired Internet connection and your room will be soaked with speedy Wi-Fi just for you and your bunkmates (if any). Like many gadgets on this list, I'm not sure how I traveled without it.