We plug our readers into some new designs for electrical outlets and share a major DIY recall.

It has been a while since we have had a good old-fashioned gadget post here at Kung Fu Drafter. So this weekend we are going to share some of our most favorite gadgets we have come across lately. Of course, with CES 2010 having just ended, our timing is not exactly "prime". However, we are not to be deterred or easily dissuaded. If you don’t believe us, just ask our coworkers.

First on the list of gadgets we have fallen in love with lately are two very practical items. Since Kung Fu Drafter is a blog for CAD professionals and Geeks alike, we know you can all appreciate electrical outlets. What would our CAD workstations and gaming rigs be without those humble little holes in the wall? Dark and dull, that is what. Yet we totally take them for granted! So when we recently saw that some electrical designers were finally showing some love to the almighty, yet under-appreciated, outlet we were amazed.

USB ports in the wall ...

The first new and nifty outlet comes from the good people at FastMac. While FM mainly sells Mac-related goods like laptop batteries and drives, they realized there was a need in the electrical market for a new kind of outlet. That would be the TruePower UCS Power Outlet. What is so awesome? Oh nothing. Except that this little unit replaces any standard wall outlet, has the traditional three-prong fittings, but also has two USB charge ports! Oh, did we mention it only costs $10? They are bound to be fast sellers, so visit FastMac and pre-order yours now!

The Rambler Socket ...Really, if you have wall outlets that fit your electrical power cables and USB cables, what more could you want? How about even niftier outlets? All of our readers have suffered from “no-plug-around-here-itis” at one time or another. No matter how you plan there just never seems to be a plug that is close enough to where you want to put that PC gaming rig. Well if you are an Engadget reader, you have probably already seen the object of all our dreams, the Rambler Socket. This innovative conceptual design by Meysam Movahedi incorporates a 1.5-meter (4.9’) extension chord with a wall outlet. If you find that your new stereo is just a tad too far to reach the outlet, the outlet will reach out to the chord! How brilliant is that? Unfortunately, this is only a conceptual design with no production date. Bummer.

CYA before your DIY ...Here at Kung Fu Drafter we are big into doing things ourselves. When the time comes to replace all of our critical electrical outlets, we will break out the toolbox and get to work. Of course, part of every DIY project should involves research with reliable sources. Unfortunately, not all sources are equally reliable. While DIY books are not exactly “gadgets” we wanted to take this time to alert our readers to a major recall in DIY home improvement books. On January 08, 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall notice for home improvement books being recalled by the publisher Oxmoor House. The books, sold at major DIY home improvement stores in America and Canada, contain faulty and possibly hazardous wiring guides. Be sure to visit the CPSC site for full information and be careful when installing those new plugs.

Well it feels good to get some gadgets on the blog. If you have some gadget news or links to share, be sure to leave us a comment below. It may seem odd that we are actually this interested and excited about electrical outlets. When you think about it though, those are some important items. Well that and we really are just that geeky …