Smart Wi-Fi power strips are a great way to save on your power bill. But do they pay for themselves? Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
Leaving devices plugged and switched on can be wasteful.
Monitoring usage and remote switching helps reduce bills.
This Tapo smart power strip is a great option to monitor power consumption, and at $45, it pays for itself.
I have three 3D printers that are on the go a lot of the time. I use them to make everything from replacement car parts to signs, and I even print material for local businesses. What's even better, I can print both when I'm physically there with the printers or remotely (yes, I can send projects to print from my iPhone -- what a time we live in!).
And because of this convenience of remote printing, I got into the habit of leaving everything on. Not all the time, but a lot of the time. After all, it's convenient. And the times I did turn them off, I got annoyed because I couldn't use them remotely.
And because each printer has different filaments and capabilities, I couldn't just keep one on. I needed all three to be on.
Also: This handy USB meter tells you what's actually going on with your ports - and it's only $20
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