With all of today's insane and mind blowing gadgetry readily available for purchase on the open market, it's easy to forget how important a humble piece of equipment like an extension cord can be.
Love 'em or hate 'em, extension cords will be here to stay and thanks to technology, they are getting better with time.
Today we take a look at the Nimitz 5VSAT from Karldon, a SIRIM approved local manufacturer that is churning out some awesome looking products.
At first glance, it's easy to mistake the Nimitz for an imported product. An extension cord is an extension cord, but the slick lines on the Nimitz clearly differentiate it from the run-of-the-mill supermarket quality fodder thanks the vision of industrial designer Robert Schor who envisioned it to represent the USS Nimitz warship / aircraft carrier.
On the body of the Nimitz, you'll only find one ON/OFF switch at the end. Under that are two LED lights - one to show earthing status and one showing protection status. These are in place because the Nimitz not only functions as an extension cord, but also as a surge protector.
The Nimitz 5VSAT comes with five power sockets, and looking at the product catalog, is also available in six and eight port variants. In terms of surge protection, this product is able to handle up to 1780 Joules, a figure that's pretty impressive and is almost double when compared to other products on the market.
Like it's namesake, the Nimitz 5VSAT also offers surge protection for satellite TV and for your telephone lines. This means it'll be a welcome addition to your ASTRO set top box, your fax machine, and your ADSL modem router.
Admittedly, we didn't review this product due to the fact that we don't have the right equipment or technical know-how to simulate a power surge or a lightning strike, but what really impressed us the most about the Nimitz 5VSAT was the insurance coverage that the product provides.
According to the manual, all Karldon products ship with a lifetime product warranty AND insurance coverage. For the Nimitz 5VSAT specifically, Karldon will pay up to RM8000 in damages for devices that are damaged when plugged in. Of course, the manual also features an extended list of terms and conditions in regards to warranty claims, but in essence, money is only paid if and only if the protected light is on when the extension cord is turned on.
All in all, the Karldon Nimitz 5VSAT looks impressive for something as simple as an extension cord. In terms of design, it visibly trumps over the boxy nature of its competition. In terms of surge protection and warranty coverage, it also manages to out do the competition by a staggering two-fold.
