What is Digg?33 Comments
- anonatron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12It would be really awesome if we could get US cell companies to standardize the connection on the phones so accessories will work with all phones... kind of like the rest of the world has it.
- gklitt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7These are actually already very common in Japan; there are cellphone charger lockers in many convenience stores.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7The design is based on a hotel-safe - I don't think anything short of a ram-raid would open them, and then who's gonna be doing that in the middle of an airport? Even if it did happen, they'd be risking damaging the contents. I don't think anyone is gonna try that to be honest ;]
Great idea - and I agree, one of those things that I wish I'd thought of! (long list...)
When they start implementing EM induced-current charging (like those mousemats) into gadgets I think these things will spread like wildfire - no wires, no fuss! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9@ T0PS3O
If you're stupid enough to take him seriously then the jokes on you. - timwizard, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I think that most people, including myself, would be hesitant to trust that lock with our expensive devices so easily.
- Dradis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6File this under the "Why didn't I think of that?" category.
The Chargebox website, http://www.chargebox.com/ has quite a bit more information about this device, including user guides, FAQ's, list of devices supported, etc. - conorryan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Poor article, save your time and read the how to use on chargebox's website http://www.chargebox.com/howtouse.html
Great idea though, you can even pay using your phone my SMSing a number - mikewitt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Why carry around the device and the cigaette lighter adapter? I know I dont, and if I had to supply my own charger, I would never use it. Plus, you would have to buy a special chargerr, and if you ride the bus or something similar, you couldn't do that. What if you had a 1G iPod, with firewire charging, I don't know of any switch-mode lighter adapters (not saying that it would be too hard, but the people who make those would just find a way to get a charge for free anyways).
Just playing Devil's Advocate here... - rishid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The whole point of USB was to standardize connectors, yet all these corporations are too retarded to listen to consumers. I would love to be able to plug my phone/pda/ipod/ into one single charger. It is so practical and simple yet no one does it...
- danglerman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4sometimes i wonder, why would anyone want to carry around all this stuff. It's hard just getting my cell-phone and iPod to sit confortably in my pockets
- msaleem, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4This would be most useful on planes. Whenever I go back home, I have to fly form Chicago-Manchester, and then Manchester-Lahore, roughly 16 hours minus airport waiting time. So it would be great if I could charge stuff on the plane. But a great concept nonetheless. Can't wait to see one.
- mattcurrie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5how can you send an SMS if your phone battery is flat? :-P
- sterski, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3These have been around for YEARS in Holland - the "column of lockers" are labelled with the phone brand - so you know which locker will have the right plug
- goatomatic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3That's why you buy one of these tech jackets/vests http://www.scottevest.com/
- Rosewood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I read an article that hit a little too close to home about how some airports and book stores and coffee houses are securing their outlets. They are finding too many gadget whores are sucking up their precious electricity. I know last time I flew, I sat in a hallway a DFW so I could get some work done on the laptop and keep the charge for the flight as well.
- deanau, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Already in use (for mobiles) at Disneyland Paris.
"In the very unlikely event that a problem did arise your product is covered by our insurance." - Found that Surprising! - stark23x, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I would think that while this is a neat idea, a single, battery-powered charger with changable tips would be more useful. How often are you actually somewhere when your battery runs dry AND you have an hour or more that most devices need to charge up?
I don't see this getting much play outside of airports. Something like an I-Go that runs off batteries seems like a more useful solution to me. - EnderPatrick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hear hear about the airports problem... why don't they put sockets on for our laptops? I'd pay for sure; unless I had one of these :-)
- brettbum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Good Idea, doesn't sound entirely new since they exist already in Japan and Holland. So I guess the early adopters have fielded the adapters.
I'm sure the US airports will jump on board. Now they can earn a little more money from people sitting around in the terminal. Now if they could put these things on the plane or train itself, that would be even better, but there is so little space on planes.
I guess the low tech option is for some pan handler to take a surger protector with them to the airport, plug it into the only open outlet and charge people a buck to plug into the surge protector. :) - crazyc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@rishid
Trust me, the corporations fully understand how useful it would be to use the same device, for all your gear, but the accessories they sell, is often where they make much of the profit.
Have you tried buying a Nokia made connector cable for your phone? The price is outrageous, - masteryoda, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The whole point of USB was to standardize connectors, yet all these corporations are too retarded to listen to consumers.
They are not retarded they make money selling chargers and similar accessories. - zouden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1But who carries a cigarette-lighter socket charger for their phone or iPod around with them? This is for people with the device in their pocket and they want to recharge it.
Edit: mike, you beat me to it :) - BIGmog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah I saw one of these in Japan and it was made by Capcom! It's near the game center at KIX.
- altcountryman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ anonatron - are the non-US cell phones really standard? I didn't know that, it sure would be nice. Motorola's using mini-USB now, but AFAIK the others are all proprietary and still changing sometimes between models.
- KilgoreCarp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ altcountryman - not all motorolas are even using mini usb. my wife's razr does, but my lesser motorola purchased at the same time has some god awful connector.
- cards, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Does anyone else see a crappy locker with cables coming out of a big hole in the back? It looks like the cables could accidentally fall back down the hole. Great idea with good profit potential done very poorly...I'm thinking someone needs to make a competing device that doesn't look like crap.
- thehans, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1 This sounds like an interesting device, but I was a little disappointed given the title. I somehow imagined this box that you could just drop your items in, ipod cell-phone, pda, and it would charge them without having to plug them in. I suppose that would involve some kind of crazy Tesla invention.
- alceria, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, I bet that will be fun the 5th or 6th time you have to backtrack in your car, or god forbid, you take off on a flight and realize you left your device charging. The places they want to put them are so distraction-heavy that I think it would be easy to forget your device. Now if there was some kind of little pager device that buzzed/vibrated after the 40 minutes is up, that might be something. Such a device could also double as an electronic key, giving people some piece of mind about the security. So basically to activate the charging you'd insert your device, remove the key, and the key would remind you to go back - or better yet, notify you when you walk a certain distance away from the unit - and then you'd use it to liberate your device from the charger.
- NSMike, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I would be inclined to agree with you on the subject of MP3 players and the like, but cell phones are too easily traced to worry about theft, I think.
- Everman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Instead of a specialized box, why not just have a large bank of 12v power receptacles you can plug your car power adapter into? Just about every portable electronic device has one.
- wiredclimber, on 10/12/2007, -10/+6Is this one of those wireless extension cords I've been hearing about?
- FishyJoe, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1A pound just to charge your battery? No thanks.
- T0PS3O, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3Might be worth reading the article, rather than just the title and then guessing the contents, making yourself look like some lazy ass fool.
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