By Andrew Liszewski

There’s recently been a flood of new powerbars that are all designed to cut down on the amount of energy your electronics waste when they’re in standby mode. And while the CheckTap might seem like another drop in the bucket, it does bring some new ideas to the table. Its most unique feature is that it connects to your PC via USB and can be controlled or programmed using the included CheckManager software. The application allows you to set up schedules for when each socket is on or off, and provides feedback on how much energy you’re actually saving with your current configuration. It even features a virtual tree that grows at different rates depending on the CO2 emissions your setup has managed to reduce.

The CheckTap, which was designed by Lee Jeong-soo from Incasolution Ltd., won the Grand Prix at the 2008 Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva and the website claims it can actually reduce the power consumption of all the devices plugged into it by up to 70%. (Compared to leaving them all in standby mode.) While it’s not available for sale just yet, there is an official website for the CheckTap that features a couple of demonstration videos if you’re looking for more info.

[ CheckTap Powerbar ] VIA [ TreeHugger ]