Techno Babble

The days when you buy a new phone and get yet another phone charger may be numbered.

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently submitted to the European Commission, 10 companies have signed up to providing a universal charger which can be used to charge any of their devices via a micro USB connection.

The companies have agreed to develop a common specification that allows for full compatibility between chargers and phones and covers data-enabled mobile phones supporting data exchange using USB.

Vice-President Günter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industrial policy, said: “I am very pleased that industry has found an agreement, which will make life much simpler for consumers. They will be able to charge mobile phones anywhere from the new common charger. This also means considerably less electronic waste because people will no longer have to throw away chargers when buying new phones. He added: “I am also very pleased that this solution was found on the basis of self-regulation. As a result, the Commission does not consider it necessary to introduce legislation.”

The first devices are expected from 2010 onwards. 

Companies who have signed up are:

• Apple
• LG
• Motorola
• NEC
• Nokia
• Qualcomm
• Research in Motion
• Samsung
• Sony Ericsson
• Texas Instruments

Although the MoU only covers the EU the concept could be extended worldwide in the future.

Reference:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/rtte/chargers.htm

Tagged: Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Research in Motion, Samsung

Morph is a concept that explores how nanotechnology might be used in the future for next generation mobile devices – utilising features such as flexible materials, transparent electronics, self-cleaning surfaces and more.

High resolution image (JPEG file, zipped, 1.5 MB)

The concept has been developed by the Nokia Research Center (NRC) in partnership with the Nanoscience Center at the University of Cambridge, and demonstrates how a future mobile device can be transformed into completely different shapes.

High resolution image (JPEG file, zipped, 2.2 MB)

Nanotechnology enables the creation of materials that are flexible, can be stretched, made transparent and are very strong. A device made out of a material like this could be folded to fit into a pocket or opened out to present a larger working suruface area.

High resolution image (JPEG file, zipped, 2 MB)

The material could be self-cleaning and the surface could even incoporate a covering of “nanograss” structures which would allow it to harvest solar enery and be self-powered.

Read more about this concept at

http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia/research/demos/the-morph-concept

Nokia Research is at

http://research.nokia.com/

and the Cambridge Nanoscience Centre can be found at

http://www.nanoscience.cam.ac.uk/

Tagged: Cambridge, Morph, Nanotechnology, Nokia