SnapPower Adds a USB Port to Outlets without Wiring

Posted on 02/04/2015 by Shane McGlaun

In my house, you can’t find an empty outlet. We have smartphones, tablets, kitchen gadgets, laptops, TVs, and all sorts of weird things my wife keeps that are supposed to make it smell good. If you want to plug in a smartphone to charge around here, odds are you have to unplug something else first. Whatever I unplug typically makes someone mad because it was plugged in for a reason.

A new outlet faceplate has turned up on Kickstarter that is perfect for homes with crowded outlets. The device is called SnapPower and it’s an outlet cover with a small USB charger on the end. You don’t even have to wire the thing to get it to work. It has some slick tech that has prongs that snap around the bare wire inside your walls that connect to your outlets. That means all you need to do for install is snap this into place and win.

Unfortunately, the on-board charger produces just 1 amp of power so it won’t exactly charge tablets that need 2 amps like the iPad. Still, if you have smaller gadgets and smartphones that need charging, it should come in handy. You can get a SnapPower USB outlet plate for $14 or more on Kickstarter with delivery estimated for August.

Trio Power

Posted on 23/09/2014 by Troy Turner

The Trio charging station is a great way to start the accessory trend for the first ever Apple Watch! Between your phone, watch, & other devices, your charging situation probably needs a clean up… so Trio is here to help. Rather than set your precious on a surface where it could be scratched, it has an alternative inductive charging stand that keeps your device safely elevated. It also contains 2 additional USB charging ports for your phone, iPad, or computer. Perfect for the bedside stand, it also has an integrated OLED light for seeing in the dark.

Designer: Oliver Sha

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(Trio Power was originally posted on Yanko Design)

The Tower of Power

Posted on 11/09/2014 by Troy Turner

Say goodbye to the hassle of bending down to sort through tangled up cords and hard-to-reach outlets! The ergonomically designed Tower brings power UP to you when and where you need it most. Modern and sleek, the vertical design features 4 AC outlets, two USB ports, detachable caddy to hold smartphones and tablets, as well as a removable bottom to stand flush against the wall. It’s the ultimate in electrical convenience everywhere from the bathroom to the gym!

Designer: The Art of Power

Hanaga Tap Nose Outlets: Pick for Power

Posted on 12/03/2014 by Hazel Chua

Snot and boogers aren’t the only things that you can expect to come out of a nose. Not that the Hanaga Tap Nose Outlets are real noses you can find on humans, although they look like the real thing. Available in black, white, and pink, the Nose outlets basically just plug into your outlet and provide you with another outlet for the actual appliance or gadget that you want to power up.

In short, it’s pretty much useless, but it’s undeniably a whole lot of fun. It’s available from the Japan Trend Shop for $35.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Geekologie ]

The post Hanaga Tap Nose Outlets: Pick for Power appeared first on OhGizmo!.

Nose-shaped Outlets Are Always Running (with Electricity)

Posted on 07/03/2014 by Conner Flynn

These electrical plugs look like noses, just in case you want some great big nostrils on your wall. These Hanaga Tap Nose Outlets from design firm ekoD Works will make your home look pretty damn weird.

They will turn any horizontal U.S. or Japanese wall outlet into a nose-shaped vertical outlet that you can plug into, making it look even weirder.

nose outlet

These come in black, white and pink and sell for $35(USD) a piece. That’s pretty expensive for a nose-shaped outlet. Never mind the fact that it’ll block two outlets due to its height. ‘Snot cool man.

I suppose you could draw a face around the outlet area and really complete the package if you have to have a nose on your wall. Humans are weird. Am I the only one creeped out by this? Just a little?

[via Coolest Gadgets via Geekologie]

Pop-out Outlets: Pop Goes the Power

Posted on 21/12/2013 by Conner Flynn

Electrical outlets are so unsightly. They just look out of place and disturb the flow of the room. Or so my wife tells me. They don’t bother me, but I can see how they might interrupt the design of a room. If only we could hide them. Well, we can. With Legrand’s Adorne Pop-out outlet.

