Filed under: News | Technology News

 

Europe Switches to Universal Charger

How far behind will we be?

Feb 8 2011, 4:27pm CST | by

Europe Switches to Universal Charger
 
 

The European Union has just taken the tech industry one big step forward in the direction of sustainability. Back in March of 2009, the European Commission demanded that phone makers develop a universal charging solution. Fourteen manufacturers signed on, and over the course of this year the new standard mobile charger will gradually start to appear across the 27 EU member states. This is an unprecedented move in industry history.

There are currently half-a-billion cell phones in the EU, and more than thirty different chargers on the market. This necessitates chargers bundled with every new phone, which turns the OLD chargers into waste that ends up dumped in landfills or the backs of closets. The EU estimates roughly 51,000 tons-per-year of e-waste are a result of this process.

This same problem exists in the United States. We have an incredible variety of devices and an equally diverse selection of chargers. My friend's Samsung phone won't take juice from my Motorola charger. BlackBerries have their own proprietary chargers. Ditto Apple. A universal charger doesn't just make life more convenient for everyone- it eliminates the need to bundle a charger with every gadget sold. That saves the manufacturer money, saves you storage space, and saves the environment from a whole lot of nastiness.

So how far away from the U.S. is a similar move? Apple, Motorola Mobility, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Texas Instruments all signed on over in Europe. That doesn't leave a whole lot of big US players out. HTC and LG are really the only two unrepresented. It doesn't look like there would much corporate opposition to such a plan coming stateside. Maybe we're all just waiting to see how it works over in Europe.

Sponsored Update

Updates

Next week: Space hacking, Startup Conference, Instagram unfiltered

Source: San Jose Business Journal

TechFlash delivers technology news and trends from your city and beyond. Cromwell Schubarth is the Senior Technology Reporter at the Business Journal. His phone number is 408.299.1823. The calendar is a bit light next week after the thr ...
Full article at: San Jose Business Journal  More like this  30 minutes ago

Find Equal Files: duplicate file finder with symbolic link feature

Source: GHacks Technology News

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ using the icons below. Duplic ...
Full article at: GHacks Technology News  More like this  36 minutes ago

Google faces display ad antitrust suit: report

Source: San Jose Business Journal

TechFlash delivers technology news and trends from your city and beyond. Sources told Reuters that the investigation has to do with tools Google got in its Doubleclick purchase, and complaints from other companies t ...
Full article at: San Jose Business Journal  More like this  1 hour ago

Watch all 2013 Superbowl ads

where to buy

Don't miss ...

 

<a href="/latest_stories/all/all/5" rel="author">Robert Evans</a>
The excitement about new smartphones, tablets and anything mobile drive Robert to unearth the latest rumors and developments in this fast moving space. He adopted 4G as soon as it become available and knows where the mobile market is going.
Robert can be contacted directly at robert@i4u.com.

 

 

blog comments powered by Disqus

Latest stories

New Look of iOS 7 Leaks a Bit
New Look of iOS 7 Leaks a Bit
Some details about the new user interface look of iOS 7 leak.
 
 
iPhone Urinalysis Medical Apps Leads to FDA Inquiry
iPhone Urinalysis Medical Apps Leads to FDA Inquiry
Biosense has been offering a urinalysis facility for diabetics and other patients on the iPhone. However, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has refused to give it a stamp of approval. In fact, it has led an inquiry into the matter saying that the electronic urinalysis device must pass its standards via a through testing process.
 
 
Google to Outbid Facebook for Waze Acquisition
Google to Outbid Facebook for Waze Acquisition
The navigation map provider based in Israel, Waze is up for grabs by both Google and Facebook. Google especially plans on outbidding Facebook in its quest for acquiring Waze. The two companies are in a struggle over this golden opportunity.
 
 
Microsoft Announces Sculpt Comfort Mouse &amp; Mobile Mouse
Microsoft Announces Sculpt Comfort Mouse & Mobile Mouse
Microsoft has launched today two new mice with a built-in dedicated Windows button. These mice are first of its kind from Microsoft based on latest BlueTrack technology and built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Sculpt Mobile Mouse available now at $29.95 while the Sculpt Comfort Mouse will come in June for $39.95 for U.S. users only.
 
 
 

More From the Web

Viral Stories

 
 

Viral Videos and Photos