What To Do With All of My Gadget Chargers? 696
legoman666 writes "On my desk I have chargers for the following gadgets: Nokia N810, LG Chocolate, Sony Ericcson Z310a, Canon Powershot SD1000, Cowan iAudio X5L, Lenovo Thinkpad, Logitech MX1000 and my Nintendo DS. Not a single pair of them share a similar connector. I have two power strips whose singular purpose is to energize these chargers. My question to Slashdot is: How do you organize all of your different chargers? Please, share your secrets."
Insomnia (Score:5, Funny)
I organize mine alphabetically by manufacturer. It gives me something to do on the nights that I can't sleep.
But no matter how sleep-deprived I am, I would never submit such drivel to slashdot, nor, were I an editor, would I post it.
Re:Insomnia (Score:4, Informative)
Organizing those dongles is beyond human efforts. The only real way to deal with those stupid things is to have a tray beneath the rear of the desk to keep their power strips hidden. Then run the wires underneath the desktop and fish the ends up through a hole near where you will plug in the gimmicks that use them.
Every time I look at mine I feel guilty for not having a smoke alarm hanging above them.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
That seems like a silly thing to say.
Just use the USB charger for everything. I know my camera, my phone, my mp3 player, and my Nintendo DS all charge off my USB.
Re:Insomnia (Score:4, Funny)
Getting a USB port installed in your body also seems like a drastic step.
Serious issue! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Funny)
It does raise a serious issue of why the flying fuck in the sky don't gadgets simply have the same bloody connectors for charging? There's no excuse!
Your question takes two steps to solve. First, hold shift. Second, press 4.
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Funny)
First, hold shift. Second, press 4.
I have a French keyboard, you insensitive clod!
Re:Serious issue! (Score:4, Funny)
I have a French keyboard, you insensitive clod!
I am a clod, you insensitive Frenchman!
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Funny)
I have a better idea -- First, hold Alt. Second, press F4. Thanks!
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
No, Money. Wo$h is ctl-alt-delete
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The majority of devices that use USB will charge from the current provided - a defacto power standard. For non USB devices and given the low current requirements of most gadgets, designing the charging/regulation circuitry to a defined standard would be almost trivial. In fact, most use commonly available regulation ICs to save mfg cost.
Given the increasing onus on manufacturers to provide environmentally conscious disposal for their products, most will eventually opt for a standardised power/charging arra
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Insightful)
Boost/Buck converters negate those factors.
E.g. phones which can charge over USB dont use 5v batteries.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
USB spec says half a amp, less means that the device is charged slower.
Not a big issue.
And the regulators are mandatory anyway. CPUs dont run on the 3.7v or so of Lithium cells.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I have owned 3 different Motorola phones and all 3 have used mini USB for charging. All 3 have included or provided a wall-wart charger with a mini USB plug on the end that can charge the phone with no computer needed
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Interesting)
Yes, AT THE MOMENT.
There's no reason why gadgets can't be designed around a particular voltage - look at all the stuff you can buy which plugs into car cigarette lighters.
Being forced to use 12V doesn't seem to slow anybody down.
Re:Serious issue! (Score:4, Informative)
Yes, powering lower voltages off of 12VDC is easy. For my DIY projects I usually just throw in a LM317 or LM350 regulator set to the voltage I want (unless it's 5VDC needed, then I just go with the (slightly cheaper) 7805).
I don't usually bother, but you can also wire the LM317 as a current regulator. So if you wanted a USB device to run off 12, you can limit the voltage to 5VDC and the current to 500mA etc.
