Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sony Outlets Control Electricity Through Authentication

Posted by Soulskill on from the papers-please dept.

itwbennett writes "Sony on Tuesday demonstrated new 'smart sockets' that 'perform authentication whenever a device is plugged in,' said Taro Tadano, a general manager in Sony's technology development division. The company also demoed a home power grid that tracks electricity use by time and appliance." This has led to speculation that the technology will be used in some places to charge consumers for the use of electricity.

5 of 284 comments (clear)

  1. Power piracy by JWSmythe · · Score: 5, Interesting

        Perfect. Steal some outlets (carefully) from a hotel, and put them at the house. It'll be a whole new world of piracy. Wait til they start getting cloned. I'd bet the power company may have a huge bill for their own offices.

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    1. Re:Power piracy by arth1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Correct. For hotels, this is more likely going to make them able to charge for "extra power usage". If you use the lamps, TV, coffee maker and clock radio, they'll have plugs that identify them, so no extra charge. But if you plug in your laptop, they'll bill you for the extra usage at astronomical rates, like they do for phone calls.

      Of course, I always have crocodile clips in my computer bag. If nothing else to get POTS dialup from third rate hotels. However, they can just as easily be used on electric cords. There even are outlets that can be screwed into lamp sockets, so I think this will be about as successful as the last time it was tried by hotels, with a meter in the wall socket itself. Didn't work then, won't work now. At best, some customers will say fuck it and choose a different hotel, and a manager will get a bonus before he gets fired, and the hotels will declare the experiment a success before abandoning it. I.e. your typical flop.

      The only practical application I can think of is to prevent children from watching TV or playing games by deauthorizing the plug at certain hours. But even then, children as resourceful and will find ways around it. Doing actual parenting has a greater chance of success.

  2. Disastrously bad idea by Scareduck · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In the current environment, the next thing you know, this would be MANDATED, so the state could disable your computer by requiring its registration. PASS.

    --

    Dog is my co-pilot.

  3. Could be good for safety by jedwidz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Apart from better metering, I like the potential for improved safety that could come with redesigning outlets, if it means that:

    • A toddler can't stick metal objects in the socket and get electrocuted.
    • Power doesn't come on if it's at risk of overloading the circuit (i.e. maximum required current is negotiated against what's available).
    • Power doesn't come on if it's at the wrong voltage or frequency.
    • Power doesn't come on if the device requires grounding or surge/spike protection that isn't present.

    Also a good opportunity to get an international standard outlet (please, not the parallel pins), and a chance to look at DC from the socket. And maybe put an end to ground loops while we're at it?

  4. Expect to pay for the privilige to be monitored by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Speaking as an electrician, I cannot imagine this ever becoming widespread. The ability to control power to and from each socket has existed for years. The reason we don't use it is mostly cost (each outlet needs a dedicated line back to a relay bank or a PLC).

    This new system is a little different in how it works, but cost is still going to be a huge factor involved, as well as practicallity. Most outlet boxes i've seen don't have the space to put in a GFCI let alone something as complicated as this.