For every electronic device, there is a charger or cord. Here at YouRenew.com headquarters, where we deal with hundreds of devices a week, we’re constantly plugging and unplugging, tangling and untangling.
We’ve come to wonder why the large equipment manufacturers (Samsung, Motorola, Apple, Nokia, Palm, etc.) insist upon using their own proprietary chargers rather than a universal standard. Not only would this save a great deal of time and productivity here, it would also save consumers everywhere a great deal of money, and would keep untold amounts of electronic waste out of dumps. What if next time you bought a cell phone, you could use the same charger that you use with your current device? You’d never again have to worry about carrying your charger everywhere that you go – if you leave your charger at home, someone at work would certainly have one for you to use.

Thankfully, it appears as though many of the large manufacturers are beginning to take note of this same problems that we are. In February, at the Mobile World Congress, many of the largest cell phone manufacturers and cellular service providers announced that by 2012 they are looking to have a majority of handsets on a single, universal charger. Companies endorsing to the new charger include 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, Mobilkom Austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone. I’m all for it, and I’m glad that these corporations are getting on board.

One innovative technology that excites me even more than a universal charger is cordless charging. There are a number of great technologies currently in development (such as the one shown in the video below) that charge batteries using induction technology with no need for a plug in the wall, a long tangled cord, or a charging port. Simply place a device on the mat, and it will charge away. I’m hoping that viable, low cost options like this become available sooner rather than later.