OK, so today’s “nifty gadget” might be the least sexy thing ever, but it’s a cool lifesaver nevertheless.
As you probably know, many electronic devices have bulky power adapters. And the problem is, if you need to use a power strip, these adapters sometimes take up 2-3 outlets. So instead of being able to use all six outlets on the strip, you can only use two or three:
There are solutions to this, namely odd looking power strips. PowerSquid sells this odd looking unit that looks like… well, a squid. Pivot Power sells this power strip where each outlet is its own “pod” and the unit can be twisted like a snake, allowing large adapters to fit in nicely. But the thing is… these units are expensive: the Power Squid is $59.95! And what if you have a power strip already? Why waste a perfectly functional power strip just so bulky adapters can fit?
Enter Monoprice’s 1 foot extension cords:
Ya just plug your device into the extension cord and then plug the cord into your power strip. Done and done. You can buy only as many cords as you need, and the best part is, they’re cheap: as of this writing, Monoprice has them for $1.18 for one, $1.14 for 2-9 units, $1.10 for 10-19 units, $1.06 for 20-49 units and $1.02 for 50+ units.
I recently bought four of these: two to use immediately on a power strip, and two to have as spares for guests. As I said, it’s the probably least glamorous gadget ever, but it solved a real problem I was having cheaply and quickly. Instead of having a 6-outlet power strip with only 1 usable spare outlet, I now have three available outlets. Simple and beautiful!