Argue if you want over the value of Monster Cable cables, the premium-price versions that are a runaway success at local retailers, judging by their prominent display. Maybe there is some reason to spend $300 on a cable to connect a TV to a DVD player, which is what one Monster HDMI connector costs at Circuit City.
I'll just say I'm smitten by a new Monster product, Outlets to Go. Granted, at $20, it seems overpriced for a four-outlet extension cord. But its innovations deserve some plaudits, and a place in my laptop bag.
For one, it's short–my version is only 18 inches in length. So it really isn't about extending but simply adding outlets, notably to a hotel room. About 6 inches of that length holds outlets on two sides, allowing for oversize power blocks. And the cord wraps neatly around the outlets.
But the innovation that might save my bacon is the plug itself–where a small blue light glows if the outlet actually has power. One recently didn't, on a trip where I needed my gadgets charged. Maybe I would've seen that the little orange light on my laptop remained dark, indicating it wasn't charging. Maybe I wouldn't have.
So argue, yes, if one digital cable is better than another. I mean, a digital signal either gets through or it doesn't, right? At least on Outlets to Go, I can see a friendly, blue glow that seems worth the price.
Photo courtesy of Monster Cable Products
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