ITU signs off on modular power supply proposal
Let the committee meetings begin!
Members of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU_) have signed off on the organisation's proposal to make power supplies for electronic gadgetry more modular.
As The Reg noted in September, the ITU believes billions of power supplies are made each year. Many fail because of simple problems like broken cables. The organisation therefore emitted a proposal to develop a standard for modular power supplies so that a broken cable doesn't result in a functional PSU ending up in landfill.
The ITU says the outcome it wants will “ … promote an adapter lifespan of at least ten years... drive substantial reductions in energy consumption used in information and communication technology (ICT) equipment manufacture, limit device duplication, reduce strain on raw materials and enable enormous reductions in e-waste.”
Just when those outcomes will be achieved is not known. The idea of the universal power supply has been shunted off to ITU Study Group 5, which is “responsible for studying design methodologies to reduce environmental effects such as recycling related to ICT facilities, equipments, etc” among many other things.
Study Group 5 has a new study period commencing next year and concluding in 2013. Given there are but a few weeks left in 2012, it seems likely this standard will be a job undertaken during the next study period. ®
COMMENTS
Wonderful news!
It's also great to see that manufacturers have shown a desire to make life easier for people, first by adopting micro USB for phones, maintaining existing SIM form-factors for phones to make life easier for consumers , not updating proprietary connectors with *more* proprietary connectors, borking all the previous ones in the process, supporting updates to USB, whilst retaining backwards compatibility, and not requiring consumers to fork out more money for overpriced adaptors, thus eventually creating more crap that ends up in landfill.
I'm sure this trend of adopting universal connectors will continue with modular, universal PSU's being provided by all electronics manufacturers.
Happily, I can't think of a *single* electronics company that might even *consider* coming up with it's own proprietary connector in the face of the adoption of new modular PSU's, because *EVERY* major player in the laptop/mobile device arena has *ALWAYS* put the customer first.
And I definately don't think
A Particular Publicly Listed Entity
will even *try* to find a way of screwing even more money out of its customers.
Re: Wonderful news!
Yes, of course "A Particular Publicly Listed Entity" will continue to find a way of screwing even more money out of its customers but some of those costumers enjoy that. However, the rest of the world will benefit, and "A Particular Publicly Listed Entity" will eventually lose market share. OK, I'm dreaming. /sigh
Re: "and six interchangeable AC adapter plugs for use with iPod, iPhone, and iPad"
> If every hotel room featured mandatory USB sockets, the world would be a much better place for everyone.
>Unless you bought a phone that required an adaptor.
Er, every phone requires a cable to connect to a USB socket.
In fact, most hotels have a box of abandoned phone chargers under the reception desk, left in rooms by previous guests... it doesn't hurt to ask the receptionist if you need one!
Shit, Samsung were worst for having umpteen different charging connectors, rarely the same between any two phone models, though at a glance they looked the same.
"and six interchangeable AC adapter plugs for use with iPod, iPhone, and iPad"
It seems ironic that a company so obsessed with design could create something that clumsy.
I could get something similar for my Android phone - a micro USB wall charger (can pick one up for a fiver) and a universal wall plug (half as much again off ebay).
Much more convenient than "six interchangeable AC adapter plugs for use with iPod, iPhone, and iPad". Also that product (for 31 quid!!!) claims to be compatible with iPhone 5 and most of the previous ones - unless there's a bunch of different cables in there (which, according to the description, there isn't) I fail to see how that's possible - unless Apple has taken out a patent on "claiming something is perfectly compatible, when in fact it requires yet *another* fucking adapter".
Even better - I went on holiday in Europe recently and managed to keep phone and mp3 player charged with just a USB cable courtesy of Hotel TVs and communal PCs in the lobby. If every hotel room featured mandatory USB sockets, the world would be a much better place for everyone.
Unless you bought a phone that required an adaptor.
from A Particular Publicly Listed Entity.
Re: regarding inefficiencies, or the amount of voltage/power that would be needed
I recall that article too, and remember commenting on it. What is a bit ambiguous, and confusing to many punters is exactly, what is the problem, the ITU wants to solve.
Are they focusing on the myriad of wall warts used by our shiny "toys", and the fact that they often are replaced because of their being cheaply made, and being difficult to repair? If that is the case, then perhaps, the ITU should start on the road by working with mfgrs to make the designs more repair friendly.
Are they focusing on the plethora of incompatible plugs and connectors that are found in the wall wartsfound today in consumer "toys"? Again, the ITU should work toward some common solution. That solution could be as simple as screw terminals simply identified as "+" and "-" (assuming DC), with a cord supplied to connect to the plugs used by the kit.
I think the problem and the desired outcome needs a clear definition. The the talking can begin.
