Rejoice: the USB wall socket is here

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A plug socket faceplate? Hot Stuff? Really?
Yes, really. Because this isn’t any old plug socket faceplate, pal – look closer.

Are those… USB ports?
Indeed they are. And they mean you can charge your smartphone, tablet, camera and pretty much anything else that gets its power via USB – all without the need for an adapter. It’s freeing up your mains sockets for other things, essentially.

The faceplate is installed just like any other standard double plug

Will it work with anything?
Pretty much. The USB charging sockets are limited to two amps, so if a device tries to draw more energy than that they’ll trip to protect it from damage.

And can I put it in myself?
Yep, there’s no need for professional installation – the faceplate is a standard double backbox design. All that’s required is 35mm of depth space in your wall.

Right, time to get the toolbox out
You can order the faceplate right now for £20 over at the Group Gear website. Just be careful where you stick your screwdriver, y’hear?

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About

Tech journalism's answer to The Littlest Hobo, I've written for a host of titles and lived in three different countries in my 15 years-plus as a freelancer. But I've always come back home to Stuff eventually, where I specialise in writing about cameras, streaming services and being tragically addicted to Destiny.