But one still needs to be careful about 110V vs 220V! (50Hz vs 60Hz is usually less of an issue....)

The author should be clear... converters convert voltages; it is the convenience of not needing to carry adapters which makes this receptor useful.

Also, the Italian plug will not fit in the receptor pictured....

Lastly, it would be ideal if the next generation light bulbs (using LEDs) did not use the bulb shape. Heat dissipation is a severe problem for these sockets and is one of the biggest problems with replacing current technology light bulbs with more efficient fluorescents or LEDs.