It's that time of year again where we are preparing for the biggest consumer electronics show of the year. That's right the 2012 International CES is upon us. As many of you already know we have been going to the CES for years to showcase our energy saving products and our upcoming innovations. This year is no different. This year we will continue to exhibit in the Sustainable Planet section of the show. The location of our booth is in the Venetian ballroom, booth number 70315. One of the best things about our location this year is that we will be in the same area as the very popular keynote speakers.

To view our Press Releases go here.

Since we are a veteran exhibitor this is something we look forward to every year. This is a great chance to meet others in our industry that either we can benefit from or they can benefit from us.

The individuals that are attending the CES this year include the owners Russell and Bruce. One of our featured products will be the newest addition to our wonderful line of energy saving surge protectors called the SUG7. This is a wirelessly controlled Smart Strip. If you can't wait until the CES to see what the Wireless USB/Remote Controlled Smart Strip is all about then read the article about the SUG7 here.

Another item we will be showcasing will be our new surge protection component. You may be asking your self, "Why is that so special?"; Well that is because the old method provided surge protection, but also has a small risk for fire and they would continue to operate after a surge has damaged the protection components. The fire risk was because a component called a M.O.V. (Metal Oxide Varistor) would absorb the power surge so the power spike doesn't get to your devices. In the process of doing this the M.O.V.'s would create a lot of heat, which is what they are designed to do. If the surge is more than the M.O.V's can handle, the M.O.V.'s may blow apart and catch fire. Even though all certified surge protectors pass the UL, or equivalent, fire test, that does not mean they are 100% fire proof. Safety fuses are installed to reduce this risk, but do not eliminate it completely. Our new (Patent Pending) "True Surge" units aim to eliminate any risk of fire. To achieve this we use M.O.V.'s and thermal cutout fuses. However, instead of just using the components we encase them in a concrete mixture. The main reasons for this is to make a more reliable surge protector because, when encased, the M.O.V.s will not be able to catch fire and it will allow them to absorb a larger surge than normal. When a surge is larger than the M.O.V.'s can handle, they will crack and that will cause the concrete to also crack, but since the individual M.O.V.'s are encased in the concrete they have no chance to catch fire. On top of this if older surge protectors were hit by a surge and it damaged the surge components the strip will let you know ONLY by turning an indicator light on or off but the unit will continue to supply power to your devices. In this case if another surge hit there would be no protection for your equipment. Our new components will actually prevent the unit from working after it has been damaged by a surge. This is to prevent damage to your equipment from another surge by forcing you to use a different surge protector. We have addopted a saying that fits well with this method and is easy to remember, "If there's no protection, there's no connection!" Basically if the Smart Strip's surge components are blown and are no longer working then the Smart Strip will no longer be able to supply power to the connected equipment.

As always we will have free/reduced price passes for anyone that is in the consumer electronics industry and would like to go to the show. If you fall into this category simply click the below banner and register. If you register before a certain date you should get free entry however after a certain date and at the show you will only get a discounted (by 50%) entry cost. To register simply select the image of the CES 2012 banner (above) or the registration link below and it will take you to the registration page. If you are in the industry and intend to register onsite you will need to contact us so we can provide you with a pdf flyer for you to present during on-site sign up.

Click Here To Register!

For the past few months we at Bits have been excited to have a new addition to our product line-up. The Power Squid, which has already been proven to be a great seller, was recently added to our product line. On top of that we have the sole manufacturing rights to the Power Squid. This addition continues to ensure that we are one of the top power strip manufactures.

One of the biggest features of the Squid is the fact that the outlets are not restricted by a case. Instead they are attached to cords that extend from the bottom of the Power Squid. This feature allows for a wide variety of applications for devices that use a big block plug, better known as transformer bricks. With regular power strips the outlets are part of the case. This means if the manufacture wants to be able to fit a lot of the transformer plugs on their strip they will need to have a big product with widely spaced outlets. The Power Squid addresses this by having a smaller case and the corded outlets. This ensures there will be no space issues when it comes time to plug in additional devices whether they are the transformer plugs or not.

Another benefit that the power squid offers is the ability to add outlets to an extension cord. Whether it is in a home workshop, on the construction site or even just to run power to a shed via an extension cord, you can then add the Power Squid to the extension and voilà, you now have 5 outlets where you previously had one. This is a better solution than a regular power strip because of the flexibility of the outlets on the Power Squid. You could also mount this on the wall and still be able to easily access all of the plugs to connect or disconnect devices.

We currently have a few base models available but we have plans to expand upon this by adding models with surge protection and eventually we will produce models that have the Smart Strip's Technology inside to help you save energy just like a Smart Strip would.

We have made it through another year at CES. During the show we were able to meet with some of our vendors, affiliates & important customers all while having our booth manned so we can reach out to potentially new customers.

More after the break.

Four New Smart Strip Models Now Available!

2. CCG4 & CCG5: Child Safety Smart Strips

3. SCG2: Original Smart Strip w/6 Outlets

Specifications After the Break...