To quote:<p>"Yes – the Mu® USB Adapter has been tested by recognised certification organisations and has the full pre-requisite approvals for CE certification."<p>What approvals and organisations? Sounds like bullshit. That's the most evasive paragraph ever in the history of time.<p>Proper UK mains plugs are incredibly over-engineered for a good reason. Excellent mechanical stability, no arcing likely, touch-safety, earth pin, built in fuse and TBH you could beat an elephant to death with one. Add to that, the sockets don't like giving the plugs back which is a good thing!<p>That thing is flimsy, requires manual twiddling, has zero earth pin - it's plastic (what is the USB port grounded to?), will break in two minutes flat and fry someone.<p>I very much doubt it's been tested or approved or will be on the market for more than a few weeks.<p>Also, a small added rant: I can see design awards galore splurged all over it. The designers are positively orgasmic over the thing, yet us engineers are crying. Take the hint.
This is a 2009 concept, finally becoming a product <a href="http://www.reghardware.com/2009/06/24/folding_uk_plug/" rel="nofollow">http://www.reghardware.com/2009/06/24/folding_uk_plug/</a>
Output: DC 5V 1Amp<p>Isn't that going to mean that a lot of devices (iPad?) charge slow?<p>I mean, I think it's more expensive to get rated for higher amp-age but they could have gone for 3 amps, right?
I couldn't find any information about whether or not this contains a fuse ... Isn't that mandatory for UK plugs?<p>Seems quite "daring" to launch something like this for only the UK. Sure, it's a big market, but I hope they're looking at modularizing the plug part internally so they can instantiate the Mu for other markets, too.
It is a (design-wise) shame that the UK plug design forces adapters to be so big.<p>Europlug USB adapters are much more slicker <a href="http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/339903558/_Euro_Plug_USB_Travel_Charger.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/339903558/_Euro_Plug_USB_T...</a> .
In the UK one of the first things most people with any sort of interest in DIY or technology learn is how to 'wire a plug'.<p>Is this a UK specific thing, or is it common in other countries as well?
For a smartphone product, their website is remarkably mobile-hostile. Can anyone figure out a way to get their "click and drag" photo navigation to work on an iPhone?
I wonder if this device supports the USB charging port standard (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Power" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Power</a>). Are D- and D+ shorted? Their FAQ doesn't seem to say.
Regardless of the pros and cons with this and UK plugs in general, £25 for one 1A USB socket is £20 too much. And that's allowing £4 for the gimmick-factor.<p>It's not even <i>that</i> much smaller than the newer micro-USB chargers that Nokia and Samsung have.
I have one. I really like it. It works and feels reasonably sturdy. The only thing I don't like is that the earth pin sticks out when the flaps are closed :-(