Anyways, I guess I'm trying to agree with you in my long winded way.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Awww... I use 7805's to power lots of interesting tidbits in my car ;-)
(Then again, I use a hig-power 12V power supply [hqproducts.com] for my subwoofer amp [jbl.com] in my living room )
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
So you're saying that introducing competition into a market which was otherwise a monopoly and reducing the cost to produce a product will not lead to reduced prices? I find that hard to believe.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Future Shop and Breast Buy sell standard USB device cables for $30. Then the salesman tells you that if you buy a cheap one, it will suffer from signal loss and lower speed. If the world standardized small electronics on one power port, manufacturers can ship their products entirely without chargers. Then the "Pop-up add" style salesman can sell you a USB-mini charger for $50 and tell you that your warranty will be void if your "un-certified" charger ruins your device. He can then sell you a product pro
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Interesting)
China has already mandated USB charging for all new mobile phones [slashgear.com]
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Informative)
Because chargers cost $0.99 to make (Score:3, Insightful)
And you are more than happy to buy one locking you to a specific manufacturer for $19.99. Same reason the headsets are all different.
The manufacturers are simply giving you what you ask for. YOU are the problem.
Re:Because chargers cost $0.99 to make (Score:5, Insightful)
Ahhh... but say you want the car charger? That'll be an extra $25. They find ways to make money on sales of these things. If all devices used USB, you wouldn't have these charges.
Re:Serious issue! (Score:4, Insightful)
One would assume that the manufacturer's motivations remain where they "should" be, to insure profit. If you lose or break a charger, or if it just plain fails, you can either order another one from the manufacturer for some unreasonable amount, or you can buy a whole new unit. I've had to buy a whole new unit on several occasions.
The packs are almost always marked for voltage and polarity, but the hardware rarely is. (the packs are probably required by UL to be marked) So if you lose the pack you have no idea what the requirements are to replace it yourself. Experimenting is very likely to lead to smoking the equipment. (see first point, I'm sure they're very satisfied with this possibility)
Most larger airports have a shop that sells a variety of fixed packs and universal packs for travelers that have forgotten to pack the cord to their gadget, cordless razors in particular. I'd be interested to see some input from one of those employees.
USB only supplies 5vDC nominal, and not at terribly high current, so I don't think that would make a good universal standard. Firewire would be a better choice for current and voltage, but it can vary between what, +12 and +24 or something like that, and isn't nearly as popular to begin with so that's probably also out.
Many of my toys are 12vDC, of the round pin variety. Polarity is totally random, as is size of the center pin, but many are compatible. If they're going to standardize, this is probably where to go.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
"Many of my toys are 12vDC, of the round pin variety. Polarity is totally random, as is size of the center pin, but many are compatible. If they're going to standardize, this is probably where to go."
I keep a well-used voltage tester handy for exactly this reason. This, coupled with an ultra-fine point sharpie marker (those marked "fine" are ballpoints, not markers) means I can mark the volt, amps and polarity somewhere on the device and mark the charger with the device is belongs to - it's amazing how few
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Interesting)
One would assume that the manufacturer's motivations remain where they "should" be, to insure profit. If you lose or break a charger, or if it just plain fails, you can either order another one from the manufacturer for some unreasonable amount, or you can buy a whole new unit. I've had to buy a whole new unit on several occasions.
When a charger I own breaks or get lost I stroll to the nearest hotel and asks if they got one of the model I need. The hotels are very happy to get rid of them since they usually have bins full of chargers that people have left in their rooms and never claimed.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Serious issue! (Score:4, Interesting)
The nice thing about USB is that it is first and foremost a communication protocol. It would be very nice if when you plugged your device in, it got it's standard 500mA, and then requested from the charger the amount of power it actually needed to charge the quickest. The chargers could actually become smart, and do things like shut off power to ports when not in use, or turn the power way down when the device is charged.
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I've had several mobile phones from Nokia, and they've all used the same connector (even if the voltage ranges from 3.3 to 5.8 at least it can get you out of trouble). My latest Nokia has a much smaller connector which annoys me. It means I have to carry the charger around instead of just leaving them where I use them (in bedroom, in kitchen, at work...)
In a related rant, I have several devices that run off 12V. Problem is they use the same connector but some have reverse polarity. Someone has already blown
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Informative)
USB would actually be a good charger standard, for that matter. It works for some phones and cameras (though Moto perverted the spec for the RAZR -- this should be avoided as it is deliberate proprietariness and that's bullshit).
