Slashdot Mirror
What To Do With All of My Gadget Chargers?
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."
http://callpod.com/ I think they're a bit pricey, but definitely worth it if you've got a ton of gadgets. Two cellphones qualifies... :)
For one thing, different gadgets require different voltages. If you hook up the wrong voltage, you can fry the gadget. Different size plugs helps to avoid this. Also, different devices require different amperage. There is no reason to make a rectifier that can handle higher amperage that it really needs, since that adds cost.
http://www.greenplug.us/ Green Plug has been mentioned before on /. and has been adopted by Westinghouse (http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/15/0136223)
If it is adopted widely, the problem of multiple chargers will largely disappear.
Holy ancient links Batman! If China mandated USB charging for all phones in 2006, are all phones in compliance today?
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, there have been a few suggestions.
www.wavefront-av.com
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.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
Use microwaves,, just place face up in a microwave safe dish for 48 seconds 4.5v, 81 seconds 12v (microwave ovens vary you may need to tweak the times) after it cools off try it, if it isn't charged simply repeat the process.
Proudly Butchering code for 20 years
Put the positive test lead in the center contact and the negative test lead on the outer contact. A positive voltage indicates a "tip positive" plug and a negative voltage indicates a "tip negative" plug.
Man, you really need that seminar!