Cables are a nuisance that we have to put up with in everyday life, and extension cords just add to the issue; due to the sockets fixed orientation, they can cause damage to a cable that needs to go in the opposite direction, this can lead to it breaking over time. It’s this issue that designers So Young Kim & Sung Ick Jo identified, and their solution came in the form of Ball-tab.

A socket is housed within each of the four balls, these sit neatly in the tray and are held securely in place using magnets. Power is transferred to them using wireless charging, and it’s this that allows the socket to rotate in almost any direction, reliving the cables of the strain that would otherwise be put on them!

A warm glow, emitted by LEDs, indicates when the socket is in use, and to eliminate dust build up the balls can be turned upside down when they are not needed! A quirky yet ingenious solution!

The Ball-tab is a Winner of the K-Design Award for the year 2018.

Designers: So Young Kim & Sung Ick Jo