CellphoneCharger
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EU law to require that all cellphones charge through a common standard
The EU successfully pushed for voluntary adoption of a cellphone charging standard a few years ago, and it's now close to making that standard mandatory. The European Parliament has voted in favor of a draft law requiring that cellphones work with a common charger. Provided the Council of Ministers green lights the regulation, EU countries will have until 2016 to put it into their local laws; phone makers will have until 2017 to change their hardware. The charger requirement is a formality when many phone designers already support the concept, but it could force some companies to shape up -- and spare more Europeans from tossing out power adapters when they switch handsets. [Image credit: Thierry Monasse/AFP/Getty Images]
EcoXPower charges a smartphone, bicycle headlight and tail light with pedal power
Bicycle rigs for charging cellphones have lit up our radar before, but now the EcoXPower is being billed as the first device of its kind that can simultaneously juice up LED lights and a smartphone with the power of your pedaling. Packing a headlamp, a red tail light and a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, the contraption attaches to a bike's front wheel hub with the help of a universal mount. When clamped on, the apparatus' clutch engages between the velocipede's spokes so it can generate electricity. A USB adapter cable runs up the two-wheeler's fork to a water-resistant, touchscreen-friendly case that can house iPhones, Android handsets and "all major GPS devices" perched atop the handlebars. Cyclists yearning to charge their electronics with the dynamo can pick one up for $99.99. Roll past the break for the full press release.
Mophie cuts the price on the Juice Pack Boost and Powerstation, raises the battery capacity
Most companies here at IFA figured if they were going to haul it all the way to Berlin, they might as well unveil their products on a stage -- you know, with some prepared remarks, a press release and maybe some disco music to get people pumped (okay, we haven't been subjected to that yet). But not Mophie. The company has a habit of releasing its products quietly, demonstrating its unannounced wares in plain sight. That's how we happened upon the newest versions of its Juice Pack mobile chargers, the Boost, Powerstation and Reserve. Of the three, the latter got the biggest makeover, with a more compact shape and a pop-out USB connector that's attached to a plastic cable. As a result of that diet, though, it now has a battery capacity of 700mAh, not 1,000mAH, although its price is about to go up to $35 from $30. The good news is that Mophie lowered its prices for the other two, all while expanding the battery capacity. The Powerstation now has a 4,000mAh battery and costs $80 (down from $100) while the Boost is rated for 2,000mAh and costs $49.95 (a $10 price cut). In case you're interested in this sort of thing, we've got hands-on photos below, and Mophie says the lot will hit the Apple Store in about two weeks. %Gallery-132566%
Nokia's €15 bicycle cellphone charger, now €30 in Europe
Last we heard, Nokia's bike-powered cellphone charger was set to roll out worldwide by the end of 2010 for about €15 -- now the company's peddling it for €30 to European velocipede enthusiasts. (Sure, it's twice as expensive as we anticipated, but it's a huge step up from this thing.) The kit, intended primarily for developing markets, comes with a Nokia charger, phone holder, and bottle dynamo: the thing that spins your pedal pushing into cellphone juice. Aside from price and availability, Nokia seems to have followed through on the rest of its promises -- it sports a 2-mm charger interface and provides 28 minutes of talk time for every 10 minutes spent riding between 6kph (4mph) and 50kph (31mph). European riders can pick up the charger kit from Nokia's online store, while the rest of us just keep spinning our wheels.
