Coming This Summer: The Belkin Conserve

Phantom power jacking up your utility bill? Sure, you can turn off your power strip. But what if you need your digital video recorder to catch Rock of Love when you're out of town? Belkin's solution hits the shelves this summer in North America and the UK.

The Belkin Conserve is an eight outlet surge protector designed to eliminate standby power and hassle. The unit features two outlets that never turn off, for devices that must remain powered. The rest of the outlets are easily switched off using the included wall-mountable remote control.

No more leaning down behind your furniture to switch off. No more waiting for the cable box to download program information. No more... right, these are the reasons why you leave the thing on perpetually.

Conserve features a slick, modern design, and has won the 2008 CES Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice Award. The power strip will retail for $49.99. Belkin backs up the unit's surge protection capabilities with a $100,000 Connected Equipment Warranty.

The California Energy Commission estimates that phantom power totals up to 15 percent of the average household's energy usage.

[more from Belkin]