Universal charger for phones plan

[Leafster]

I've always been annoyed that I seem to end up with a pile of perfectly servicable chargers when I upgrade my phone. It seems the mobile phone industry have finally accepted the waste involved.

The world's biggest mobile phone makers and network operators have backed plans to create a universal phone recharger.

The GSMA estimates the new charger will mean the potential elimination of up to 51,000 tonnes of duplicate chargers.

I'm obviously not the only one with old ones stashed away in the back of cupboards.

Full article here

Now, if only this could be extended to other household appliances. I've just replaced my land line's telephone answering machine and realised I still had three perfectly good transformers from the old ones!

 

[Kanda]

They should all be this:

!!

 

[Leafster]

I thought you were supposed to be working.

 

[spanglechick]

They should all be this:

!!

more than one size of that, though - even,

 

[Crispy]

mini-USB has to be the standard. please?

 

[Kanda]

more than one size of that, though - even,

Not the mini USB on the right. All one size. The other end (on the left) is either a Mains plug or USB. Still pretty universal

 

[editor]

Bugger plugging in Ye Olde cables. Palm's Touchstone FTW.

 

[Kanda]

Bugger plugging in Ye Olde cables. Palm's Touchstone FTW.

Nice costly alternative you put forwards there

 

[Crispy]

Inductive charging must add inefficiency to things though. That's my intuition.

 

[danny la rouge]

Not USB, please. You're not always near your PC; it isn't always switched on; and I don't to be charging everything via my PC anyway. Not convenient.

 

[Kanda]

Not USB, please. You're not always near your PC; it isn't always switched on; and I don't to be charging everything via my PC anyway. Not convenient.

But you can get them like this too:

&

You don't need your PC on.

 

[Crispy]

Yeah, it's just the connector. Two of the pins on a USB lead are 0V and +5V, so a mains adapter would just have those two pins active.

 

[editor]

Inductive charging must add inefficiency to things though. That's my intuition.

Palm says that the Touchstone charges at the same rate as their wall charger.

I never thought about it before, but a Touchstone-style vehicle charger could be incredibly handy for GPS or even just easy access to mp3 and phone controls with no hassle of plugging in connections. Hopefully Palm has something in the works for the future. Later on in the Facebook thread, Adam was asked about the charging time and efficiency, to which he responded:


When we developed Touchstone, that was one of our goals...if it wasn't as effective as the wall charger we include with Pre, we shouldn't do it. Check out our site: http://www.palm.com/us/products/accessories/dock.html#tab2

http://www.precentral.net/more-touchstone-details-emerge

 

[danny la rouge]

Kanda: So, it's OK, you can use your universal charger for anything, but you might need an adaptor?

 

[Kanda]

So, it's OK, you can use your universal charger for anything, but you might need an adaptor?

Only for the power end, and you only need what? 2 types? For EVERY phone/gadget etc...

Bit better than the current state of affairs.

 

[Crispy]

Palm says that the Touchstone charges at the same rate as their wall charger.

I'm sure it does, but any energy that has to cross open air in the form of magnetic fields will be reduced by some part. A simple wire is almost 100% efficient by comparison. The amounts involved are small, of course, but if all rechargable devices used such a mechanism, there'd be an appreciable increase in electicity demand.

 

[editor]

I'm sure it does, but any energy that has to cross open air in the form of magnetic fields will be reduced by some part. A simple wire is almost 100% efficient by comparison. The amounts involved are small, of course, but if all rechargable devices used such a mechanism, there'd be an appreciable increase in electicity demand.

But if a lot less power cables were being manufactured/lost/replaced/damaging phones...?

 

[Crispy]

I have no idea, I don't have good enough data.

 

[editor]

I have no idea, I don't have good enough data.

Aw. You've taken the "what if?" ball away with you.

 

[Kanda]

Aw. You've taken the "what if?" ball away with you.

what about the cost of those devices? Compared to a simple USB cable.

 

[Crispy]

what about the cost of those devices? Compared to a simple USB cable.

I bet the Touchstone has a USB socket on the back

 

[Kanda]

I bet the Touchstone has a USB socket on the back

Looks like it:

 

[quimcunx]

They should all be this:

!!

I was about to say that!

A wall charger that shape and any old usb cable for charging through your computer. Full of win.

 

[editor]

A wall charger that shape and any old usb cable for charging through your computer. Full of win.

It uses a micro USB cable. Got many of them?

 

[quimcunx]

It uses a micro USB cable. Got many of them?

what uses a micro usb cable?


My phone uses any old usb cable.


It is absolutely my favourite thing about it.

 

[Crispy]

It uses a micro USB cable. Got many of them?

Plenty of phones already do. As do plenty of other gadgets - I have card reader that does, for instance. If you wanted to set a standard, it'd be an obvious choice.

 

[Kanda]

Plenty of phones already do. As do plenty of other gadgets - I have card reader that does, for instance. If you wanted to set a standard, it'd be an obvious choice.

Even the card reader for our door security uses it, as do most external hard drives etc etc etc

 

[Crispy]

Even the card reader for our door security uses it, as do most external hard drives etc etc etc

2.5" ones, anyway

 

[editor]

Even the card reader for our door security uses it, as do most external hard drives etc etc etc

New ones, aye. I don't think I've got anything that uses microUSB. Got tons of mini USB connectors though.

 

[editor]

Here's the whole USB family, just in case anyone's not sure of the difference. MicroUSB is to the far left and miniUSB is next.