Good Old EU. Now one doesn't often say that. But getting the mobile phone manufacturers to agree to introduce a standard socket for chargers is just brilliant.
Suddenly one of the massive stupidities of the mobile phone industry has been eliminated. The cost of manufacturing mobiles will fall. The number of chargers chucked away will fall dramatically.
The new, universal, micro-USB charger will be in production next year.
The Commissioner is not stopping there. Verheugen says he wants the universal charger startegy to be extended to cover laptops and cameras.
Apparently phone manufacturers had been reluctant in the past to standardise on charger ports because they thought that having a multiplicity of different charger ports helped promote brand loyalty.
As if anyone's buying decision of a mobile device was dictated by the affection one had for the charger!
There seems no good reason for the multiplicity of charger-ports. It was always an absurdity.
So well done the EU. You can be useful after all.
Now, how about standardising the worldwide electricity socket?
TOMORROW MORNING: TOP TEN SEMICONDUSCTOR COMPANIES 2008
hurrah for the EU, indeed ! However, not wishing to be a party-pooper but the Chinese govt have actually been working towards this for at least 3yrs now. And the USB-IF has been active on this for (I think) even longer.