Each Plugbook has a pair of outlets on its side, and a built-in retractable cord, so it all stows inside the Plugbook until you need it. A push of the button on the spine of the Plugbook neatly coils the 10 foot-long cord inside.

In addition to either US or European outlets, the Plugbook has a pair of handy USB ports built in for charging your gadgets.

About the only thing I wish is that there were a way to actually use the Plugbook while it was hiding away on your bookshelf (for instance if the outlets were mounted on the back edge. Still, it’s kind of a clever design, and certainly looks better than most cheap outlet strips out there.

The Plugbook is currently raising funds over on Kickstarter, and a pledge of $25(USD) or more will get you one of the first Plugbook outlets in either white, black or a color to be voted on by buyers. There’s also an “encyclopedia red” edition for $35, and discounted prices for multiple Plugbooks.

The brown patches in the image above are electrodes coated with genetically modified M13 bacteriophage, a virus that only attacks bacteria and is harmless to humans. When the electrodes are pressed, the viruses convert the force into electricity, as evidenced by the LCD display on top. The setup produces 6 nanoamperes of current and about 400 millivolts, about a quarter of the voltage of a triple-A battery. While there are already numerous piezoelectric technologies available, but Berkeley Labs states that those involve toxic materials and are “difficult to work with.” The modified M13 on the other hand is harmless, self-replicating and arrange themselves into organized films, making them quite promising.

I guess the video doesn’t really explain what’s going on in layman’s terms, but the full article at the Berkeley Lab News Center does have a more understandable breakdown of the research. The takeaway here is that if this virus-powered generators become fully developed, we’ll see more devices such as these that convert what would be otherwise wasted mechanical energy into electricity. Now where are the friendly worms and trojans?

[via Engadget]

The Kudocase doubles as a stand, and uses photovoltaic ink technology to generate electricity from indoor or outdoor light. The device has a slim 4mm 10,000 mAh battery, and will also let other mobile devices, like smartphones and cameras, get juiced up via the built-in USB port. The solar charger is supposed to provide up to 10 days of power for the average user.

The case itself is rubber-coated and composed of biodegradable corn grain. Like any good iPad case, it supports automatic sleep/wake, and works at several angles. It also has a handy built-in HDMI port.

Kudocase began as a Kickstarter project and raised more than four times its initial funding goal. It’s now being produced in black, with more colors – blue, gray, green, and pink, being released at a later date. It sells for $190 at the Kudo shop and it starts shipping on May 11.

[via designboom]

Andru is a dead ringer for the official Android mascot, and will charge up your Android smartphone with ease. Just plug the microUSB cable into your phone, and the other end into Andru’s head, and you’ll be juicing up in no time – and with style. While your gadget charges, Andru’s LED eyes glow a pleasant blue hue, and then return to white when in standby.

Since Andru’s head has a regular USB port in it, you could always connect your iPhone’s 30-pin to USB cable to him and charge up, if you’re feeling whimsical. If you like Andru, you can grab him over at ThinkGeek for $24.99(USD).

Chrysler Group and Mopar have announced the industry’s first in-vehicle wireless charging option that will come on the 2013 Dodge Dart.

This will be a dealer-installed option costing $199.99(USD) including the case your smartphone needs. It’s not clear what smartphones will work with the system other than the iPhone. Installation itself is an additional charge.

With the wireless charging solution installed, the user just has to place the phone into the bin in front of the gear shifter in the center stack. The phone will then be charged automatically, using induction charging. The only thing I worry about is how much the phone will move around if you’re turning or if you have to brake quickly. Still, I’d definitely like this option in my car.

The new Mophie Juice Pack Air is cheaper that its predecessor, but it’s supposed to be lighter and more convenient. I always hate when battery cases make my iPhone look way bulkier that it originally was, so it’s nice to see this one adds a minimum of bulk. The Juice Pack Air is about 10% thinner and 5% lighter than the previous generation, while providing 25% more power at 1500mAh.

The case is supposed to “virtually double” your iPhone’s battery life, which means that you’ll be able to use it for a day or more before you have to recharge it. This naturally depends on your use of your iPhone. It takes less power to play music, but more to navigate the web on 3G. Mophie claims that you’ll get about 6 extra hours of 3G talk time and 12 hours on 2G or 5 hours of extra 3G web surfing, or 9 hours on Wi-Fi.

You can get the Mophie Juice Pack Air directly from Mophie for $79.95(USD). It’s available in black, white or red.

Working on a similar principle to the BioLite CampStove, the PowerPot also will generate power for USB gadgets using thermoelectric power. There are three different versions of the PowerPot, offering from 5W up to 15W of electricity for charging. All three concept versions put that power out through a USB port.

