Magic Ball Visualizes Power Consumption

[Guest]

Could this concept help people save on their electric bill?

Magic Ball Visualizes Power Consumption : Read more

 

[Onus]

The final comment says it all. Why is this a ball? To be remotely useful, it needs to be in a power strip, tap, or outlet-replacement format. And even then, a little awareness (perhaps heightened by use of a Kill-a-Watt) will do the job well enough.

 

[zybch]

Christ, its almost as ugly as some of the crap apple put out a few years ago. Nobody in their right mind would want one of them squatting on their desk looking like a robotic scrotum.

 

[sliem]

Guess what, it probably costs $150. Yay, what a save!

 

[mikem_90]

I would guess the reason for the shape is to have the Light show more and be more visible to the consumer. You don't often look at all the lights on your power strips all the time.

Being able to see the power consumption and what device is doing it is the idea. Nothing more.

Personally, I might not mind being able to see what items draw more power than others, on or off. Though I don't want to lose the money I am trying to save buying a glorified power meter for $100 extra than a regular power strip costs. Make it US$35 and maybe we'll talk.

 

[kinggraves]

Does it show how much power it's consuming to constantly keep you aware of how much power other devices are consuming?

 

[porksmuggler]

I'm starting to get used to Rico's news posts, he finds the oddest devices.

 

[pharge]

Personally, I will buy something like this... but... it is so geeky that somebody may like it.

Think about how it will look like when people are playing their favorate PC games in the dark..

lol

 

[pharge]

oops.... I mean... I will NOT buy something like this...>_<

sorry...

 

[wonspur]

why not just an LCD screen showing you how much money you have spent while having the strip plugged in...

 

[athreex]

why not just an LCD screen showing you how much money you have spent on a weird and probably expensive ball while having the strip plugged in...

 

[mitch074]

The main interest I find in the shape compared with a regular power strip is that a big power block (like, for a switch or a flatbed scan) plugged in won't block the two next to it.

But it sure doesn't look too good otherwise.

 

[zodiacfml]

ugly.

 

[eiskrystal]

Isn't this thing constantly using energy to tell you how much energy you are using. Where is the saving here exactly?

People who don't have the sense to unplug stuff when they aren't using it shouldn't be allowed near electrical devices... or anything sharper than a spoon quite frankly.

 

[tinnerdxp]

It has to be a ball, because a "designer" used imac to design it...

 

[eyemaster]

POintless item. Ball is not practical and 97% of the population wouldn't care that this item or that item uses more power. Who's looking at a powerbarr when it's working anyway? If anything, it will UP the electricity use as people will play with it trying to find what takes more or less power but not even using the items plugged in, instead being plugged in only to see the rings light up!