You'd think that the design for power strips and surge protectors would be pretty much played out, but Belkin has actually done some pretty interesting things with them in recent years:
The company is taking that spirit of innovation on the road with its latest power product: the Belkin Mini Surge Protector. The travel-friendly model packs three grounded three-prong power outlets and two powered USB ports into its tiny frame, and plugs directly into the wall socket, so there's no dangling cord. A green LED confirms that connected devices are protected against surges, which Belkin backs with a $75,000 warranty. In other words, this one miniature power strip should be able to power and protect your laptop, iPod, and cellphone--and still have space left over for connecting two other AC-powered devices. Belkin even throws in a mini-USB cable, which will work with many brands of cellphones. Yes, laptop-toting travelers can usually use the spare ports on their computer to juice up various mobile devices. Considering that the device is slated to cost less than $25, the Belkin Mini Surge Protector looks to be a worthwhile combination of the
You might see the Belkin Mini Surge Protector already available for preorder on some online stores, but the company says that it should be widely available "in office superstores" by the end of April.