In theory, all you need is a heat source of any kind from a fire to a grill and you can generate electricity to recharge your gadgets. The pot also needs to be filled with water or watery contents to work. This would be the perfect thing for emergency preparedness kit for campers. The PowerPot could also be a very useful new source of electricity in developing parts of the world.

Check out the video below to see the PowerPot prototype in action:

The PowerPot is currently raising funds over on Kickstarter. A pledge of $99(USD) will result in the donation of the 5W model to someone in a developing nation. $125 or more gets you one for yourself, while $199 buys the 10W model, and $500 will get you and a family in need the 15W model.

[via EverythingUSB]

What we have here is a video of the demolition of the screen on a defunct LG plasma display, courtesy of a microwave transformer. By connecting the high voltage leads of one of these dangerous transformers to the screen of this plasma, YouTuber Aussie50 puts on a spectactular lightshow, while risking life and limb.

Amazingly, the display doesn’t just peter out after a couple of minutes of high-voltage, but keeps going for almost 15 minutes. Needless to say, playing around with plasma screens and microwave transformers is really dangerous stuff, and you could kill yourself in an instant if you accidentally come in contact with a spark – or flying glass from an exploding plasma screen. Suffice it to say, do not try this at home. Leave it to the professionals (or the professional lunatics like Aussie50.)

[via Doobybrain]

The solution to this are these adorable Plug Lamps by Form Us With Love for ateljé Lyktan. Each of the Plug Lamps has a handy outlet built into its base. So the next time you need an outlet, all you have to do is look for a lamp and you’re all set. It’s not light it’s a totally original idea, but it is still a good one.

Plug Lamps are pretty convenient in the sense that they provide you with two things that you’d most likely need at some point during the day (or night): light and electricity.

The setup uses either NFC or RFID technology, along with chips embedded in devices; an ID embedded with the chip can be used to identify individuals. The connected devices can then be monitored and their access to electricity regulated remotely, as shown in the video below:

But what else will we be able to do in a world where sockets know who we are? An authenticated network of devices can make it easier to manage our power consumption. It can also lead to charging stations being more ubiquitous, whether for future electric cars on the road or just today’s mobile gadgets in public places like airports. Then again, it can also be used in nefarious ways, from gathering data on devices to denying access to a very fundamental commodity.

In any case, Sony knows that their concept needs industry-wide support in order to be implemented – it will take years and lots of resources to set up the smart outlets and convince manufacturers to install chips in their devices – so office slackers, grounded kids and conspiracy theorists don’t need to band together and rise up just yet.

[via Diginfo via Akihabara News]

The PowerUSB has three outlets to turn off your accessories when your computer power goes off. A fourth outlet is on all the time for the computer. The value-add for this particular power strip comes in that you can set the outlets to stay off all the time unless specific things happen. What that means is you can tell the strip to leave the outlet where your printer is connected off until a print job is needed. In addition, you can use the software to switch connected lights and fans on and off if you’d like.

With these programmable conditions available, this strip will save a lot more power than your average simple on-off device. I also think it would be cool if you could leave your speakers off until audio was playing – but I’m not sure if you can do that with the included software.

The PowerUSB Basic needs a single USB connection to your computer and a wall outlet to operate. There’s also an advanced Digital I/O version, which lets you use external electrical triggers to turn outlets on or off. Prices start at $69.99(USD) for the Basic and $89.99 for the Digital I/O version.

[via EverythingUSB]

The Ecobot-III does just that, plus it can poop itself. So, that’s more poop for the planet. Ecobot-I had an E. Coli engine that ran on refined sugar and Ecobot-II had sludge microbe engine that ate stuff like dead flies and prawn shells. The only problem was that they could not eject waste. They just kept cramming in new batteries until there was no room. You might say they became the world’s first constipated robots.

This third version can collect its own food and water and poop in a litter tray, which should prolong it’s life, but I guess someone has to change that tray now and again like changing a diaper. Ecobot is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who, coincidentally have also invested in the creation of some shiny new toilets.

[via Scientific American via Geekosystem]

The process of using roaches to create power has something to do with an enzyme roaches have that can be turned into a cockroach biofuel cell. The enzyme from the roach is able to break down sugars in the digestive tract into simpler sugars called monosaccharides. A second enzyme is introduced that oxidizes the monosaccharides and results in the release of electrons or creation of power.

So far, the system only produces around 100 µW of power, which admittedly isn’t much. Who knows what be done with that little bit of power in the future, perhaps something along the lines of little remote-control roaches to invade roach strongholds and disperse bug killer. According to the researchers, hailing from Case Western Reserve University, the little bugs aren’t harmed in any way. The electronics that are used to create power can be removed from the insects with no lasting effects.

