New Innovations in Surge Protectors and Power Supplies

If you're like a lot of home-based workers or employees in a small office, you've got a single power strip with your computer and all its many peripherals plugged into it. You want to make sure that power supply is reliable, well made, and not driving up your electricity bills unnecessarily. Here are a few things to consider when you're thinking about managing your access to power:

Surge protection. Everybody knows that you need some protection against power spikes. But a surge protector won't help when it comes to power failures and fluctuations, which can cause data loss and software problems if equipment isn't allowed to shut down properly.

Backup power. A battery backup solves the problem of how to conduct a smooth shutdown. In the event of a blackout or brownout, a battery backup will automatically kick in and buy you enough time to execute an orderly shutdown of your equipment.

Energy saving. A new breed of power supply <http://cmit.sparklist.com/t/116605/170442/1386/0/> can actually detect when a machine is shut down after a certain period of time and will cut off power to that machine without your having to switch it off. Given that electronic devices can pull up to 40 percent of their power when they're turned off but plugged in, this can really help you reduce your electrical bills. You can also set the strip to automatically power down peripherals when you shut off the main device -- so, for example, your printer and other peripherals will shut off when you turn off your computer. You can also set your peripherals to shut down while your computer stays on, so that if you’re on a service like CMIT Marathon that requires your computer to be on for regular updates you can still reduce power waste.