Dealing w/ Massively Multiplying Power Cables? 85
Darius Jedburgh asks: "Wireless networking is all very well but network cables make up only a small proportion of the cables in my house. When I come home ,I plug in my GBA Micro, PowerBook, Palm, cellphone and iPod to recharge alongside camera, and other devices. Meanwhile I have power adapters for PCs, routers, access points, cable modems, monitors and external hard drives. Every time I buy a new gadget there's another cable (or two) to install. How do people keep this proliferation under control? Are there any products available to help to organize and ease the distribution of power at home? Does anyone know of novel ideas in power distribution in current development that might make things easier in the future?"
Uh (Score:4, Funny)
dUh (Score:1)
keep it clean, and only have cables as long as they need to be.
Re:dUh (Score:2)
No matter how hard I try, when I take it apart, it looks like a rat's nest.
Re:Uh (Score:1)
A big desk and power strips (Score:4, Interesting)
The best solution I've found was to buy a larger desk (I use an old library table) with three powerstrips on the floor under it. To keep the cables from sliding off the desk I have about a dozen little white plastic self-adhesive clips stuck on the back of the desk, each with a cable going thru it.
Inductive charging (Score:2, Interesting)
[bbc.co.uk]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2861987.stm [bbc.co.uk]
Re:Inductive charging (Score:2, Interesting)
But how about manufacturers getting together and coming up with a couple of common voltage/plug combinations? Maybe every house should have a power supply capable of supplying +6V on one size of plug, and +12V on another size. Then, every device could just use one of those?
Of course, you still have problem like varying current capabilites. A power supply capable of rec
Re:Inductive charging (Score:1)
In the grand-parent post, there is a link to a BBC article. Here is a quote from the article:
It is very interesting that the article came out in March 1993, so we should have seen these for sale by December of 2003. It is now almost two years past this deadline, and I still don't see these at Best Buy yet.
Re:Inductive charging (Score:4, Insightful)
Have you ever lost a cell phone charger, or needed a second one? You know what I'm talking about then. The blasted things cost (and apparently sell) for $30 to $50 from the cell company. Even off brand ones will cost you $15 or more. With some sort of universal power mechanism (splash pad, dc power at the plug, etc) many businesses lose a revenue stream.
It's very, very unlikely to happen any time soon.
Re:Inductive charging (Score:2)
And with some sort of universal power mechanism, many businesses could discover a new revenue stream.
Somebody's got to make adapters for old products to use the new pad chargers...
Someone could get rich making more efficient and smaller pads... Decorator pads, pads for the car (built into the dash board, perhaps?), etc, etc...
There's always a way to make money.
The economics are there for universal power (Score:5, Interesting)
If a universal power system were widely adopted, all of these bricks could go away. The device makers would have every incentive to not include a brick with each device (cost, weight, package size, etc.)
The almighty buck is an economic incentive only for the brickmakers -- they want to sell lots of power bricks. But they only sell wholesale to the device makers. They don't sell to the consumers, the device makers do. The device makers have it in their economic interest to offer the lowest price, not to sell a brick. If they could save two dollars by not buying bricks, they could drop their prices by one dollar and still pocket one dollar for themselves.
There is already a standard out there: USB PlusPower for cash registers. They've incorporated USB backward compatible piggybacked high-current +5VDC, +12VDC and +24VDC connectors. Several years ago some large retail chain stores refused to accept a half-dozen power bricks under each cash register, and demanded of IBM that they develop a way to power the many peripherals each cash register needs (scanners, printers, mag stripe readers, PIN pads, cash drawers, scales, etc.) NCR and Fujitsu added their support for a standard, and USB PlusPower was the result. All the large-player peripheral makers support it now, too. (Here's a sales document for a USB PlusPower hub for your PC that explains the standard. [digi.com]
From the document: "The USB PlusPower design provides the following voltage and current
Consumers need to do the same thing, but as of yet have never organized and demanded such a thing. It's considerably tougher to do at a consumer level. Consumers have never organized very well. And there are very few cash register manufacturers in comparison to all the motherboard and system builders out there. There are very few "large customers" that can use their buying power to influence the industry.
Re:Inductive charging (Score:2)
From what I can see there are getting to be fewer common sizes these days. Regulated 5V is going away and 12V 1 and 2 amp are still common. Inkjets like odd power levels and phones like enough to drop it to 3.3V.
If UL had a standard for the common sizes
Re:Inductive charging (Score:2)
Let's get Tesla Coils everywhere.
