I love finding products that are clever, well-designed and celebrate the realistic presence that technology has in our homes. This wall socket is the same size as a regular outlet, but includes two USB ports - a great solution for small space living or older homes where the number of outlets are often limited.
Created by Fastmac, the U-Socket includes two Universal Serial Bus (USB) charge ports (1.0 - 3.0) in addition to two standard three-prong power outlet ports. Instead of the plug-in converter that most of us are familiar with, these special outlets put the transformer (which coverts the 110 volts of outlet power to 5 volts of USB power) right into the outlet, meaning you get two USB ports without sacrificing any electrical outlets! Best of all, the U-Socket can be installed on any existing power outlet, making it a viable solution for rentals and existing homes.
Find It: U-Socket, 24.99 from Think Geek
(Image: ThinkGeek)
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Comments (9)
Such a great idea.
and it seems to be on sale now at http://store.fastmac.com/product_info.php?products_id=458
you missed the best part.. the fact that this is a 2400ma output meens that this will charge your devices faster then most of the chargers on the market. It was designed to charge ipads.
Lauren, thanks for posting this. I had an order from 20 months ago (when they were $10 each) that they hadn't yet filled due to manufacturing issues. Looks like they're still trying to figure out the price point for growth. Just called them and they bumped me to the top of the shipping list for next week, so they're a good small company that could use our support.
Time to get rid of the vampire USB chargers we've been using; from the site: "In addition, U-Socket's energy efficient design only outputs power through the USB port if something is connected to it. This can save you up to $25 per year in reduced energy costs. "
i only fear i have is for power surges fyi. but i still ordered 4
This is brilliant! I was just about to order one when I realized there are actually too few outlets in my apartment for it to even help--all the outlets are in weird corners and not easily accessible. Sigh.
What a great idea! I live in an RV and recently installed a new 12V outlet at the head of my bed for plugging in my electric blanket. I splurged and got one with a USB port so I can charge my iPod Touch when I sleep. I love that I don't have to clutter myself up with a bunch of 12V USB adapters. I'm going to be adding a 120V outlet in my study and think I'll wait to find one like this with the USB port integrated so I can get some of my devices off the desk!
Sigh. My old apartment has very few actual three-prong outlets.
My iPhone and iPad are too pricey not to plug into a surge protector.