Surge protection, circa 2006.
Over the years, there hasn't been a whole lot of innovation in power strips. For the most part, surge-protector designers have subscribed to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought, in spite of technological leaps seen in the electronic gadgetry that rely on power strips for sweet, surge-free power.
When future generations map the evolution of the power strip--which will no doubt someday be regarded as a noble pursuits--2007 to 2008 will be notable as a period of great activity. We're seeing new features and shapes, and a complete rethinking of the functionality of the strip. In most cases, innovation is occurring in baby steps, as is the case with Belkin's new USB-friendly strip. The company didn't reinvent the strip, but it's hard to deny the usefulness of a built-in gadget charger. On the other end of the spectrum is Flexity's PowerSquid, a fitting name from a surge protector that appears to have wandered up from the ocean's depths like a wayward coelacanth.
After the jump are examples of the devices that are shaking up the once-stodgy world of surge protection.
Beamingsun USB Ecostrip: This earth-friendly power strip has made a big splash in Europe, thanks to its built-in energy-saving functions: When you turn off your computer, the rest of the peripherals plugged into the unit shut off as well. We wouldn't recommend the Ecostrip for overnight gadget charging, but do your printer and speakers really need to be plugged in when you're away from your desk?
Belkin Clamp-On Surge Protector: Trying to keep that mess of wires out of tripping range? This strip keeps your cords off the ground by clamping onto the side of your desk. The unit also features an extra long 10-foot cord, to make sure you can get it off the ground.
Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger: Another clever innovation from Belkin, this travel surge protector boasts two built-in USB ports, so you don't have to worry about bringing all those extra chargers the next time you're on the road.
Eject Powerstrip: While this strip is only in the concept stages, it was just too good to pass up. Mansour Ourasanah designed the polypropelene-based Eject Powerstrip (for Core77's 2008 Greener Gadgets design competition) to cut down on vampiric power consumption by making plugs easily ejectable: You just press down on a pedal.
E-rope Modular Power Strip: Another cool concept strip designed to reduce power consumption, the E-rope can be morphed into a number of configurations. Twist it 90-degrees, and it will shut off the flow of power to your devices.
Eubiq Power Track: The Power Track is designed for spaces that get heavily trafficked by devices from different nations. The wall-mounted track features several knobs that accept proprietary adapters with a quick twist, so you can just pop on a different plate when you need a different voltage outlet.
ezSpace UFO: When Carol reviewed this unit for Gearlog, she couldn't help but flash back to "Plan 9 From Outer Space." This saucer-shaped strip boasts a conservative footprint for those looking to save precious office space and a on/off switch on the bottom, well out of the way of those who tend to accidentally flip their power strip's switch off with their foot.
PowerSquid: We were all enamored of the PowerSquid when it first debuted in the blogosphere. This six-outlet surge protector tosses the strip model out the window by offer tentacled outlet input.
POWRAMID: The POWRAMID looks a lot like the ezSpace UFO, only with a slightly more classical influence and an on/off switch located directly atop the unit; it's protected from accidental switching off or on by a layer of plastic.
Tributaries T12 Power Strip: Are the 10 ports on your standard power strip not enough for you? Tributaries' strip offers 12, which rotate 90 degrees so those bulky plugs are less likely to butt into one another. The unit also features Ethernet and coaxial protection, in case you weren't sold already.
