I never thought I'd see the day that someone would find a use for Velcro that made no sense, but alas, that day has come. Billed as an energy saver, the Velcro wall socket, from designers Kwei Shan and Tao Yuan is really just a novelty, and a confounding one at that.

It also appears to be a misnomer, as the doohickey's description makes it sound like it consists of nothing more than adhesive Velcro strips that affix to a standard outlet faceplate and to the plug of whatever device is being powered. Exactly how Velcro on a standard plug will make contact with Velcro on the faceplate unless the plug is of the oversized transformer variety is a head-scratcher. Not even a new, improved Velcro design can make up for a lack of direct contact.

Moreover, the design allegedly is intended to conserve energy by serving as a strong reminder to users that they should unplug electronic devices after using them. But I fail to grasp how the fact that your plug may be affixed to your outlet faceplate will remind you of anything. And don't even get me started about the idea of Velcro-ing the cord to the floor. Then again, maybe the designers just wanted to be the latest to turn the boring old outlet into a creative statement. — Tony Kontzer

Yanko Design