Fight the (Phantom) Power: Belkin's New Conserve Surge Protector at CES
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01. 8.08
Add this new gadget to the list of methods for fighting phantom power: spied by DVICE at CES, Belkin's Conserve Surge Protector can shut down six of its eight spaced outlets with the flip of the handy remote's on-off switch. Sure, you can still crawl behind your desk or entertainment center and manually unplug stuff, but if your current surge protector is buried in a rat's nest of tangled wires, this guy would make it way easier.
In true live-blogging form, Stewart Wolpin from DVICE says, "Belkin's demonstrator, a friend of mine so I trust she wasn't fibbing, told me her utility bill dropped from $50 to $35 in the first month that she used it, and some eavesdropper standing next to me confirmed that most folks would realize a 20 percent savings if they completely shut off their gear rather than leaving them on standby." This number -- 20 percent -- is on the high end of what we've heard phantom power quoted at (it's a bit different for everybody) but, at that rate, it'd pay for itself in a couple months. We'll have to wait until May, when it hits the shelves, to see if it'd be worth its $50 price tag. via ::DVICE
I once had almost 30 plugs behind my computer desk, a small audio studio. Lots of them used those small powersupplys (wallwarts) which always drew power, even if the actual equipment was switched of. A situation we all know. So this might really save you quite some money, even if a simple surge protector with an on/off switch would do the same.
It's a cute idea, but given that it's got a remote control, it's got to be using more power, as it'll have its own phantom power load, waiting to receive commands from the remote. While surge strips tend to be in inconvenient places, maybe they could have used a (much less sexy, but way greener) wired remote for the switch.
The ultimate solution isn't a power strip at all. In my home there are 3 switches at the doorway to every room. One for the overhead light (a CFL of course), one for the overhead fan, and one that switches off the top half of the outlets around the room. The bottom half are unswitched so you still have unswitched outlets for clocks & cordless phones. No reaching behind and under desks, no batteries, and easy access to the switch as you enter or leave the room.
If your house is already built, there is a cheaper alternative that has the same usefullness as the power strip above: buy X10 wireless switched outlets, which have been on the market for 30 years and are DIRT CHEAP, especially if you buy them used. You can get actual replacements for your wall outlets, or plug-in versions which you can then plug a regular power strip into. There are a dozen different remotes available, from keychain remotes, handheld remotes, mini remotes you can stick to the wall that simulate wall switches, and desktop controllers that plug into the wall. Warning, the X10 web site is highly irritating.
My concern is the socket spacing. I question how many wall warts this thing can accept.
Dymaxion: This thing using 1 watt for standby is better than 6 wall warts always powered on.