When he moved into the dorm at Rhode Island School of Design, Jake Zien faced the common frustration of being unable to fit variously shaped plugs side by side on a standard power strip. So he took it upon himself to develop the snakelike Quirky Pivot Power Surge Protector ($29.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond, 620 Sixth Ave., at 18th St.; 212-255-3550), which flexes to accommodate plugs both boxy and basic in each of its six outlets. Now a two-months-out RISD grad and brand-new New Yorker, Zien pockets four to twelve cents on every retail dollar his invention pulls in. Plus, a bi-level grill, a travel-size water filter, and more in this week's issue. [NYM]