Die Electric socket blockers make better use of your AC outlets

We're all for conserving electricity and all, but preventing every one of your AC outlets from actually passing energy onto your favorite gizmo is indeed extreme. Nevertheless, we can't help but be impressed with the variety of Die Electric insulators, which take on a plethora of shapes to not only prevent your outlets from actually passing electricity onward, but double as helpful household accessories (or just plain weird wall adornments). Of course, any halfway industrious individual could probably concoct their own Die Electric, but if you must go straight to the source, prototypes are available for sale now.

[JC @ Aug 27th 2007 12:29PM]

Wow, at $35 for the cheapest item, how much electricity would I have to save to justify the cost of one of these things?

Trying to cash in on the new eco-friendly hype, are we? Lame.

[Xavier Gill @ Aug 27th 2007 12:33PM]

It's more of an art piece/statement/bit of fun than an actual way of trying to save electricity

[Josh Warner @ Aug 27th 2007 12:46PM]

If there was any question about it, this is completely bogus. Dielectric is the technical term they perverted, and it represents the stuff between the plates of a capacitor which impedes the flow of charge while resisting ionization; this improves efficiency, allowing higher operating voltages and/or smaller components with the same performance. Somebody wasn't trying very hard when they named this. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric

Now, they claim this will decrease the charge passed from plug to plug over - presumably - an empty outlet. No dice. By putting a plug in, you effectively introduce a (really, really bad) capacitor into the circuit in the form of two metal plates parallel to each other. The efficiency is terrible, but the important part is that it will actually increase the net current flow, contrary to the advertisement. Realize that we are dealing with leakage currents in the µA or nA, maybe even pA range here, so while this sounds bad it really will never be noticed either way unless you are measuring with lab quality equipment.

[Iain @ Aug 27th 2007 3:49PM]

"Now, they claim this will decrease the charge passed from plug to plug over - presumably - an empty outlet. No dice."

@JoshWarner: did you pay any attention to the actual page that was linked to? Did you read it at all?
They made no such claims whatsoever, the idea behind these pieces of ART (see that word, art) are not designed to have any effect on the plugs whatsoever, they don't claim to lessen the power consumption or anything even remotely similar to what you have written.
All he was doing was coming up with unusual ways of using spare plugs.


It seems like most of the people here have chosen to comment before actually grasping the concept at hand - read the (over a month old) article they had on it over at Gizmodo for a better understanding: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/powerless/die-electric-uses-power-outlets-for-its-own-devices-279182.php

[Zeke @ Aug 27th 2007 12:30PM]

Believe me, I've worried about accidentally passing energy to my favorite gizmo for years.

[BeyondtheTech @ Aug 27th 2007 12:30PM]

Yeah, that's great. All we need now is a wet hand returning the toothbrush to its electrically-charged holster. Don't forget the marshmellows!

[Xavier Gill @ Aug 27th 2007 12:32PM]

Haha you missed the best one, if you click the 'Read' link and scroll all the way to the right you can get a noose that screws into your light socket

[Eriq @ Aug 27th 2007 12:33PM]

Not so sure about the toothbrush holder. What about water being splashed into the socket(s) from the toothbrush?

[Spyvie @ Aug 27th 2007 12:34PM]

Why would you use metal prongs for something like this? The other ends are in there waiting to be shorted to ground when the glue fails or a piece of furniture hits them or whatever.

Seems like plastic prongs would be a better choice.

[Rene @ Aug 27th 2007 12:38PM]

Hi there your blog is so cool

[Whiplash @ Aug 27th 2007 12:37PM]

I don't get it. Is this supposed to deliver me from the temptation of plugging something in and using electricity?

[aztechmanager @ Aug 27th 2007 12:42PM]

Yes, a toothbrush that close to a power outlet is way better than wasting that little tiny bit of power. I'm thinking the electrical shock that is bound to commence at some point will waste more power than that thing saves...

[Boynamedsue @ Aug 27th 2007 1:14PM]

yes. because electricity is magical, and will jump through a coil of non conducting plastic and attack you.

[Yimmy @ Aug 27th 2007 1:17PM]

I think what he might have been saying was that like most people, when I brush my teeth, it is either right when I wake up, or before bed. Which means i'm really tired. And if they use metal prongs, I might miss the spot for the toothbrush and get too close to the prongs with wet hands. It's just a better safe than sorry situation. I don't see the risk being worth what seems like almost zero power savings.

[Boynamedsue @ Aug 27th 2007 3:05PM]

If you somehow had it sticking out far enough that the metal prongs were exposed enought to get a soaked pinky finger in there and electrocute yourself... then i'd be impressed enough to pay for your ambulance ride.

except not really.

[Joe @ Aug 27th 2007 12:45PM]

wtf? No power is used if something is not plugged in. This is one of the dumbest things I have seen.

[Hanson @ Aug 27th 2007 12:57PM]

I agree that they shouldn't be using metal prongs. A high-quality plastic would be a much safer choice.

[joewhat @ Aug 27th 2007 1:45PM]

Hey guys...did it appear that this might be a joke of somebody and not to be taken seriously? Like that thing from Art Lebedev where you could suicide by putting your fingers into the power outlet? Seems like you were sitting a bit too long in front of the monitor... :)

[Skon @ Aug 27th 2007 7:53PM]

Yep, it seems like this may all be just a PhotoShop contrivance.... :-)


Regards,
[]--SkonOfVulcan--[]

[ssuk @ Aug 27th 2007 2:22PM]

This another reason why UK plugs are superior. They have an off switch.

[sr1329 @ Aug 27th 2007 3:51PM]

At 220v it's a requirement for safety.

[kevin rummelhart @ Aug 27th 2007 2:48PM]

I'm sorry but a toothbrush holder that plugs into an electrical outlet seems to have too many Darwinian implications for me...

[Pedja @ Aug 27th 2007 2:52PM]

How about using it to prevent small children from sticking their fingers in the sockets?

[Marc @ Aug 27th 2007 3:05PM]

This is moronic.
A planter, vase, toothbrush holder, and towel that plug into an electrical outlet???
Do we really want people getting that close 120VAC with wet stuff??
And what's with the chair? Why does that even need to be plugged in??

[Marshall @ Aug 27th 2007 3:06PM]

I see no problem with the toothbrush holder; electricity is not really so dangerous as TV would have people believe.

The hand towel though; it could be a real shocker.

The fire extinguisher is a problem too. Most fire extinguishers are made of metal, and the plugs look to be fastened directly to the body. If it is just a mock-up of a fire extinguisher then we have another problem, which I like to call: "What if there is a fire, and nobody knows that the extinguisher on the wall is fake?"

And why the vanilla bean?

[Aztec @ Aug 27th 2007 4:11PM]

I dont know that I'd by the outlet plugs. But he has some great ideas... What do you think about this tooth brush invention?

http://www.amronexperimental.com/BRUSH_AND_RINSE.html

[sirius @ Aug 28th 2007 1:33AM]

I think it's pretty nice :)
Instead of having those ugly empty sockets everywhere why not use them :)

If u wanna decorate ur house.. I don't see.. why not :)
---
I would if I'd had a home :S
:(

[fanszhe @ Sep 8th 2007 4:25AM]

想DIY第一个的同学一定要注意电线头的处理。

[vb @ Sep 10th 2007 12:47AM]

都是鼠标垫惹得祸。二楼的弟兄也已经陷入疯狂。