Europe creates new standard: One charger to rule them all

As a ferocious consumer of gadgets and gizmos, nothing irks me more than proprietary equipment – especially headphone jacks and chargers. The main problem with a proprietary headset or charger is if you lose or damage it, getting a new one is a pain in the ass. Even if you’re loyal to a brand, it isn’t uncommon to buy a successor to your current gadget and find that it has a completely different charging unit or set of accessories. It effectively renders your old chargers and accessories useless. In addition to the headaches and frustration, proprietary headsets and chargers end up creating a lot of environmental waste. Luckily, most equipment manufacturers have adopted the 3.5mm headset jack on all their toys, but what about chargers?

In Europe, several manufacturers have decided that it’s time for a change. It has been talked about for a very long time, but a universal charger is on its way. Pretty soon, BlackBerrys, iPhones, iPods and several other gadgets will use a micro-USB charger. It will start off with smartphones first, but it can be expected that it will leak over onto other devices as well. Once the new policy commences in 2010, phones sold after a period of time will no longer come with a charger. The universal micro-USB charger will be ubiquitous, available at liquor stores, groceries, mall outlets and haberdasheries. One charger to bring them all in and in the tech world bind them.

All that’s left now is the rest of the world. When are we going to catch up? If the iPhone never came around, the United States would still be dead last in terms of cool new phones and gadgets. Europe and Asia were always known for advanced smartphones and faster mobile networks. Whenever a new feature or wireless technology would hit the States, it was likely a year or two old everywhere else. When are we going to stay on par with our European counterparts? When are we going to get our universal chargers?!