[photopress:batterycharger.JPG,full,alignright]This is one of the great technical stories to come out of China and every government in the world should be encouraged to follow the Chinese example.
The Ministry of Information says that there will be a single national standard on mobile phone chargers sold in China. That is, they will all be the same so that any charger can charge any telephone.
This has always been very easy to do. The voltages are not that critical. But the phone companies, seeing an extra quid to be made, saw to it that the connectors were slightly different and issued dire warnings as to what would happen if you used the wrong charger.
Mobile phone companies are always suggesting that the best way to work is to let market forces prevail so that they can continue to rape, pillage and steal. The Chinese government has shown that perhaps firm direction works better.
Under the new standard, all mobile phones, regardless of the brand, will be able to share one charger with a USB access, allowing users to charge handsets through laptops. Hoorah.
Lou Peide, executive secretary general with China Mobile Communications Association, estimated the new standard could save nearly RMB2.4 billion (US$306 million) each year for handsets made in China.
Source: China Daily
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