CES 2006 Spotlight: Flexity PowerSquid Surge Protector

Flexity inventor Christopher Hawker comes up with an innovative answer to the nagging issue of power strips and why there's never enough room to fit all of the plugs.

It?s not always about glowing boxes and MP3 players at CES. A case in point, and a product which has drawn a lot of attention for its innovative design, is the PowerSquid Surge Protector from Santa Cruz, CA based Flexity. This ?next step in the evolution of the power strip? does away with the ugly look of traditional power strips in favor of a more graceful approach which brings flexible arms instead of tight plugs.

?The PowerSquid is the power strip evolved,? said Jonathan Hawker, brother of Christopher Hawker, the inventor of the PowerSquid. ?It eliminates the problems of the power strip. Six flexible arms connect to a base which has a single male plug that goes into the wall.?

Hawker explained that his brother, being a shrewd inventor, developed the PowerSquid partially as a result of frustration with transformer blocks and having to daisy chain power strips together. He took that frustration and, with some ingenuity, came up with a stylish solution that fits everyone?s needs.

?It is not only a functional way,? said Hawker, ?but also one of beauty.?

Four models make up the PowerSquid family. The high end model is the Calamari. Features on this $79.99 unit include the six flexible arms which are transformer block compatible (two of these outlets are lighted to provide a visual cue on where to look for the PowerSquid in dark places), a high joule rating of 3,240, a 360 degree rotating flat profile plug, power filtering technology to help protect equipment and enhance A/V quality, surge suppression technology, connectivity protection for coaxial and phone cables, LED indicator lights for power conditions and an audible alarm for circuit failure.

Hawker said that Flexity already had a basic model out in stores through their manufacturing partner Power Sentry/Newpoint. The more advanced models should be available through retail and PowerSquid.net come mid to late spring.

?It?s really exciting that people like the innovation of the flexible arms,? said Hawker. ?We are happy that everyone is taking a look at it.?