GreenPlug
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Green Plug starts small, signs on Westinghouse
Remember Green Plug? That universal connector we detailed last month which aims to replace wall warts and help Mother Earth out in the process? Turns out, said outfit has just landed its first real believer as Westinghouse committed to using the smart power technology. Even Darwin Chang, Westy's CTO, admitted that his firm "wasn't the largest, but somebody has to be the first." Chang is hoping that utilizing said tech will help it cut costs by eliminating the need to ship power adapters with its wares, but we'd say that's being pretty optimistic. Really, the only way that will go over well is if hordes of other firms jump on the (currently desolate) bandwagon in short order -- any takers?[Via PCWorld]
Switched On: Green Plug tries to replace the worry warts (Part 2)
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. The last Switched On discussed GreenPlug, a startup that is trying to create a new standard for universal AC adapters. The environmental benefits GreenPlug offers are enormous, like the reduction of power caused by keeping energy flowing to a fully charged device, and the great reduction in waste currently caused by the need to keep manufacturing, shipping and disposing of the billions of AC adapters produced every year (many of which are practically wed to a single product).Even without GreenPlug, there has been significant movement over the past few years toward the acceptance of the mini-USB port as a connection standard for portable devices. Sony, for example, now offers USB charging on devices such as the PSP and Sony eReader, where others previously required proprietary adapters. The USB Implementers' Forum is working on new guidelines to ensure better compatibility for chargers and devices using the popular port that was designed first for data transfer. And there is now legislation in place in China that mandates that any phone sold there must enable USB charging.However, USB has limits in terms of the wattage that it can deliver and can't charge, for example, notebook PCs, as well as many camcorders, digital cameras, and other products. Nonetheless, in a nod to the growing momentum around the USB connector for cell phones and other low-power gizmos, GreenPlug has designed its connector to resemble a mini-USB port. A GreenPlug adapter can charge mini-USB products that don't have its chip, even though it won't offer power-saving benefits in that circumstance.
Switched On: Green Plug tries to replace the worry warts (Part 1)
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. The best and most popular portable electronics products don't work for long without them, but the general consumer sentiment toward AC adapters is evident in the terms of endearment such as "bricks" and "wall warts" given to them. They're referred to with even more colorful language when they're accidentally left behind on a trip or are otherwise unavailable when needed. But if a startup GreenPlug has its way, future portable electronics products may not come with an AC adapter, much like many printers today don't come with a USB cable. With engineering talent that ran design for Apple's DC power systems for the iPod and the MagSafe connector, GreenPlug is taking on one of gadetry's holy grails – a universal connector that can work on practically any portable electronics device. GreenPlug would turn the frequently forgotten and mismatched AC adapter into an accessory ecosystem. The company envisions DC charging hubs that would be available in conference tables at the workplace and in tables and walls at coffee shops.
