The idea is to replace traditional wall outlets with a modular system that taps into power that runs around the perimeter of a room. That way you could add outlets wherever they are needed, eliminating the need for powerstrips and extension cords. The system would be green as well—users could configure the system to cut power from a single switch or automatically through the detection of standby states.

Again, AllSocket is only a concept at this point, so who knows whether it will ever evolve into an actual product. However, I would certainly prefer this type of system over an outlet wall. [Yanko via Hometone]

Say what you will about feasibility—the Outlet Wall looks fantastic. Replacing the whole surface with hundreds of live outlets is a practical guarantee that you'll burn your entire house down, so in practice, the wall would have to be made mostly out of dead sockets. But discussing the practical implications of the Outlet Wall feels dumb, and kind of misses the point.

Aside from the neat switchboard aesthetic, the Outlet Wall's message is what really resonates: This room here? This room is for technology. [Ironic Sans via Gadget Venue]

I'll let Brando's stream-of-consciousness pitch speak for itself:

It's not ONLY a Normal Power Extension Bar, Slot your Sim Card and works as a Spy Ear! Slot the Sim Card inside this Power Extension Socket place it under the table and start your spy work! It is a Real Power Extension Bar support with 8 sockets. Also, the device can be recharged, it can still work for spy ear even not attach to the power outlet. You can place it ANYWHERE without notice by others!!

$66. [Brando vie Redferret]

No price on this since it's straight from an OEM in China, but it's supposedly controlled by any IR remote, provided you can program the universal remote at all. Plus it can "avoid energy waste of standby status." Which is good, because "if equipments keep standby status, it may be attacked by thunder, the inside high temperature may cause self-ignite or fire."

Attacked by thunder! That's gotta be fucking LOUD. [Szlanwei via Red Ferret]

So here's what makes the mCube90 surge protector/universal-power adapter unique: most devices, even when fully charged (or off) still continue to draw power. Using a sort of open energy communication standard developed by Greenplug, the mCube90 makes it so these gadgets stop drawing power altogether (or a reduced amount, at the very least) when they're fully charged.

So far, companies such as HP, Fabrik, NEC and others have implemented the technology into their products so that they work with the Greenplug standard and Innergie adapter. It can handle notebooks that pull between 18-21 volts and 65 watts of continuous energy.

The power adapter itself has a port for your standard AC notebook cable, complete with removable tips, as well as a special USB port that can charger your portable gadgets even quicker. And when you're on the go, you can even remove the bottom segment for a portable charger with the same green features, but without surge protection (it seems).

It's not like this will solve all of the world's energy related problems or anything, but it's nice to see big companies getting behind a good idea—one that unfortunately costs $130. [Innergie

Innergie’s got the power. Green Plug’s got the power. And soon, so will you.

A year ago, Green Plug (www.greenplug.us) burst on to the scene, committed to fixing “the broken power model.”

The broken power model? That’s the status quo that sees consumer electronics companies churning out some 2.5 billion incompatible power supplies to recharge the gear we know and love: laptops, printers, speakers, routers, modems, cell phones, MP3 players, power tools, digital cameras, and all manner of other stuff. Schlepping around separate chargers is both costly and inconvenient for consumers. Worse, obsolete chargers represent a massive source of solid waste dumped on Planet Earth. Every year, in the U.S. alone, hundreds of millions of discarded power supplies end up in landfills.

At 2009 International CES, in Las Vegas Jan. 8-11, the fix is in.

In tandem with Innergie (www.myinnergie.com), developer of the world’s smallest and most versatile universal power adapter, Green Plug will begin to deliver on the promise. Together, at the Lunch@Piero’s press event, the companies will show the first implementation of Greentalk™, Green Plug’s intelligent digital solution that effectively eliminates the need for multiple chargers. Innergie and Green Plug will demonstrate the Greentalk-enabled Innergie mCube90G, powering a variety of brand-name consumer electronics devices, each with distinct power requirements. The CES demo will showcase a digital media enthusiast's toolkit, centered on a dazzling HP TouchSmart PC, eco-friendly Fabrik SimpleTech [re]drive storage system, Ricoh digital camera, NEC LaVie Laptop, Canon photo printer and camcorder, and Linksys wireless router, all powered by Green Plug’s Greentalk™ technology.]

It's an efficient way to save energy from those power-sucking wall warts, trickling veritable kilowatts down the drain while you sleep. If only we'd wire up our houses for DC, none of those bulky bricks would even be necessary. Nice try, Mr. Edison.

This model is set up for use in the UK, but we're thinking this is such a painless energy saver that someone might want to bring this idea to these shores. While you're at it, make it cost less than $60. – Charlie White

Product Page [Nigel's Eco Store, via Oh Gizmo]

PlugKing [Via Ubergizmo]

While this appears to be just a design concept so far, it looks purty and might just remind us of what power-sucking bastards we are. We're usually trying to hide power cables, wall warts and power strips, but this eye-catching design might give us an excuse to leave that spaghetti bowl of wires right out in the open. But don't the lights in the cord suck up even more energy? Maybe not much. – Charlie White

More pics after the jump.

Power Aware Cord [Interactive Institute]