European standardization bodies formalize micro-USB cellphone charger standard
It's been more than a year since Nokia, Apple, RIM, Motorola and just about every other major cellphone manufacturer agreed on a micro-USB cellphone charger standard for Europe, but the two key European standards bodies have just now finally followed up on their end of the bargain. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have today published harmonized standards for a universal cellphone charger based on micro-USB, which has now put the ball back in the manufacturers' court to actually produce phones that rely on the newly standardized chargers. According to the European Commission, the first of those are expect to arrive sometime "in the first months of 2011," and it expects the chargers to be "predominant" within two years. Head on past the break for the official announcement. [Thanks, Pavel]
Hand-crank flashlight +soldering + Ben Heck = man-powered HTC EVO 4G charger
Batteries die, and when your phone has a WiMAX antenna plus dual cameras and a gigantic screen, well, those batteries tend to meet their maker sooner than later. Enter hacker extraordinaire Ben Heck with a simple and cheap solution: a hand-powered charger. Ben took an inexpensive flashlight with a crank on it, disassembled it, and ran the leads from the internal motor to his HTC EVO 4G. The exciting (or at least excited) video below is proof that it works, but we're wondering which would die first: the 4G's battery, or your arm after cranking on this thing for an hour or two.
CTIA jumps on the micro-USB bandwagon
Think the CTIA is only good for swank trade shows? Think again! It's actually a trade group created to fight for your interests -- or at least those interests of your duly elected wireless providers -- and apparently top among those lists of interests is plug standardization. Yes, we're not the only ones sick of still having a sprawling mess of a gadget charging station, so CTIA is saying that micro-USB will be the power standard for all handsets and mobile devices. Likewise, the 3.5mm audio plug will be the standard for audio output on those same gadgets. It's shocking, we know, if only because we thought the entire gadget universe was already on board, with everyone and their mommas signing up for micro-USB and even HTC finally making room for a 3.5mm hole in the bottom of their handsets. These standards are set to go into effect in January of 2012, meaning we should get a good 11 months or so of dongle-free gadget harmony before the apocalypse.
EU commissioner pushing for standard connector for all cellphones
While some companies like Connectland have already offered up their own solution to the problem of multiple cellphone connectors (seen at right), a European Union commissioner now seems to be taking the idea one step further, and is starting to push the notion of one standard cellphone connector to rule them all. According to Telcompaper, European Commissioner for Industry Günter Verheugen recently said in a German interview that he has had his patience tested after giving the cellphone industry several chances to develop a single cellphone connector, and he's now not excluding "severe measures" to force them to reach a solution. His main concern, as you might have guessed, is the waste that results from folks needing a new charger for each new cellphone, although the cellphone industry obviously sees things a bit differently, with the EICTA's Tony Graziano saying that Verheugen's demand is "legally and technically impossible" due to differences in voltage and battery requirements within the European Union. In any event, it seems that some actual regulations are still quite a ways off from becoming a reality, and Verheugen still insists that he'd prefer to see the industry arrive at a standard voluntarily.[Via Tweakers.net]
Connectland's USB multi-cellphone charger is quite small, fragile
Compared to other cellphone charging pads out there, Connectland's USB Multi-Cellular Phone Charger is mighty minuscule. The box gets power via a USB plug and then pipes it to eight different connectors that fit into mobiles from Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, etc. We dig that Brando throws in a "foam rubber" to keep this in while traveling, but honestly, would it really take more than two unanticipated jaunts to break every last prong from this thing? She's $18 if you're shaking your head from left to right.[Via Gadgets-Weblog]
Sony's Energy LINK USB power supply / recharger
Not everyone is equipped with the skills (and time) necessary to craft their own flashlight-based cellphone charger, so Sony's looking out for those who'd rather throw down a few bills than handle a soldering iron. Looking to grab business from individuals packing a gazillion or so gadgets that receive energy via USB, the Energy LINK USB adapter provides a no frills alternative to charging and powering your device on-the-go. Aside from doubling as a recharging middleman, it comes with two rechargeable Cycle Energy batteries -- which purportedly "bridge the gap" between alkaline and NiMH cells -- to provide portable charging and power. The included batteries can be fully recharged in around three hours, but there's no word on just how much charging / powering abilities it possesses once powered up. Still, for those needing a simple charging option or a makeshift USB power supply in times of emergency, Sony's $35 Energy LINK should do the trick when it lands this summer.
