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December 8, 2009 3:40 PM PST

USB power outlets for the home; why didn't we think of this?

by Andrew Nusca
  • 10 comments

USB (Credit: True Power)

We have USB outlets on our computers, we have them on our new HDTVs, we even have them in our cars. Why the heck don't we just put 'em right into the wall?

For $10, you can do just that. True Power will ship these bad boys in 2010. They allow for two USB charging ports alongside two traditional U.S. three-prong power plugs.

Read more of USB power outlets for the home; why didn't we think of this? at ZDNet's The ToyBox.

November 6, 2009 1:00 PM PST

Battle of the international power plugs

by Ian Morris
  • 1 comment

How did U.S. power plugs fare in the smackdown? Read on.

(Credit: Crave UK)

Here at Crave UK, we might be British, but that doesn't mean we're generally swelling with national pride. After all, there's much about the U.K. that's simply broken and highly annoying (Hello, trains! Take a bow, Royal Mail!). We do have some things going for us though. Our health system means that if we get ill, we get treated--and our power plugs are excellent.

Yes, you read correctly. We said power plugs.

So, let's take a 100 percent objective* look at the plugs and plug sockets of the world--who will rise to be global victor in this crucial battle between the power interconnects of the planet? We welcome you to a no-prongs barred fight that will eventually decide what sort of sockets they use on Mars.

*Objectivity in this sentence has a one-off, government-approved change in definition. Its meaning here, and only here, is the exact opposite of what it usually means.

Read more of "Plug versus plug" at Crave UK.

March 11, 2009 12:46 PM PDT

Power Shelf puts products on a pedestal

by Leslie Katz
  • 4 comments
Power Shelf with phone (Credit: Power Shelf)

One night, a tired Lynn Fetzer-Westmeister realized that her phone charger had fallen behind her nightstand. In a dance that's probably familiar to most of us, she pulled the furniture out from the wall, reached for her charger cord, plugged it back in, and pushed her nightstand back into place.

"I was so mad and frustrated," recalls the 29-year-old Fetzer-Westmeister, who lives in the northeastern Ohio town of Shelby. "I said, 'This is stupid. We have all these great inventions out there, all these people are doing wonderful things, and we don't make outlets with shelves.'"

And thus, the Power Shelf was born.

As its name suggests, the product replaces the standard flat power outlet with a shelf-enhanced version. It comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and designs so you can park all manner of gadgets--from cell phones, laptops, game consoles, and routers to baby monitors and power tools--in a predictable, organized spot.

The patent-pending products--which range in price online from $15.95 for a small Power Shelf to $59.95 for a laptop Power Shelf--have a tapered design that allows for charging cords to be wrapped around the base for further reduced clutter. The larger Power Shelves are a bit obtrusive-looking compared with the smaller ones (and probably less necessary), but overall, we like.

We also like that they're made of remelted scrap steel, and the packaging comes from recycled paper products. And in a cool local twist, all Power Shelves are manufactured in Plymouth, Ohio, not far from where Fetzer-Westmeister lives.

Power Shelf with laptop (Credit: Power Shelf)

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