I'd love to see those things zapping away at all the electrical devices, charging and scorching them with terrific zapping noises.
I also want one of those Jacob's Ladder spark things, but that really doesn't have anything to do with this story.
Cable Safe organizer (Score:2)
Solution (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Solution (Score:3, Insightful)
Mod parent up.
Never buy anything that needs to be painted, fed or recharged. Another way to reduce the mess is to buy larger computer cases that hold more stuff, thus reducing the need for a lot of external doodads.
Also if you haven't used it in a year, give it away (maybe to a charity) so that you can write it off.
Re:Solution (Score:2)
... and help to save the planet (Score:2)
Re:Solution (Score:3, Funny)
OK OK, I can do without a few of my gadgets, but THE ELECTRONIC DANCING HAMSTER STAYS!
Use your car... (Score:3, Interesting)
My blackberry, I charge that off my USB port off my laptop. So no power cord for that. It helps a little knowing I can use any USB port to charge up.
As for everything else, good luck. I still have a mess of cables on my floor, and not planning on doing anything about it.
Re:Use your car... (Score:4, Interesting)
FYI, the electricity your car generates isn't "free-lunch" electricity, and is actually quite expensive.
When you put a strain in the alternator, the induction coils require more power to output a constant amount of electricity - which is compensated by revving up the engine. So by plugging in 3 or 4 devices to a 12V plug, you are really spending more money by burning more gasoline. At current gasoline prices, vehicle electricity costs somewhere around $0.30-$0.50 per Kilowatt-Hour whereas the US national average for utility electricity in August 2005 was $0.10 per kWh.
Sure it's convenient, but it's also far more expensive than what you pay to use 120VAC wall outlets. For maximum savings, take your 120VAC power adapters to work, and charge your devices at work.
My blackberry, I charge that off my USB port off my laptop. So no power cord for that. It helps a little knowing I can use any USB port to charge up.
The "trickle charge" you get from a USB port takes up to 10 times longer to fully recharge the device, and the charge isn't of good quality either. When I trickle charge my Palm Zire 21, I can usually only get about 2 days heavy usage out of it, whereas a plug-in charge lasts about 4 or 5 days. It's a case of preference - conveniently recharge on laptop every couple days or plug in your device every few days.
As for everything else, good luck. I still have a mess of cables on my floor, and not planning on doing anything about it.
Amen, brother.
Re:Use your car... (Score:2)
charging is quick either way and lasts plenty long.
Re:Use your car... (Score:2)
Ahh, but if an enterprising hacker were to only close the DC circuit when the car was breaking (and the car wasn't a hybrid...)
Re:Use your car... (Score:2)
I do that exact thing with my brake lights (although I admit it was a standard feature, so I can't take much credit).
Re:Use your car... (Score:2)
Re:Use your car... (Score:2)
I bet you were the one who got this [yahoo.com] implemented.
Power Squid (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Power Squid (Score:1)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000233WJ6/sr=1-
wireless power is on it's way (Score:2)
Re:wireless power is on it's way (Score:2)
Re:wireless power is on it's way (Score:2)
No problem, just wear a Tin Hat.
Well, wait, perhaps that's not such a good idea:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/ [mit.edu]
Re:wireless power is on it's way (Score:1)
Only if you like your scalp "extra crispy"....
Powersquid? (Score:2)
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/77e6/ [thinkgeek.com]
Re:Powersquid? (Score:2)
--Mike
One other point.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Make yourself a charging shelf, somewhere in the house. Near the front door is a fine place, since you'll want to grab the phone and PDA on your way out. Put all the chargers there, on a switched power strip. When you're not home, turn it off.
Re:One other point.. (Score:2)
Re:One other point./taming extra cable length (Score:2)
Just fold up the wire until the remaining length is what you need, then put a rubber band around the folded-up part.
Re:One other point./taming extra cable length (Score:2)
Even better, put it all in a box with a hole in it so the cables can run out and one power cable can run in. Label the end of each cable so you know which is which (presumably he already does this because sometimes it is hard to tell one power pack from the other at a glance). This is using the sam
Re:One other point./taming extra cable length (Score:2)
Re:One other point.. (Score:2)
I just built a charging shelf in my laundry room - all the chargers (clearly labeled) for my drill, phone, screwdriver, etc... etc.. are stored in a drawer beneath a shelf with a switched power strip attached. Only three chargers are not there - the chargers for my mustache/beard trimmer and my wifes
Make your own power supply (Score:1)
Gomadic USB chargers (Score:2)
There are also a number of USB power adapters (for AC, car, air, or all of the above [boxwave.com]) out there in case you don't want to charge from your laptop.