Anyway, how about some answers? Over at the Gawker Media site Lifehacker [lifehacker.com], there [lifehacker.com] have [lifehacker.com] been [lifehacker.com] a [lifehacker.com] few [lifehacker.com] suggestions [lifehacker.com].
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
There's probably a warranty-security issue here too. Manufactures of higher end devices spec out a third party plug, or have one designed specifically for their product to reduce any problems further down the line. They know exactly what voltage range, quality of full wave rectification, and total amperage their gizmo needs. Since you just paid $400 for your new toy, it sure would suck for both you and the company if your El Cheapomatic Universal Dongleizer provided one of those resources just outside o
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Insightful)
All devices should have over-voltage protection by default. Even if the device you are manufacturing comes with a super-wahzoo psu that is absolutely limited to 5Vdc output, your device should be able to handle 30Vdc and not have a problem. Simple electronics design, not complicated rocket science. Varistors are cheap. Resetable surface mount fuses are cheap. Voltage regulators are cheap.
Re:Serious issue! (Score:5, Informative)
Well, in some ways many HAVE agreed on a charger standard - and it's USB!
Manufacturers are starting to realize that charging from standard USB ports is less likely to sell "add-ons" like chargers, but FAR more likely to sell the devices themselves due to issues such as this.
Even my new Motorola Talkabout FRS radios have Mini-USB ports for the sole purpose of charging.
Unfortunately manufacturers haven't quite standardized on how to handle "dumb" chargers without violating the USB specification. USB devices are not permitted to draw more than 100 mA without negotiating with a PC for more current. So a manufacturer has three choices:
1) Violate the USB specification (can't put the USB logo on your packaging)
2) Figure out some way to signal the presence of a "dumb" charger to the device, allowing it to draw more than 100 mA (sometimes even more than 500) when connected to such a charger. There's a de facto standard for Mini-USB plugs - There's a pin that is not connected in normal USB operation that "dumb charger" plugs will usually ground. If a device sees that this pin is grounded it will draw as much current as it can. I know these cables can be used with, at the least, Holux GPS receivers, HTC PDAs, and I believe most new Motorola phones and FRS radios. Unfortunately you cannot have a single cable that will both communicate and "dumb charge" from one of those wallwarts that has a USB Type A jack.
3) Limit current to 100 mA (this is unsatisfactory for many devices)
4) Wait for USB 3.0 - Supposedly USB 3.0 has taken this whole issue into consideration.
USB is the answer (Score:5, Insightful)
Simple.
Chuck all the stupid crap toys you have that use proprietary connectors.
I have made a decision: In the small electronics area, I will ONLY buy devices that use the mini-USB style connectors. I flatly refuse to buy anything that cannot be charged or connected via USB to my PC, or a USB base station.
Yes, this does mean that I will miss out on some "hot" tech items. For example, I do not have an iPhone. Why? Not because I think it's a bad device or because I cannot afford it. I think iPhones are very nice and I can certainly afford to buy one. I don't have an iPhone because it uses a 30 pin proprietary dock connector. The means that I would have to buy all sorts of expensive connecting devices from Apple that I have no intention of spending money on like a moron.
The same goes with most other phones. I selected my Motorazr cell phone because I can charge it with a USB connector. I selected my Creative Zen MP3 player because I can charge it with a USB connector (the same one I charge my phone with) Should the need for any other small devices come along, I will select the one I can recharge with a USB connector. If no devices have that option, I will forgo the device altogether. NO device is so important that I should have to clutter my life with useless connectors and chargers, when a simple mini usb 2.0 connector will do everything these idiotic proprietary connectors will do AND MORE.
It's time we as consumers put our feet down. Manufacturers need to stop trying to follow the "give away the razor handle and sell the blades at a 500% markup" model and start selling their devices, unlocked, with a standard unified connector at a reasonable price.
It starts with each one of us deciding to change this one thing in our lives by only buying devices with USB connectors. I have made the change, who will join me?
