The PumPing Tap, a recent green technology innovation, is gaining popularity throughout the Web. In 2011, the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany awarded the innovation with the Red Dot Award for design concept, an annual international product design award. The gadget unplugs appliances that are not being used after 10 minutes of inactivity.
The PumPing Tap ‘pops out’ a plug from a socket 10 minutes after it detects a drop in current going through the socket which indicates that the appliance is turned off. It uses a spring-loaded mechanism built into wall sockets to eject plugged power cables. When an appliance is turned off and is no longer in use, a bluish circle around the socket the device is plugged into turns to red, which signals the beginning of the 10 minute countdown. After the time has elapsed, the PumPing Tap device automatically pops the plug out.
Gadgets and appliances in standby mode use up energy while they’re still plugged in. The PumPing Tap endeavors to save the energy and money wasted on residual energy consumption. The design concept is not for public consumer markets, though green technology companies eager to develop more power and money saving gadgets might end up developing and marketing it sometime in the future.
Now what does this have to do with you as gamers? Quite a lot actually. Believe it or not, systems take up a good amount of energy when ran in long time spans. If you also account for the portables you charge and never unplug, that can certainly amount to a lot of wasted power. This device may be your ticket to saving some bucks and helping good ‘ol mother earth in the process…if it comes out that is.