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Introducing The Eject Powerstrip

H

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Dec 31, 1969
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As part of the 2008 Greener Gadgets Design Competition, designer Mansour Ourasanah has come up with a really cool concept for unplugging devices that aren’t in use. Most of us just grab the cord and yank until whatever we are trying to get unplugged comes flying out of the powerstrip. This would definitely be much easier. Thanks to Ed Cabarles for the link.

Considering all these reasons, it is easy to see why we need to answer the second question: can we design a green gadget that would make people unplug their devices without having to worry about the above shortcomings of common powerstrips? The answer is yes.
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I hope you can lock them, otherwise I could see somebody accidently releasing something they shouldn't. not unless it actually is made to require a good amount of force to release it.
 
Ummmmm. so this is for those devices that continue to use immense amounts of power while turned off?
 
Nice that I don't have to climb under the desk to unplug something. Of course, I still have to climb under there to plug it back in.
 
I was gonna recommend the same thing. Wouldn't a switch be easier than a device that unplugs the cord? Also, this wouldn't solve the problem where the power strip wasn't easily accessible.

For the last month I've been flipping the switch on my computer and home theater system when not in use. I'm curious to see just how much money I am waisting by leaving them on. The idea came from a television advertisement that suggested I might save 25% on my electricity bill. However, I am a bit skeptical. Just like the CF light bulbs that are suppose to last 10,000 hours and drastically cut your electric bill, some of these energy saving methods are over hyped. Yes, a CF light bulb uses 1/4 the energy of a conventional bulb, but it lasts nowhere near the 10,000 estimated hours, takes more energy to manufacture and contaminates our landfills with mercury as we dispose of them.
 
mjz_5 said:
why not just make an individual foot power switch for each plug
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QFT, the mechanical system is likely cheaper but who the hell wants to crawl around under the desk to plug stuff back in.
.... Gah eveyone beat me too it.

Another S-POS that probally cost more in eco damage to make, market, and sell than it would ever save.
 
It seems too easy to make money sometimes. People really buy stuff like this? Is there a pedal to push the connector back in?...
 
yes, but if you have dancing feet and the strip is under your desk, how long until you eject your computer's power cord from the power strip? :D
 
I'm jumping on the foot toggle bandwagon. Making it easier to unplug is only half the equation, you also have to make it easier to plug back in. They list something like "makes it easier for old people who have trouble bending over to unplug devices." Well, the same old people are going to have to bend back down to plug them in, so how are you really saving them from pain?
 
Is it really this hard to unplug something from a powerstrip? Since when does power strips lay neatly on the ground so you can reach it with your foot to press the pedal?

Thier argument is so you don't unplug the wrong cord or it comes flying out, yet, using your foot you are more likley to press the wrong one.
 
Tone, overdrive, distortion, chorus...hey, where's the wah-wah pedal?
:D
 
Wolfie said:
yes, but if you have dancing feet and the strip is under your desk, how long until you eject your computer's power cord from the power strip? :D
Click to expand...

Thats why i was mentioning some type of a lock. hell, i've turned off my stuff here at work a few times just from getting up and accidently kicking the switch on the strip (which for some odd reason was placed at the very end of it instead of on top like most are).

I have played around some with some old WTI network power switches that you can telnet into and turn various outlets off or on. The newer ones have web interfaces it would seem. I would get one of those for my house before i got something like this. Then there is no crawling around to unplug stuff or plug it back in.
 
This is about as dumb as the craze with those energy power strips and how you should unplug your tv when you are not using it.

Now if these were switches for each socket that would great. I would use it for things like cellphone/laptop chargers.
 
BillParrish said:
QFT, the mechanical system is likely cheaper but who the hell wants to crawl around under the desk to plug stuff back in.
.... Gah eveyone beat me too it.

Another S-POS that probally cost more in eco damage to make, market, and sell than it would ever save.
Click to expand...

QFT. This POS will cost more, require more parts that will never break down (biodegrade) and fill up landfills, and with more moving parts likely break faster requiring even more POS non-eco-friendly crap be bought. What a joke.:rolleyes:
 
Screw this retarded thing. Plus attempting to market it as "green" is plain stupid.
 
Alright, so they argue that it is 'green-friendly'... just because it makes it fun to unplug devices..?
 
Why not just have a remote switching unit that you can just press a button on a little RF remote that shuts off whichever outlet you aren't using?
 
w1retap said:
Why not just have a remote switching unit that you can just press a button on a little RF remote that shuts off whichever outlet you aren't using?
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oooorrrrrrrr, turn off what you're not using! lol

My printer shuts itself off after a time and when I print, it wakes itself up. Ditto scanner, ditto monitor, hell, ditto computer.
 
gersson said:
haha you evil man! :eek:

Funny, I guess I was the only one who caught your comment!
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I caught it but was too busy laughing to respond! I was also trying to think of a way to liken the pedal to disconnect the plug to the pedal on a trash can to lift the lid. Save power while taking out the trash?
 
It would be nice to have a power strip that had a on/off switch for each plug area. That way I wouldn't turn off all devices plugged into it; I could selectively choose.