Re:USB is the answer (Score:5, Insightful)
I will and I have. The benefit is that I now have NO wall warts or AC chargers, and I can travel with all my devices using either a USB to USB-MiniA or USB to USB-MiniB connector.
That's a phone, camera, MP3 player, GPS tracking token and wireless mouse all sharing two very small and light cables, whereas previously I'd need a whole nuther bag for the charging silliness.
We, as consumers, need to get more people behind this.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
What I really want is to hook it up to my phone in such a way that it will lock me out of my address book if I am over 0.15%.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
USB is good but it's not perfect.
I just bought a Seagate 250 GB external USB HDD. It came with a Y-shaped USB connector which you're supposed to plug into TWO USB ports and the drive. I figured that was for low-power (USB 1.0?) computers* so I took a chance and just used a regular mini-USB cable I had from a camera and it's been working fine with just one USB (2.0) port. Except on my MacBook Pro--I can plug it into the USB port on the right and it works but if I use the port on the left the drive just makes
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
USB 2 theoretically supplies up to 500mA at 5V at the controller. It gets less as you start adding hubs (which is why many hubs are powered). The USB ports that don't work with the drive probably don't supply enough current to run the drive. The Y adapter isn't to speed up USB 1.0 connections, but just to give the drive enough power to spin up. If you look closely, one of the cables in the Y is thicker than the other. The thicker one is the data cable, the thinner one is supplementary power.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
In addition, devices are only supposed to pull that much power after negotiating with the controller for it. Otherwise, the most you're supposed to pull from USB is only 100 mA. When plugged in, the GP's hard drive negotiates with the hub in the keyboard for the extra power it needs. When the keyboard says it can't supply it, the hard drive refuses to fire up and an error message pops up. Odds are pretty good that the keyboard will only
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
* or crazy things like the way you can plug a device into a Mac and it's fine but if you plug it into the USB port on the keyboard you get a "not enough power" warning. WTF?!?
The keyboard on a Mac is a hub. Hubs generally do not provide as much power on the line as an on-board port does (the hub itself uses power, and must share power with everything plugged into it), unless the hub is powered. This is why a number of peripherals specifically state that they must be plugged into an on-board USB port.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Simple.
Chuck all the stupid crap toys you have that use proprietary connectors.
I have made a decision: In the small electronics area, I will ONLY buy devices that use the mini-USB style connectors.
Here's something interesting. I bought an MP3 player from SansDisk. I specifically bought it because (besides some pretty much Windows only access tool) the player can simply be accessed as an MSD - and either way it connects via USB through a supplied cable (mini-USB to USB).
The odd thing is, though I thought the cable nothing more than a regular cable with a toriod on it, the thing only seems to work with that cable.... maybe the other cables were defective, or it was more than just a toriod inside the
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
It's not the carrier that does that, it's Motorola themselves (I also have a RAZR V3).
I have come accross several devices that will only charge (or charge at a decent rate) when connected to their own dedicated charger or when connected to a real, live computer. sometimes even requiring a special driver (I'm looking at you, blackberry!)
Maybe it will charge if you plug it into a powered USB hub?
I have noticed, though, that I can use the same 5V, 2A plug for my PSP, my Creative Zen and my iPaq (with a tiny co
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
And yes, I know my name is stupid. I wish I could change it, at least once. I hate my l33t name. :(
This is the Slashdot equivalent of tattoo regret. Maybe there's money in it ...
1. Slashdot l33t name regret
2. ???
3. PROFIT!
Re:USB is the answer (Score:5, Funny)
I shaved my beard off four years ago.
Re:USB is the answer - Uh, about that... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
How about other types of connectivity you might want on a device? In addition to USB, my iPod photo also provides S-video out (maybe composite as well; I know composite video is available through the headphone jack), audio in/out, control (for things like car stereo connectivity), and FireWire. My Treo puts RS-232, audio in/out, and some other signals on its connector. On a larger device, you might get away with including al
Re:Insomnia (Score:5, Funny)
Re:shouldn't ever be posted (Score:3, Insightful)
but we should make the best of this question, because it is a good one.
