Suddenly usb sockets are everywhere. Or have they been everywhere for a while and I just have not noticed? These sort of things1 so you can plug in your usb powered device (phone, ipad etc) without hogging a socket or having a trailing usb charger transformer cluttering the place up. Hmm you could also plug in your raspberry pi2, lamp2, fan2 etc) too. I'm going to get some of these. Can't get a lot as I already have remote controlled sockets from lightwaverf of course but I can get them for a couple of out of the way places like beside the bed or beside the sofa where we tend to have phones plugged in.
I thought these were quite a new thing and I was being all ahead of the curve by recommending them to my Dad. Of course, the gadget fiend has already got them on order for their new kitchen!
What I really want is a socket with built in usb charging AND ethernet over power. AND, while I'm dreaming, with a raspberry pi tucked into the back of each one, with connected relays. So then each socket could be controlled over the network, would not need the lightwaverf then. And you'd have the raspberry pi mostly sitting idle which could be put to work mining bitcoins for you or something... Maybe I should start a kickstarter campaign to make these. Or, more likely, there already is one.
raspberry pi: Credit card sized super cheap computer, awesome.
Paul Clarke's weblog - I live in A small town, Kent. Wed and father to 2, I am a full-stack web engineer, + I do mostly js / nodejs, some ruby, python, php ect ect. I like pubs, running, eating, home automation and other diy jiggery-pokery, history, family tree stuff, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, + TIME TRAVEL.