Universal Charger Charges Forward

At last the mobile industry has found a way to move toward universal chargers. No more wondering whether your spouse's, colleague's or friend's charger will re-juice or fry your phone, when you've forgotten yours. No more filling up your power strip with chargers for every family member's slightly-different phone charger.

The GSMA and 17 world mobile operators will strive to achieve a "widely available" universal charging solution by January 1, 2012. MicroUSB will be the standard, according to an agreement announced last week at the Mobile World Congress in Spain. In addition, the new charger standard will be highly energy efficient. The lower demand for new chargers will also reduce overall energy consumption by manufacturers who will produce fewer.

The enthusiasm this week promises the new universal charger will be a win for consumers, manufacturers and the environment. What's not to love?