Only recently have manufacturers jumped on a bandwagon. Many cell manufacturers are providing mini-usb connectors for charging and sync. With the recent addition of the new USB (3?) offering higher output voltages, we may see more manufacturers moving to a common charging system.
There are, of course, several manufacturers that require proprietary connectors or needle barrel plugs who should be encouraged to change to a standardized con
Through them out (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Through them out (Score:4, Funny)
Or as the khalif of baghdad, when it was taken by mongolian forces.
You should be placed in a tower, with all your gadges, and the the doors should be sealed, and all the windows should be barred, and you would no bread nor water delivered for thirty days, for you are so happy for your gadgets, that i can only conclude you can live on them!
There, i've made a reference to Marco Polo on slashdot, although sort of half-assed but hey...
Re:Three step process... (Score:5, Insightful)
I said keep the laptop, did I not? Reading for comprehension: FAIL
Besides, I ALWAYS have my iPhone with me. And it can, to some extent, and in most cases to the extent necessary, stand in for all of those other things.
You on the other hand, may or may not, depending on whether or not you loaded up your Batman utility belt that morning, be carrying the LG, the Nokia, the Ericcson, the Canon, the Cowan, or the Nintendo. Nor, given the subject of the post, will you be totally certain that any or all of them are charged up and ready to go. (BTW, you forgot to mention the book reader/Kindle, GPS/Magellen, ...., ah, never mind.)
From my perspective, having the perfect dedicated device for each and every function does me no good whatsoever when it's sitting on the shelf at home because I didn't feel like being an electronic pack mule that day.
side by side!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Meh, I modified a drawer in my "back of the couch table" to have a power strip in it, I then tied up all the plugs with tyewraps and made a charging drawer. Open drawer, plug in and charge item/items. Attached to the power strip is a $3.95 light timer that turns the strip on and off. On an hour before I get home and off when I leave for work. This works great and reduces the parasitic load on my electric bill. Plus everything is out of sight.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I've noticed that the power warts get quite hot.
Indeed. And all that heat is wasting a lot of energy. Everyone should turn things they're not using off at the wall (or unplug them of course). It's incredible the amount of energy that's being wasted in this way.
News for nerds? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:News for nerds? (Score:5, Insightful)
Some of use nerds have "wives", and desks messed up with mountains of chargers has a low WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor)... Anything with a low WAF will lower the chances of wife-provided entertainment, a.k.a. sex.
It matters, my friend. It truly matters. ;)
Re:News for nerds? (Score:5, Funny)
Ah, a newlywed I see.
chance_of_sex = 1 / (year_of_marriage + number of children - WAF/1000)
As you can see, prior to marriage, a high WAF can actually be detrimental (she'll think you are gay). But after a few years of marriage and/or children the WAF becomes all but meaningless.
Re:News for nerds? (Score:4, Insightful)
How eerily accurate, even for the Wife Beta-version (aka. "SignificantOther")
Re:News for nerds? (Score:4, Funny)
Ah, no children I see.
chance_of_sex = 1 / (year_of_marriage + 5*number of children - WAF/1000)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You're new here, aren't you? Either she goes, or we revoke your /. login.
Re:News for nerds? (Score:5, Funny)
And some wives have their own "gadgets" that require chargers.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
After being married for 20 years, the gadget my wife needs are powered by 2-stroke gasoline engines. During the summer when we have the windows open, the neighbors sometimes ask why we're running our lawnmower indoors.
And let me tell you, it's not easy yanking the starter cord when I'm wearing handcuffs.
Re:News for nerds? (Score:5, Insightful)
That's the first insightful comment you have ever made, #1345021.
That's exactly the kind of thing government should mandate, just like the shape of the plug that goes into the wall and the gauge of wire that should be built into new houses.
organize them according to their risk level (Score:5, Funny)
Risk of Exploding
1- nokia
2- dell
3- sony
4...