I consider the posted idea silly. It's not that hard to pull on the end of the cord. Who wants to completely unplug the cord? I just want to disconnect it from the power.
 
I have 2 strips for my computers and accessories. I can never remember what plug goes where. I'll always unplug the wrong device, grumble, crawl under the desk to plug it back in, then unplug the right device by hand ANYWAYS.
 
MN Scout said:
It would be nice to have a power strip that had a on/off switch for each plug area. That way I wouldn't turn off all devices plugged into it; I could selectively choose.

I consider the posted idea silly. It's not that hard to pull on the end of the cord. Who wants to completely unplug the cord? I just want to disconnect it from the power.
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Well those guys are treehuggers. They wrote up a report a couple months back that 40% of our power usage in the United States alone are due to "vampire electronics". Electronics that you think are turned off, but still drawing power from the plug to keep various things working, like your VCR clock.
 
OregonLAN said:
I was gonna recommend the same thing. Wouldn't a switch be easier than a device that unplugs the cord? Also, this wouldn't solve the problem where the power strip wasn't easily accessible.

For the last month I've been flipping the switch on my computer and home theater system when not in use. I'm curious to see just how much money I am waisting by leaving them on. The idea came from a television advertisement that suggested I might save 25% on my electricity bill. However, I am a bit skeptical. Just like the CF light bulbs that are suppose to last 10,000 hours and drastically cut your electric bill, some of these energy saving methods are over hyped. Yes, a CF light bulb uses 1/4 the energy of a conventional bulb, but it lasts nowhere near the 10,000 estimated hours, takes more energy to manufacture and contaminates our landfills with mercury as we dispose of them.
Click to expand...
the mercury isn't any more than what is generated from a coal power plant. and btw, it takes more power (which means more mercury in the air) to power an incandesant over a CFL. the environment aside....just use CFLs and save some money on your bill. seems to be a good enough reason to me. i switched all the lights in my apt to CFLs and my power bill is around $18 a month during the cooler months. goes up during the summer since i live in the desert but it WILL save you money if you make a full switch. switching one bulb is prolly overhyped. they do that for impact in ads i think. to see a real impact, you gotta replace as many bulbs as you can.

back on topic...looks like a cool design. i'll take one. lol
 
Azhar said:
oooorrrrrrrr, turn off what you're not using! lol

My printer shuts itself off after a time and when I print, it wakes itself up. Ditto scanner, ditto monitor, hell, ditto computer.
Click to expand...
There's still power draw in standby mode for various devices. It would be innovative to have the option to totally sever the electrical connection by remote.
 
this is 100% useless. So you can use a foot to unplug something yet after you do so, you still need to manually plug it back in?

thats silly. Just turn stuff off and leave it plugged in. Sure something draw power when off (or semi-off)

"woohoo mama, I used me feets to unplugs sometin!"

later

"I did hurtz my head climbin under them there desk to turns my puter on."
 
OregonLAN said:
Yes, a CF light bulb uses 1/4 the energy of a conventional bulb, but it lasts nowhere near the 10,000 estimated hours, takes more energy to manufacture and contaminates our landfills with mercury as we dispose of them.
Click to expand...
I haven't had a single compact florescent bulb burn out yet since I started using them exclusively years ago (I've been keeping a close eye on them, waiting for one to pop). I have at least three 14W CF bulbs that are at 5000+ hours and still going strong. I didn't buy them to save money or even the planet, just to save me the trouble of changing them :p.
 
w1retap said:
There's still power draw in standby mode for various devices. It would be innovative to have the option to totally sever the electrical connection by remote.
Click to expand...

Aye I know, I said that in one of my later post. But shutting down even in standby mode is a far cry from being completely on. Too bad Greenpeace won't ever be happy.
 
The only virtue I see in this is the difficulty my two-year old would have electrocuting herself with unused receptacles. My powerbar has been the easiest thing in the office for her to reach since she could crawl.

A power switch for each socket wouldn't do it--she's quite keen on flicking switches.
 
I kick the cords out of my powerstrip all the time by accident. You don't need special pedals. You just need to be clumsy. Power saved.
 
dirtypop said:
I kick the cords out of my powerstrip all the time by accident. You don't need special pedals. You just need to be clumsy. Power saved.
Click to expand...

Me too, I guess it was a bad idea to put it at the foot of my desk?

But seriously, when I found out my comcast box drew 20 watts (measured myself) when not in use, I looked for a solution. I found a power strip that would turn off when you turn a "main device" off and vice versa. This is nothing new, I've had it for 3 years! All I do is turn off my TV, and all my other boxes go with it.
 
I like how were told it will "save from all those problems with the old school types" um.. correct me if I'm wrong, and this credit goes to everyone here at [H]. But if you're dumb enough to yank on a power cable solely by its cord and not the plug, your shit deserves to get ruined.

I don't like the fact that everything these days is being engineered to be idiot proof. It increases costs unnecessarily. All the time, money and effort that went into this probably wasted more energy than the cumulative of what the entire market share they manage to get, will ever save.
 
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