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Westinghouse Commits to Green Plug's Universal A.C. Adapter
Ian Lamont writes "Westinghouse is the first major electronics manufacturer that has publicly committed to using a 'smart power technology' that will let people use a single universal adapter to power their laptops, cell phones and other electronics. The universal adapters, which use a technology developed by a startup called Green Plug, will act like a hub that several devices can plug into, and will also shut off the power supply when the device is turned off or has finished charging. The first are expected to go on sale in early 2009 for under $100, according to Westinghouse's CTO. Eventually, Westinghouse and other manufacturers that use the technology could stop shipping adapters with their products, because customers may already have universal adapters at home. However, some manufacturers may not be inclined to use universal power adapters: the article notes Apple gets supplementary revenue from the sale of proprietary connectors for the iPod and other devices."
Does that mean that I have to un-plug my lappy to charge my cell, or maybe have a $100 "all-purpose" adapter in each room so I can power my lappy in the living room, charge my cellphone in the bedroom, have my portable radio playing in the kitchen, and all the other things that use power bricks all over the house?
Do I get multiple smart power units at a hundred a pop instead of the cheapo $2 ones I use now?
Will these fancy $100 units power multiple devices at the same time, each using a different voltage?
Will it really handle an 85 watt load for a loaded laptop plus the dozen other devices that need simultaneous power for operation/charging?
Wait a minute, my WiFi base, router my cable modem, my scanner, and who knows how many other "things" in my office all have wall warts powering them. How may devices will one of these $100 units actually handle?
Naw. I'll stick with my little cheap wall warts and a power strip with a switch...
--Tomas
I have one of these; it's called a "Computer." Seriously - every necessary portable device I own charges through USB - my phone, my camera, my mp3 player, all of it.
Westinghouse is essentially trying to sell me a hundred dollar USB hub. That's progress for you.
That is the fault of windows.
Windows will not allow high current to the usb port unless the device is seen, driver loaded, and running. Many cellphones refuse to charge USB until you install the windows driver.
It's Microsoft's fault. get a powered usb hub and bypass stupid microsoft tricks.
P.S.: it's not the computer. Under linux I can charge a device with a usb port even if no drivers are loaded. only windows does this.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Also as speaking from experience, my laptop had its motherboard fried not once, but twice. Both from using third party plugs, the first was from a "universal" adapter, the second was what the guy from the maker's tech support told me to buy. Both of the times the real AC adapter's wires became broken because I *gasp* actually used my laptop to travel more then 3 feet and used it for *gasp* more then 3 hours a day. Laptop makers really should adopt a standard because of all the things about laptops I like, I really hate the power issues.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
There is a problem with this. I assume that you mean 16 and 3 Volts DC. As voltage goes down current goes up. With higher current you need thicker wire. 500mA is not to bad, but if an entire house is wired up one would need 10 to 20 amps. From my work in the pipe organ industry I can tell you that anything less then 10 gauge wire will cause problems.
This is precisely why 120V AC is run in homes. It is the right balance between the amount of power that can be delivered, and the safety of exposed line voltage. If the voltage were much less the current would be too much to handle. much over 300 volts and the act of connecting to the circuit becomes too risky for "the average person."
Strive to make your client happy, not necessarly give them what they ask for
First: yes, you will have just as many power supplies as items to be powered and/or recharged. Nothing new there. (Oh, that's not counting their power supply hub. But we'll ignore that for the moment.) Yes, these supplies will cost more initially than the present ones. But like any investment, it's supposed to save you money in the long run.
On the other hand, when your cell phone dies, or your electric razor, or your battery charger, you can buy a new one without buying a new power supply -- because the power supply is universal, see? Less waste in the landfill, less use of resources (one less supply to build), less money to buy the new item.
And if you dash off on a trip and forget your cell phone charger, but remember your electric razor charger -- hey, no problem! They'll just have to take turns. Or you can charge them both at night because you're not using your laptop.
In fact, any decent hotel will have a charger installed right in the wall. Just in case.
Or you're staying at a friend's house; you can borrow his.
As for the supply being bulky, they've already got a supply that can adjust to any voltage in its range.
Since the supply actually talks to the device, it will know when the device is charged, and turn itself off. Unlike the current average wall wart, it will stop using power (or only use a miniscule trickle) if the device doesn't need power.
So: Initial expense will be higher, but you'll be able to save on later purchases (because you can re-use the old supply), you'll save on power (because of lower vampiric power draw), and all the power supplies will be interchangeable.
Greenplug's web site
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Cell phone -carriers- suck. Especially the US's. It's only what they do to phones to fit their attempts at vendor lock-in and money-saving that make their cell phones suck.