These are like little pop-up books for your wall that give you electricity. When you aren’t using the outlets they just get pushed into the wall and are unseen. When you need one, just push and it pops out, exposing three outlets on its sides and top.

This is a great design that is sure to make your walls look nicer. They are perfect for minimalist homes. It sells for about $48(USD) from Amazon.

[via This Is Why I'm Broke]

Belkin’s usage-tracking WeMo Insight Switch ships today for 60 bucks

Posted on 21/11/2013 by Zach Honig

Belkin's WeMo line of connected outlets, motion sensors and wireless switches has been a solid solution for building out a (relatively basic) home-automation system on the cheap, and now there's a new product to add to the mix. The WeMo Insight Switch can turn lights and appliances on and off just like its older sibling, but this year's flavor is significantly smaller and more powerful, too. The Insight adds a nifty consumption-tracking feature, letting you monitor uptime and electricity usage for connected devices. Through the bundled Android or iOS app, you can see how long your television, washing machine or space heater have been operating, and just how much they'll cost you each month. WeMo Insight is available today for $60.

Filed under: Household

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Source: Belkin

LIttle Savior

Posted on 01/11/2013 by Troy Turner

It’s happened to all of us… you’re hard at work at the computer when a power failure occurs and you lose… EVERYTHING. The worst! — Autosave is great and all, but it doesn’t always do the trick. This is where Little Savior comes in handy. Just like the name suggests, it gives you an extra 10 minutes of power so you can save your work! Best of all, it’s just slightly larger than a standard plug, making it more discreet than other heavy duty surge protectors.

Designer: Myung-gyu Kim

Savior In Deep Waters

Octo – Electric Magic

Posted on 23/10/2013 by Radhika Seth

The Octo is a multi-tap and an extension cord. It features retractable cables and extending sockets that allow you to easily hook up multiple devices. I like playful design that fits into a quirky room; much better than drab old boxes!

Designers: Youngho Yun & Hyungsub Lee

bRight Switch Smart Switches and Outlets: Home 2.0

Posted on 18/10/2013 by Paul Strauss

Home automation technologies have been around for a while, but most systems require additional gadgets to be plugged into each outlet you want to add to the system, and are generally quite costly. bRight Switch wants to replace every switch and outlet in your home so it can truly become a smart home – all without breaking the bank.

At the core of the system, bRight Switch replaces the light switches in your home with smart, wireless-connected switches which can be used to do everything from dim lights to control music playback. The switches can be programmed to turn on and off lights at predetermined times, or when you go on vacation, but what makes them really impressive is that they learn from your routine. So if you have a tendency to get home and enter a particular room at a particular time, the switch can automatically turn on the lights at the right time. With the Android-powered nLine touchscreen switch, you can also use two units as a room-to-room intercom, or use proximity detection to turn on lights when you enter the room. You can also use your Android, iOS or Windows mobile device to control the entire system remotely.

The system is comprised of three main components: 1) nLine touchscreen smart switches – which offer full functionality; 2) eLine switches – which provide dimming functionality and 3) eLine outlets, which provide AC and USB power, and can be turned on and off wirelessly. Both the eLine switch and outlet have a built-in dimmable LED nightlight as well. Also, all dimmers offer selectable modes for incandescent, CFL or LED bulbs.

Each module plugs into an ingenious modular wireless base unit, so you can quickly change any location between any of the three switch or outlet modules, or upgrade to potential future variants. Installing base units is as simple as installing a light switch or outlet, but once it’s done, everything else is plug and play.

Best of all, the system is reasonably priced – even more so during its initial crowdfunding period. For as little as $15, you can buy a single eLine outlet and base unit, while an eLine switch and base goes for $25. The whiz-bang nLine switch and base is going for $75. Of course, outfitting an entire room or house will cost quite a bit more, but they have complete systems starting at $140 for small rooms, ranging all the way up to $990 for a full home system, with 2 nLine switches, 15 eLine switches, 20 eLine outlets and 37 wireless base modules.

Head on over to Indiegogo before October 31 to show your support for the project and to start transforming your home into a truly smart one.

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