Simple charging station
Reader Koz sent us a link to this little contraption:
The Driinn Mobile Phone Holder reminds me of the Load Thing we featured on the site last June. This one seems a little smaller, but just as efficient. It also appears that it could be used for other electronic devices of similar size, like a DS Lite or digital camera. And, at $8, it’s not the most expensive solution on the market. Thank you, Koz, for the link!
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Posted by Erin on Apr 19, 2008 |
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28 comments posted
Posted by Montie - 04/19/2008
They sell these in the gift shop at my office for 6.00. I gave mine away because I was always afraid of my gizmo falling off and breaking, so I just lay it on the floor or table near the charger.
Posted by panikowsky - 04/19/2008
Montie,
You could use a couple of small rubber rings to fix the gizmo on the “shelf”.
Posted by Brent Rockwood - 04/19/2008
Funny. When I first saw this, I thought it was Unitasker Wednesday!
Posted by Michele - 04/19/2008
That’s a neat little gadget.
However, when I first read the title of the blog entry, I read it as “Simple changing station,” and I thought, what an odd shape for putting your baby on to change its diaper!
Posted by Empress Juju - 04/19/2008
I have a friend who travels often, and I think a brightly-colored thingie would be an excellent way to avoid forgetting one’s phone & charger in a hotel room!
Posted by Biscuitx - 04/19/2008
Michele I did the same bleary eyed thing this morning. I thought it said changing station also, and I thought how cool, but how does that work?
ha. glad I am not the only one
biscuitx
Posted by Amy - 04/19/2008
I am on the same page as Brent. Isn’t this a uni-tasker?
Posted by Mary - 04/19/2008
sweeeeeet!
Posted by Tony - 04/19/2008
Plain…simple…genius!!
Posted by Erin Doland - 04/20/2008
@Brent and @Amy — As we’ve said in the past, many things in our homes only have one function … like a toilet, for instance. The difference between items like toilets and items like kitty wigs lies in utility and frequency of use. A phone charging station would be used every day, and can keep your items that need to be charged out of the way and in a place that is easy to find. No fuss, no mess. High utility, high use … not a unitasker worthy of mocking.
Plus, I wouldn’t call this a unitasker. You could charge your DS Lite, camera, and about a thousand other small electrical devices on this thing. The unitaskers we choose to poke fun at on Unclutterer are those that lack utility and/or frequency of use and are merely clutter in your homes.
Posted by Sandra - 04/21/2008
@Brent/Amy/Erin – also, even if an item is a unitasker for most people, there are some items that, even if they perform only one uncommon function, would be incredibly useful to a small subset of people. E.g. some gadget that only prepares one type of food – let’s say it cores and slices apples – but you have an army of kindergarteners to make apples for every day, so a dedicated device that performs only that function would be a lifesaver.
Posted by Find Jensen - 04/21/2008
I have one of those. They are absolute genius! I remove the charger and holder whenever I am done charging and place both in a “charger-box” (telephone, PSP,telephone,camera etc. etc.) which I keep at the bottom of a cupboard. That way I avoid any charger cluttering while the phone holder keeps my home free of charger trap-lines..
Posted by Karin - 04/21/2008
Funny, I just bought something like this because I saw it in the new Martha Stewart magazine and thought it was completely ingenious. It only comes in three colors but this charging “tray” is bigger and deeper so your gadgets can’t fall out!
Posted by Celeste - 04/21/2008
My issue with these is that most outlets are near the floor. This would put my phone (or whatever) down someplace out of the way. I would be likely to forget it on my way out the door especially in an unfamiliar hotel unless I used it in the bathroom, where an outlet would be at a higher level. But it’s a great idea and if I was going to build a new house, I would want some kind of docking station for everything built in high near the main entry/exit. Now THAT would be a great move for uncluttering!
I charge my phone in the car or when I’m at my desk. I just leave a charging cord plugged into my strip.
Posted by Erin Doland - 04/21/2008
@Karin — What you mention is The Load Thing. We wrote about it a year ago June:
http://unclutterer.com/2007/06/19/the-load-thing/
Posted by Sean - 04/21/2008
I bought two of these for my wife and I and it’s a fantastic little gadget. We were always charging our phones in the kitchen or bathroom because (as Celeste correctly points out) most other outlets are down near the floor. This gizmo keeps our phones off the counter tops and sinks, safely away from water and other spills. Stick a Cableyoyo to the bottom for a tidy, portable charging station.
Posted by Sairy Gamp - 04/21/2008
Excellent design, both of them.
And so simple, I can’t help wondering if one could make something similar, out of things laying around the house (or in the trash)?
One less piece of plastic (albeit useful, well-designed plastic) to choke the oceans.
Posted by PrairieGal - 04/22/2008
I love this idea EXCEPT I have so many things to charge! I have one spot it the house for charging (two cells, one palm, and an ipod), and the charge cords always seem to get left on the floor. I have a basket for all of them, then they get tangled with each other. I have been looking for a good solution to this problem, and I even tried wrapping all the cords onto one piece of cardboard, but that didn’t work because occassionally you need to take the cord with you. I’ll take 4 please.
Posted by Lee2706 - 04/22/2008
@Sairy Gamp – I wonder if you could repurpose a plastic milk jug? I am visualizing something already possessing a bend in it that could be easy to cut yet strong/stable enough to hold up a phone or PS camera….
Posted by koz - 04/23/2008
I’m glad you liked it! And the readers, too.
I initially wondered if I was promoting a unitasker, too, but then my thought process followed that of Erin’s. And LMAO at kitty wigs.
Posted by mteeheaded - 04/23/2008
I have three of these, and love each one. The three of us in the house each have our “spot” and no longer get our cords mixed up.
Posted by lily - 04/24/2008
I have one of those and love them! It is a nice way to keep mobile phone cables uncluttered.
Technically, it is not an unitasker as I also use mine as a book stand for my current read, it keeps it open at the right page and standing
Posted by PrairieGal - 04/30/2008
Just went and bought this because of the post. Love it! Actually, bought two. One for me, and one for hubby. Now we don’t have chargers and cords on the floor. yay!
Posted by foofoo - 05/29/2008
great design, but keep in mind that those chargers even suck power when they don’t charge, so don’t let it plugged in once charging is finished.
Posted by Hsinhan - 06/29/2008
I came across this one, it seems to be more secure and hides the cords even better. Got two styles, going to give it a try!
Posted by Cord Charmer - 06/29/2008
Strange, my name became the link to Cord Charmer
, ok, here is the link: http://www.cordcharmer.com, I just ordered 2 to save the shipping cost! I wish they make more colorful ones, but the white probably makes it blend in well…
Posted by Christie - 08/06/2008
How cute is this. And it comes in all different colors to match my decor. I must buy one.
Posted by links for 2008-12-25 - netztaucherbrille - 12/25/2008
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