Re:organize them according to their risk level (Score:5, Funny)
USB (Score:5, Insightful)
Pack them all away and get USB charging cables for them all. Much easier and takes up much less space.
Re:USB (Score:5, Interesting)
And will make your USB power fall over and die and blow something up, very creative and "performance art".
Better:
500W PSU
a pair of side cutters
soldering iron
a terminal block
tons of heat-shrink
Select and solder some heatsinked resistors over the 12v and 5v rails so that you are sinking an amp in each (switchmode PSUs need a constant load).
Next tap wires for different chargers, 12v and 5v are easy (as almost all are now) 3.3 and 12v will give you around 9v, 5v and 12v will give you 7.
Then all you need is a nice little cabinet with some ventilation and one power lead and you can dump all your junk in there to charge and GO THE FUCK OUTSIDE AND LEAVE THEM BEHIND!
A phone, an mp3 player and a camera should do anyone, heck some phones can be your mp3 and camera too now.
And if you can't follow even a bit of what I said, don't try it :)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Right, replace a wasteful solution with an even more wasteful one. Running a 500W power supply to supply maybe 20 W on average, dumping another 20W into resistors plus the internal losses of the power supply. It also won't take up less space than the wall warts you replace, plus it requires active cooling (another component to go wrong in the long term, and drive you crazy with noise in the meantime).
Also, you hardly ever need to charge all your gadgets at once, making your concerns a bit unlikely. And if y
Re:USB (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Another reason I regret buying one :(. My Creative Zen Vision M is the same, which is a PITA. Damn gadget designers, get a clue!
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
My Verizon phone (a RAZR), has a USB charging port on it, but will NOT accept any other USB charger. If I try to use my Blackberry charger the phone says something like "Unauthorized charger detected" and refuses to charge.
I'm tempted to call their support line and ask how I can 'authorize' a different charger for my phone.
Wherever possible, use usb chargers. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Wherever possible, use usb chargers. (Score:5, Funny)
Genius! I can charge my thinkpad from my thinkpad's USB port! Could this be the solution to the world's energy problems?
Randomly (Score:5, Funny)
a great post (Score:4, Funny)
forget the nay sayers... I for one want to see what the /. community do. Do they run a DC ring around the house? Strip the wires and fudge some coins together to make a potential divider? replace the transformers with rodent power?
I have 4 USB hdds that I've not gotten around to putting in a case yet, because I dont have the cash for a mixed sata/ide jbod server, all of which need their own adaptor. I have a headset that needs an adaptor. My phone charger, and mp3 charger. That's some 7 sockets I'm using on 8 socket power strip, with the 8th going to a another 4 socket in serial to power my PC and high-fi (i know you shouldn't have power strips in parallel... but pfft, im not running a kettle off it like at Uni :D)
it is a problem. step down transformers are notoriously wasteful. There has to be a better way!?
Re: (Score:2)
Mmmm i did not read that back before posting :(
Really? (Score:2)
Do they all NEED to be plugged in at the same time?
You could get one of those 200-in-1 universal adapter things and keep a note of the power requirements for each device in a handy notepad. Then you can just dump those chargers in a drawer somewhere, where they belong.
Disassemble them all! (Score:5, Funny)
You may wish to update your fire insurance.
Callpod (Score:5, Informative)
A few practical tips (Score:3, Informative)
I try to hide whatever chargers and wiring in general I don't have to unplug. That way I can wrap it all up with cable ties and keep it managed somehow. Fastening power strips to the bottom of the desk can be a good option. (The double sided tape thing never works... Use something more permanent.)
Also non-brand chargers can make sense when space is a premium. TinyPlugs are excellent for Nokia phones, for instance.
Having an off switch on the power strip with all the chargers can be a good idea too, if you aren't charging anything you can turn the whole thing off and save power. (No leeching.)
