lifekludger

USB Power Bar

EverythingUSB has a report on a device called USB Power Bar that Turns Peripherals On & Off.

It is basically a power board with outlets and a USB cable, with a “Y” connector that replicates your USB port so you don’t loose one to the power bar. The power bar also has magnets on the back to fix it to your metal desk.

Now the neat thing about this device is you’re supposed to be able to swith the outlets on and off via the computer. Whether it’s individually or just all at once I don’t know. No one around the net seems to have much more detail on it except that there’s no word on versions of the power bar for other countries. The price of the power bar is set at 4,800 yen or a bit.

So here we have THE PERFECT device, off the shelf, that has potential to greatly increase someone’s ability to control their environment via the PC and ordinary devices plugged into this bar. Yet it’s in Japan.

To really appreciate why I’m pumped about this device and the importance of this you’d need to understand that I have had for years a home-made box with 5 power outlets which is controlled via five small switches next to my keyboard. See hilighted in picture (click on picture to get bigger view)

I turn on/off lights, speakers, modem etc etc. It is a God-send. Originally, back in the early 1980’s it started life as a Telecoms rack with a remote IR controlled box from a VCR attached to it, converted (kludged) by my Uncle. You see, it’s taken 20 years for me to see a potential replacement for what I have. 20 years for a sensible, easily usable, ready to use without modification, off the shelf device to appear.

If anyone knows anything at all about this USB Power Bar device - who makes this device or distributes it out of Japan, please either respond to me via a comment or by email - see under the “Contact” page on the Lifekludger blog. I want to know more and see it out here - preferably sooner than later.