A new mobile phone charger that will work with any handset has been approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations body.
Industry body the GSMA says that 51,000 tonnes of redundant chargers are generated each year.
Currently most chargers are product or brand specific, so people tend to change them when they upgrade to a new phone.
However, the new energy-efficient chargers can be kept for much longer.
The GSMA also estimates that they will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 13.6m tonnes.
“This is a significant step in reducing the environmental impact of mobile charging,” said Malcolm Johnson, director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau.
“Universal chargers are a common-sense solution that I look forward to seeing in other areas.”
The charger has a micro-USB port at the connecting end, using similar technology to digital cameras.
It is not compulsory for manufacturers to adopt the new chargers but the ITU says that some have already signed up to it.
“We are planning to launch the universal charger internationally during the first half of 2010,” Aldo Liguori, spokesperson for Sony Ericsson told the BBC.
“We will roll it out with new products as they launch.”

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Having gadgets is great but charging them can be a pain. Where is the Apple cable? Where can I hook it up … sigh I forget to charge my phone again…

Power sent straight to your gadgets without needing to plug them in? This is witchcraft of the highest order – electricity needs a cable, surely? Not any more it doesn’t. The WildCharge is an incredible gadget that’s about to break the shackles of normal, everyday charging. Every time you lay your mobile, BlackBerry or iPod on the WildCharge mat, it’ll transfer all the juice you need directly to the device without you having to do a thing.

The WildCharge mat is a flat, thin surface with conductive bars running across it that are fed from a power cable. The WildCharge comes with adapters that you can place on your mobile, BlackBerry or iPod that bridge the gap between your battery and the mat. When you look, the adapters have four tiny metal contacts that create a circuit when they’re placed on the mat – thanks to their smart positioning, you can place the device anywhere and in any orientation on the mat and you’ll still be charging up! It’s as simple as dropping a brick – though nowhere near as dangerous…

Available in the UK and in the US

Who knew a simple application could transform the iPhone 3G S into the Apple Netbook? Though it may just be a fan-made render, this video is definitely a conversation piece nonetheless.

The Samsung Jet S8003 has a feature called Fake Call which can be activated by a single click to call you back after a pre-defined period. In this video, Mike’s blind dates use this feature to cut the date short. Enjoy!

Are you interesting to disassemble and then re-assemble your Sony Ericsson P1i mobile phone? Watch these videos to learn how to do it.

First the disassembly video:

and then the assembly video:

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