Luxury problem (Score:3, Funny)
Why three mobile phones, are you waiting for the not so ineviteble question "Is that 3 mobiles in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
Three Mobile Phones? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
One for friends
One for women
Doesn't everyone have three phones?
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
One for business One for friends One for women Doesn't everyone have three phones?
You can talk to women AND post on slashdot?
Re:Three Mobile Phones? (Score:4, Funny)
1. Wife
2. Girlfriend
3. Boyfriend
Welll (Score:4, Insightful)
What sort of answer are you expecting?
- I chop off all the connectors from my expensive, official chargers and solder them to cheap multi-level adaptors?
- I bought X, a thing which includes connectors for everything and lets you charge Watts of equipment simultaneously?
- I run DC electric around my house in multi-voltage and have purchased specific connectors for every piece of equipment I own and hope I don't plug my phone into the wrong voltage?
I don't think that there is a sensible solution at the moment. I tend to have a charging area - where I keep all the chargers on a power strip which is plugged in whenever I need to charge anything. My wife and I often want to charge two similar items at the same time - for those cases I purchase an extra charger (usually from eBay or a boot sale) or use one mains charger and plug the supplied car-charger into a 220-12v adaptor I bought that has a "cigarette lighter" socket on it.
The other options don't really bear thinking about. Running DC electric around a house is an absolute nightmare so you're basically going to want to lump all the things needing charge near a suitable DC output - which could be the official chargers on a powerstrip, or a multi-voltage thing, like a PC PSU or similar multi-out DC supply if you have THAT many but I'd check the efficiency of using such a thing when a single mobile phone is plugged into it.
So you have to have all your charging equipment in one place, and you can either rig up some Heath Robinson solution to charge any peripheral with any connector via any voltage or you could just plug the mains adaptors that you already have into a £2.99 power strip. You can neaten it up by hiding the actual blocks out of site and rigging up a bit of polished wood that can hold all the various gadgets with the right connectors already in place through holes on it. But that's just poncing about.
You don't save much by doing anything different - in fact, the exact opposite when something goes wrong or doesn't work first time. Forget the whiners moaning about the power used by extra PSU's on the strips - plug in an energy monitor while they are all idle if you are that worried, but the easiest solution is "plug them all in when something is charging, take them all out when nothing is", which is facilitated by an amazing invention called the main switch on a power strip.
There is no magic solution. Even "wireless charging" is bound to be the same in 100 years - every bloody manufacturer will use a different field strength, frequency, polarisation etc. so that you have to buy their charger. Until someone (ISO, I'm looking at you) actually standardises on a DC supply to a house and countries enforce its use in law, you're stuck with it. The only DC standard I'm aware of is in cars and that actually WORKS to a degree - a car charger is a car charger and will work in basically every car in the world (24v supplies on lorries not included, but they do usually come with rather large warnings on the dash and you can get 24-12v convertors for just such an occasion).
Keep-A-Cable (Score:3, Informative)
Green Plug is already trying to do this (Score:5, Informative)
Labels (Score:3, Interesting)
I have a bunch of sheets of blank white label (sticker) stock. Each time I get a new charger thingy or other non-standard wire, I just cut out a little piece of sticker, stick it on the charger and write what device it's for. That's also good for going through your drawer of chargers and seeing- oh! I haven't had that XYZ for years! So this charger can get tossed.
I'm having the same kind of problem (Score:4, Funny)
I know what you mean, I have a Ferarri F350, a hybrid Toyota, a Hummer and a Smart. Oh I forgot the Tesla prototype. The thing is, I want all of them to perform at their 100% but I want to use the same fuel. What do you slashdotters do to avoid this kind of problem?
Answer: Stop whining about trivial problems you already know the answer for.
A little know engineering fact: (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Use a power strip with switches on each output, then only switch on the ones you want.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually, in the recent years most of the 'bricks' turned into SMPSes. It's no more expensive to produce and less so to ship in cargo containers from China - smaller, lighter = more units in a container = lower shipping fee per unit. That makes a difference when sending out several tons of this junk a day.