We all love our gear – MP3 players, cell phones, portable gaming consoles, PDA’s, cameras, laptops, which all demand the use of electricity accompanied by the associated wires, cords and chargers that supply the lifeline needed to power our gear.
When I go to a concert and see miles of cable strung across the stage, it’s a wonder musicians don’t trip over them. Unfortunately, seeing a miniature version of cluttered wires strung out across my work surfaces and hanging over the backside of my desk like some ugly artsy waterfall of wires mentally trips me out.
Digital Innovations has come to the rescue with a Power Docking Station consolidating all of the wired clutter into an organized mess. It’s pretty straightforward – a rectangular box houses up to four chargers hidden out of sight connected a single 54” two prong plug.
Up to four devices can sit on top of the docking station 4 – high for easy viewing and may I add, safely out of spilled coffee’s way.
I really like how the wire is wrapped in a nylon skin to prevent nicks.
There are 4 sets of chrome finished “wings” to hold the device of choice upright. The wings insert snugly into the top of the dock while the connector feeds up through the recessed rubber housing.
The rubber slots are “sliced” to grab the cord from falling back down into the housing. Just remember to lift up the device with the fingers pinching the connector to avoid unnecessarily stressing the connection points. The housing has a rubber lip that protects the bottom of the gadgets from scuffing.
Once all the wires are stuffed in the back, the cord feeds out through the slot and the plastic back door closes in place holding all the wires out of sight and out of mind.
There is actually room to fit a USB station inside as well, if you want to feed the USB cables for syncing to a PC. I didn’t do so, as my devices sync to different PCs that I have. There is a slot on the opposite side to feed a USB cable out, which I did for the Apple iPod.
The wings press in place and can pivot to accommodate the device of choice. Understand that these wings are of a generic design, so the devices don’t exactly fit snug or for that matter, straight up and down because of the placement of the connectors for each device. While the devices may not look perfect and sitting pretty straight up and down like the big box electronics store displays, I’m satisfied that the devices are organized in one place with all the wires off my work surface and out of the way.
The outside of the box is finished in a brushed aluminum finish. I wasn’t sure if it matched my taste as wood grain is more to my liking. At least it’s not made of beige plastic that will discolored over time.
What’s cool is that the front will snugly accommodate a panoramic photo print, or one could put Web 2.0 stickers all over the front. Your choice!
The Power Docking Station by Digital Innovations does the job; four devices in full view charging away to make one’s mobile lifestyle powered up and ready to go. I’ve never seen a station like this, but for the money and the flexibility it offers to de-clutter a desktop, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick another one up for each desktop PC I have.
Manufacturer: Digital Innovations (Note: They offer care, repair and maintenance products as well *)
MRSP: $29.99
Available from: Office Depot Online – Item #: 936465
What I like: Room to hide wires and USB cables; length of plug wrapped with protective sheathing with compact footprint.
Needs Improvement: Assortment of wings to customized a better upright fit for devices.
* Read the GearDiary review of cleanDR Refresh Wipes for Electronics