[via medGadget via OhGizmo!]

While it’s an unusual concept, it’s not a surprise that one young entrepreneur in the Kiandutu slums of Kenya has decided to build his own power strips. Amos Njoroge really wanted to be a professional an electrical engineer, but lacked the resources to go to school and earn a degree. Instead, he decided to take his self-taught skills and set up a small assembly line where he churns out wooden power strips that he sells in his neighborhood. I love how he calls his tiny start-up “Gigantic Electronics.” Think big, Amos. Think, big.

Like me, your first reaction was probably that a wooden outlet strip is probably not the safest way to distribute electricity – especially in damp environments. But as long as it remains dry, wood is nearly as good of an insulator as plastic or ceramic, so I don’t think it’s dramatically more of a shock hazard. They are painting them with something in the video, so that might help seal out the moisture too. On the other hand, my scientific instincts tell me a wood outlet strip is way more of a fire risk than a plastic one, but that’s just me.

On the other hand, this self-taught skill and spirit of ingenuity is helping Njoroge and his co-workers make a living in one of the poorest parts of the world, while at the same time providing his community with a product that’s in demand. Hopefully, any fears about safety will be unwarranted, and Amos will continue to see success in his budding endeavor.

[via Afrigadget via Reddit]

However, the idea of putting your device under the heat of the sweltering sun isn’t very appealing because it might overheat and end up getting fried if you don’t pay attention. A pretty neat solution for taking advantage of solar energy without being out in the elements? The XDModo Solar Charger.

Basically, the charger “catches” solar energy through the window where it’s stuck on, and uses this energy to charge up your device, while it sits safely in an indoor environment, such as an office or even in your car. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t just flip it over and use it outdoors if you want too.

The XDModo charger comes with regular and micro USB outputs, and stores power in its 1400mAh rechargeable lithium battery – which should be good for about a full charge of today’s smartphones. It’s available for purchase online from Design3000 shop for €49.95 (~$66 USD.)

[via The Green Head]

The Rozetkus Wall is designed for plugging in low-power devices, the ones that don’t need a third prong for grounding. The abundance of female contacts – the holes – means you can arrange several plugs that may not fit at the same time on conventional wall sockets.

The female contacts are backlit by an LED panel to make the socket easier to spot in the dark.

If you find the design of the Rozetkus Wall familiar, it’s because it’s based on one of the studio’s earlier products, the Rozetkus power strip. If you’re wondering why both Rozetkuses (Rozetki?) have an odd number of female contacts when all plugs have two male contacts, I got no answer for you.

Obviously, this thing wouldn’t work in the U.S., where outlets have straight prongs instead of pins, and building code requires that all wall outlets must offer ground plugs – even if the devices themselves use just 2 prongs.

[via Yanko Design]

The project is aimed at making a roof for a car that would allow the people inside to see out at during the day and capture solar energy as well. Then at night, the roof turns into a glowing OLED light. I think the windows of homes could someday use this technology too. They could capture solar power during the day to power the house and then turn into room lighting at night.

The OLED light is only 1.8mm thick and provides a uniform and soft glow across the entire surface. By combining this with an invisible solar panel, you get power and light in one device without blocking your view. Apparently, the technology is being developed for the sunroof of Daimler’s unusual Smart Forvision concept EV, shown below:

[via TG Daily and OLED-Info]

Imagine how much harder it is for those who don’t, or who don’t anymore. But to make things more organized and a whole lot safer, there’s these Braille Electric Plug Tags, designed by Shuwen Chen. These tags would be made from hard fabrics with Braille letters, device icons and abbreviations embossed onto them. Each tag would have Velcro sewn onto the back, making them easy to put on and remove from cords as needed.

The Braille Electric Plug Tags are yet another winner of the 2011 red dot design concept competition.

[via Yanko Design]

ZMote will soon release a variety of related products, such as a separate switch, a dimmable switch, as well as a lamp and upright lights. ZMote is going to make home automation – and pranks – a lot easier and cheaper.

They say the Smart Cord will go on sale later this month for $40 (USD). I hope by that time they’ve worked on their website – which looks sort of like something out of 1994.

[via TUAW]

The advantage is that the charger actually looks pretty good and can handle your tablet, laptop, and smartphone at the same time without missing a beat. It delivers 2.1A of juice to each of its four USB ports, so even the power-hungry iPad can be charged without a problem. It ships with three short USB to 30-pin cables – though it would be nice if they included four. Guess they’re assuming at least one of your gadgets isn’t an iOS device.

The Kanex Sydnee charging station will be available in two colors, onyx and snow, when it arrives at the end of Q1 this year for $149(USD).

[via Ubergizmo]