Gavin: September 2007 Archives
Individually switched is the key feature. The power strip, now gracing our bedroom, has a switch per socket on the extension. This means I can turn off the plugged in devices one at a time.
This is a simple benefit, I can leave the power strip plugged into the wall sockets and have the power strip beside my bed, I can turn off phone or computer power supplies easily and quickly. Also the light ( and power supply) is now controlled from this switch. Each country does these differently, in fact the cumbersome UK plugs are a benefit here, there size means that there is space for a switch.
A secondary motive is that I have a one year old son and I'd rather he didn't play with the unplugged power supplies. So there is a safety issue as well.
I agree whole heartedly, we have too many of these black blocks heating the air, a friend commented to me when I launched this site about the benefits of USB based charging, at least I can charge my iPod from my MacBook Pro.We're under attack. Our civilisation is being colonised by an alien species intent on destroying our planet and, in the meantime, our sanity.
Evidence of this invasion is almost certainly only a few feet away, at your nearest power socket. Odds-on it'll be occupied by a little black box, possibly feeding a trickle of current into some half-forgotten electronic gizmo, possibly doing nothing but gently heating the surrounding air.
