I guess you could say I'm a singularly-focused kind of guy. I'm not a multi-tasker. I don't use two-in-one shampoo. And I don't use my cell phone as an alarm clock. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone. But it's not the last thing I want to see when I go to bed, nor the first thing I should be checking after waking. Cut the proverbial cord, gentleman. Invest in a simple travel alarm like this instant classic from Braun. Simple, discreet and precise, the small size makes it easy to pack and the large one-touch alarm button makes it simple to set (and later turn off). This model actually sits on the nightstand of Twitter's cofounder Jack Dorsey—a man who knows a little something about keeping things simple and useful. $39, at Gracious Home

• In 1944, alarm clocks were one of the first civilian products to resume production after World War II.