The PowerCube is a multiple electrical socket adaptor manufactured by the Allocacoc Corporation in Shanghai, China. Unlike a conventional power strip, the device is arranged like a cube, which can solve the problem of multiple AC adapters fighting for space.
The PowerCube was created by two graduates of industrial design engineering at the Delft University of Technology (TU) in the Netherlands. They noticed that people had problems using conventional multi-socket adaptors and started a company, Allocacoc in 2011, to produce an alternative. [1]
The PowerCube is a cubic shaped power socket equipped with multiple sockets. This allows differently shaped AC adapters to be plugged in next to each other, which is not necessarily possible on a conventional powerboard due to shape and geometry. [2] A typical scenario may be a laptop, a tablet computer and multiple smartphones charging simultaneously. [3] The device is available in several different modules, including an optional extension cord and USB outlet, and catering for the target country's appropriate power supply.
Several magazines criticised the PowerCube for its lack of a suitable surge protection, noting that the device has been manufactured solely for convenience. [2] [4] This issue has been addressed and surge protection is now offered in the PowerCube Range, 2016.
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The PowerCube has won several awards:
A 600 series connector is an obsolete three-pin connector with up to six conductors.
Components of an electrical circuit are electrically connected if an electric current can run between them through an electrical conductor. An electrical connector is an electromechanical device used to create an electrical connection between parts of an electrical circuit, or between different electrical circuits, thereby joining them into a larger circuit. Most electrical connectors have a gender – i.e. the male component, called a plug, connects to the female component, or socket. The connection may be removable, require a tool for assembly and removal, or serve as a permanent electrical joint between two points. An adapter can be used to join dissimilar connectors.
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A power strip is a block of electrical sockets that attaches to the end of a flexible cable, allowing multiple electrical devices to be powered from a single electrical socket. Power strips are often used when many electrical devices are in proximity, such as for audio, video, computer systems, appliances, power tools, and lighting. Power strips often include a circuit breaker to interrupt the electric current in case of an overload or a short circuit. Some power strips provide protection against electrical power surges. Typical housing styles include strip, rack-mount, under-monitor and direct plug-in.
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AC power plugs and sockets connect electric equipment to the alternating current (AC) mains electricity power supply in buildings and at other sites. Electrical plugs and sockets differ from one another in voltage and current rating, shape, size, and connector type. Different standard systems of plugs and sockets are used around the world.
In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each half of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female. The female connector is generally a receptacle that receives and holds the male connector. Sometimes the terms plug and socket or jack are used, particularly in reference to electrical connectors. In some cases, the pins on the connector may have the opposite nominal gender to the mounted connector, such as the RCA connector.
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A multitap is a video game console peripheral that increases the number of controller ports available to the player, allowing additional controllers to be used in play, similar to a USB hub or a power strip. A multitap often takes the form of a box with three or more controller ports which is then connected to a controller port on the console itself.
MagSafe is a series of proprietary magnetically attached power connectors developed by Apple Inc. for Mac laptops. MagSafe was introduced on January 10, 2006, in conjunction with the MacBook Pro, the first Intel-based Mac laptop, at the Macworld Expo. The connector is held in place magnetically so that if it is tugged it will pull out of the socket without damaging the connector or the computer power socket, and without pulling the computer off its surface. A thinner and wider version, called MagSafe 2, was introduced in 2012. It was discontinued across Apple's product lines between 2016 and 2019 and replaced with USB-C. MagSafe returned to Mac laptops with the introduction of updated MacBook Pro models with MagSafe 3 in 2021.
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Belkin International, Inc., is an American consumer electronics and networking company headquartered in El Segundo, California. It produces mobile and computer connectivity devices and peripherals for consumer and commercial use. These include wireless chargers, power banks, charging cables, data cables, audio and video adapters, headphones, earbuds, smart speakers, screen protectors, surge protectors, Wi-Fi routers, smart home products, electronic device sanitizers, docking stations and data hubs, network switches, KVM switches and network cables.
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Allocacoc is an industrial design company established in the Netherlands that sells redesigned everyday products such as the PowerCube. Allocacoc headquartered in Shanghai and has a factory in Suzhou with an R&D center in Shenzhen, China. Its European head office moved from Delft to Breukelen (Utrecht) in August 2018. The company creates innovative products by adding original designs and keeping them affordable. In 2019, Allocacoc decided on a rebranding strategy and focus their business development on DesignNest.com - a consumer product platform of a broad range of design products. DesignNest was originally founded by Allocacoc in 2016 and now aiming to help industrial designers from start to finish, such as funding, design knowledge, sourcing, pricing, production, product assembly, distribution, fighting against copycats and worldwide sales.
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