Is there really a need for a product like this?

maybe not, but lots and lots of stuff can run off usb power all all new phones can charge with usb

-Lasse

It could be sort of the new international outlet.

We're lately using the micro-B USB connector as the power input on a lot of our standalone products.

There's probably no need, but there probably is a market!

it an EU requirement that phone can charge from usb generally micro usb but apple is a usb cable

I believe USB-IF are also working on a new standard to supply something like 20V and enough power ~100W to supply laptops etc. via a usb connector

-Lasse

Yeah, it cleans things up a bit if you can have fewer of those chargers hanging about. You can get car cig lighter outlet (or whatever they call them these days) expanders that have a couple USB outlets. I wouldn't mind a bunch of them scattered everywhere (not just in desktop computer cases- and even they tend to be wimpy low current).

But I'd worry a lot about things like whether it could supply 2A to charge an iPad as well as smaller devices, and especially whether it had the safety features (isolation and OVP) that the real chargers have.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

And of course for those who fret about such things the would be another item on standby power ??

And then of course I read all of the description after the brain fart !!

Yeah, it seems to have the power to charge a single iPad and is switched, but nothing about overvoltage protection. Plug your $800 iPad into a $9.99 power supply?

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

A better question would be what's wrong with this picture.

- The previous wall wart plug in power supply would stick out of the wall jack and get knocked off by anyone passing by. This new and improved version will break off the jack by anyone passing by. Progress blunders forward.

- Few of my office or home wall plugs are easily accessible. They usually have some furniture or pile of junk blocking access. They also tend to be stuffed the limit with cords, usually going to power strips and octopus arrays. At best, I would need two USB extension cables in order to use a USB wall plate jack.

- Hopefully, the internal power supplies can supply 2A for the iPad. Well, only one iPad at a time: "To maintain factory-stated charging duration when charging two iPads or a combination of iPad and any other USB rechargeable device simultaneously, we recommend charging the iPad via the factory wall adapter."

- Hopefully, the internal 5V power supply has zero power consumption when no power is being drawn. Maybe, since data sheet claims that it has an "Integrated On/Off Safety Switch for USB Power" whatever that means.

- 50mm is a bit deep for a wall outlet. That will work for new construction using deep boxes but may be a problem for retrofits which usually use a shallow box. The one's on my shelf are 40 or 45mm deep.

- Power supply schematic looks acceptable, but I don't see any thermal protection, input hash filter, or reverse power protection. At least there's a line fuse. The power supply in the patent says 5V 1A, so they probably are using a different design in the real product:

- As near as I can tell from the photos, it's not repairable if the power supply blows. No clue how to replace the fuse if it blows.

- It seems to have passed UL testing. However, I can't find an FCC ID under Newer Technology (Grantee codes JTG and UNH).

I'm also a bit irritated that the NFPA/NEC code dictates that I can't mix ethernet in the same wall outlet and conduit, yet USB power is somehow acceptable. Grumble...

Maybe for hotels. Travelers forget their chargers. Of course, why would the traveler have a usb to microusb cable with them and not the charger. If they have the cable because they brought their notebook, then they can just charge off the notebook.

At least this one is beefy at 2Amps. Good enough for tablets.

I don't see one in my future. Since every phone comes with a usb charger, I'm starting to get a collection of them.

What a weird product. I'd never ever guess that was a USB outlet.

So, we go from folks telling us to be sure to power down our dongles to building 24/7/365 dongles right into the outlet! Cute... NOT!

These suck. They need to have a power switch to turn off the USB supplies when they are not being used.

And $10 each is too much too.

What a dumb thing to say. And what a funny way to phrase it.

There *has to be* a stand-by/idle consumption rate. Even if *they* think it isn't that much.

The only way for it to actually be zero would be to disconnect it from the AC line completely.

I see a new use for a supercap here. Let the standby circuit, running from the supercap, remove the supply completely from the AC line and the monitor process would be powered by a small supercap which always gets topped off when the 'outlet' gets used and brought back online.

Pretty good idea.

possibly the sliding cover operates a switch.

That would work, but would leave me wondering about the number of cycles such a switch could handle. Make it a soft switch, which switches an SSR. But those need DC supplies too. Back to square one.

I do not think a hard AC switch at that little doorway (or actuated by it) would be very safe either.

It actually does fill a real need.

Thanks to Michael I didn't make it through black Friday without buying anything.. I ordered 5 of them.

;-)

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

It appears to be switched, however I suspect a lot of people will leave the cords plugged in and remove the device from the other end of the cord, which means the switch will always be 'on'. Otherwise you need to find a place to store the cord between uses.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

I have this explicit rule where any cord has zero power on it when I remove the end connected to a device. Even AC cords where applicable.

So I ALWAYS have it already pulled from the outlet/dongle/PC end. This insures that I will always get the maximum number of insert/remove cycles from the device, keeping it closer to mint condition.

All UL cares about is if it will start a fire.

Plus the regular price is $30 each. That $10 price was just the 'Black Friday' sale price.