Rambler Socket tucks a recoiling extension cable, pinch of genius within your AC outlet

Meysam Movahedi's latest concept certainly isn't the first revolutionary tweak to the tried-and-true power outlet, but it's easily one of our favorites. Put simply, the Rambler Socket is an in-wall box that contains 1.5 meters of extra cabling along with a traditional AC outlet. Granted, you'll need a pretty deep wall to make something like this work (in theory, of course), but the result is nothing short of brilliant. If your AC cord is long enough, you simply plug it into the socket per usual; if you need a little extra length, the built-in extension cord pulls out with a gentle tug. Once you're done, you simply tug on the cable once more and watch as it recoils back within the wall. GE, or someone -- can we get a contract to this guy, pronto?

[John Doe Posted Dec 25th 2009 6:53PM]

@iStarr http://www.smarthome.com/4542W/Acenti-Surge-Suppressor-Receptacle-Alabaster-ACSSR-W/p.aspx

Google is your friend. :P

[dibbe Posted Dec 25th 2009 10:13AM]

looks very cool!

[jbrennan Posted Dec 25th 2009 10:26AM]

Space is not really an issue if you consider the shape of a wall and the shape of the (unrolled) cord. There's tons of vertical space for the skinny cord.

[TCrimson05 Posted Dec 25th 2009 10:45AM]

why is this like the simplest, yet genius thing no one has done yet......really, we had to wait till 2010 b4 someone thought hmmmmmmm, why don't we just put the extension cord in the wall.

[Chas Percodani Posted Dec 25th 2009 11:17AM]

Now it will be so much easier to strange myself.

[rtdunham Posted Dec 27th 2009 9:50AM]

@Chas Percodani

eww. i don't want to see that....

[Xyg Posted Dec 25th 2009 1:14PM]

Bonus points when it burns your house down.

[CJ Posted Dec 25th 2009 2:53PM]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Now get the hell off of engadget and go have family.

[fn stupid Posted Dec 25th 2009 4:03PM]

Great in concept, hard in reality.

[NinjaMonkey Posted Dec 25th 2009 9:53PM]

And any kid that walks by that will think "I must shove something in that hole. Oh look, a hammer"

[uncaringbear Posted Dec 25th 2009 10:23PM]

Make sure your insurance covers this death-trap-waiting-to-burn-your-house-down.

[Ned Scott Posted Dec 26th 2009 2:43AM]

I've wanted to put a retractable extension cord in my wall for a while now (honestly), but I was never sure how to actually execute the setup. At first I was going to make it like a flush mount cabinet door, but after seeing this I think I'll just try to emulate the actual outlet! Great idea!

[mnmj79 Posted Dec 26th 2009 7:06AM]

Hi and happy hols everyone,
I think this is a perfect invention. How do i get more info about this product , or about the company that is manufacturing this

[jamesFF Posted Dec 26th 2009 11:07PM]

This reminds me of a scene from "Earnest Saves Christmas".

[cwtears Posted Dec 27th 2009 9:00AM]

Put a decent load on it with the cord retracted and it will act as a heater. Chances are it will melt the insulation and fry something.

[pipebender Posted Dec 28th 2009 3:51AM]

The reason that National Electronic Code says an outlet needs to be installed for every 3 meters of wall space is to prevent people from doing something dangerous like this.

[pipebender Posted Dec 28th 2009 3:55AM]

From a safety stand point.

Extension cord: bad.
Coiled extension cord with live electricity and buried in dry wall? Double bad.

[Dan Fruzzetti Posted Dec 29th 2009 11:17AM]

This requires a fairly non-trivial modification to the wall as any existing outlet box must be removed, the hole enlarged, a new box put in, including wires in and out as installations vary, and the wall patched up and re-painted, and then finally the installation of the box.

I think we should change the size of the outlets, put the two terminals on one safety peg (separate them with extra length that goes into the wall using a square peg similar to a mini-pin stereo jack, not side-to-side) and with locking mechanism.

Then you could have like ten of my newfangled sockets in each two-outlet space.