I have no affiliation with any of these companies other than using their products.
Velcro wire wraps (Score:2)
Unless there's a complete overhaul of the electronics industry forcing everyone to use the same voltage and same connector for devices, there's not much more I can tell you. Just buy a big power strip and put all the wall-worts on it and kick it under a desk where it can happily rai
heres a thought (Score:1)
USB? (Score:2, Informative)
Nintendo (SP/DS/Micro)? Check.
IPod? Check.
PSP? Check.
Palm? Check.
Lots of phones will charge over USB, too (nokia, many motorola, possibly more...)
Re:USB? (Score:2)
Just for the record (Score:2)
My Solution. (Score:1)
I recommend... (Score:3, Informative)
Because it was that hard (Score:1)
Re:Because it was that hard (Score:1)
Magnetic Induction? (Score:1)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2861987.stm [bbc.co.uk]
It's almost '06 now, and I don't know where this has gone since then... which may or may not say something about the technology, the company, the market, and/or my inherent laziness at looking this shit up on google.
Re:Magnetic Induction? (Score:1)
http://www.splashpower.com/ [splashpower.com]
Had a quick look and saw no one saying... (Score:1)
The true geeks tool. I have 2x4plug powerstrips behind my desk, this has my monitor and pc plugged in then many more others.
I have just ran these altogether around the back of my desk, and coming up the side. Then i've banged aload of masking tape over the lot, holding it all perfectly in place. I can't charge everything at the same time, but i never normally need to.
Works for me even if it does look crap!
Re:Had a quick look and saw no one saying... (Score:2)
Zip-ties are ok if you can find reusable zip-ties. Velcro wrap or twist-ties are very good.
Re:Had a quick look and saw no one saying... (Score:1)
USB provides 5Volts (Score:2)
I just bought today some USB cables to splice the home and car chargers to have a female USB plug on the end, which will accept the male USB -> tiny DC plug adapter on the other end. This will allow me to carry a very small USB-->DC adapter with me and charge the phone wherever I can find a USB port (home, work, and travelling laptop, basically).
Just about anything that is low-power and needs 5V or less* could be plugged into a USB port.
* For less than 5V a dio
Adaptaplug (Score:2)
Re:Adaptaplug (Score:2)
but one important thing to watch out for: if any of the devices connect to each other you might wan't to do some testing with a multimeter before blindly plugging them into the same PSU (or two seperate earth referenced psus) then you don't wan't to short out a large psu via devices ground lines.
My GF loves junk mail... (Score:1)
Re:My GF loves junk mail... (Score:1)
Brute force for me, too (Score:2)
I also bought a label printer (Brother P-Touch, I think) and I labeled every war
my solutions (Score:1)
Re:my solutions (Score:2)
but when doing theese tricks you have to be even more carefull if you wan't to connect any devices togeher
Re:my solutions (Score:2)
Easy solution: buy less stuff (Score:2)
When I come home, I plug in my GBA Micro, PowerBook, Palm, cellphone and iPod to recharge alongside camera, and other devices.
That's a lot of stuff to haul around, isn't it? I finally ditched my Palm (after using them for seven years) and sync'd my Address Book and iCal to my iPod. That was the easy part: most of what I entered into my Palm was something someone else was asking me to do. Solution? "Hmmm. Maybe. Send me an email with these details and I'll prioritize that with my other tasks." Presto: fe
wireless electricity? (Score:1)
power strip liberator (Score:2)
Standardized power supplies and connectors (Score:2)
We need to standardize the selection of voltages to increments of 1.5 volts (the nominal voltage of a standard battery), then you would have "only" 16 different voltages to deal with between 1.5 and 24V. Then you standardize to ONLY use DC voltage (no low-voltage AC power supplies), then you standardize the power plugs
Re:Standardized power supplies and connectors (Score:2)
When my phone dies, I don't have to throw the cord out with it; I can use the cord on the next phone.
put everything in an electrified flower pot! (Score:2)
Someone took a good sized flower pot and ran a dollar store extension cord into it. Inside, they connected each of their AC-DC chargers. They cut a fairly opaque piece of lexan to the shape of the inside of the flowerpot. They drilled holes for each of the power supply plugs and ran them out 6 inches or so. Then, the gear you have to charge can all lay inside the pot on its lid, and be plugged in
hang them from the ceiling (Score:2)
Wireless Power (Score:2)
Come on people - DUH (Score:2)
(but it beats have wallwarts everywhere)