Hasta La Gadget!

British power plugs are far safer than they need to be, with their internal fuses, earth prongs and individual wall switches. As a result they are also far bulkier than they need to be.

This concept, though, manages to keep these essential components and shrink the whole package down to a neat, manageable size. The injection molded design is ingenious: the prongs are stored in a line, but when twisted take up their normal triangular layout. Two flaps then flip out to keep the whole thing stiff and stable. The fuse-holder is equally good, and the cylindrical safety device just slides into a hole at the back.

I don’t live in Blighty anymore, so I don’t really need any of these, but the design is so fantastic that it should immediately become compulsory for portable goods. And make sure to keep watching to the end, where you’ll see an even cleverer multiplug adapter and USB charger.

UK Folding Plug [YouTube via Pocket Lint]