OT - mobile phone chargers number 1 planet killer - official

In message , Digby
writes

You could 'borrow' electricity from the neighbours if this comes about
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061115-8229.html

The trouble with Tesla is that he's not dead enough.

In article , Digby
writes

You could 'borrow' electricity from the neighbours if this comes about
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061115-8229.html

Nothing particularly new; just don't stand in the way of a 1000 GW beam.
--
Ian G8ILZ

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...

"Adrian A" wrote in message
om...
Pyriform wrote:
I have this morning received a communication from my current energy
supplier, Southern Electric. After explaining that they've fulfilled
their May promise not to increase my prices again for the rest of
2006, and are therefore now going to increase them from 1st January
2007, they point me in the direction of their handy energy-saving
leaflet, which they have enclosed.

"Work WONDERS in a WEEKEND", it proclaims, ahead of a list of 4 energy
saving priorities. In fourth place, the fridge-freezer. In third
place, the standby buttons. At number 2, the boiler thermostat (not
the room thermostat, as those of us less expert in the field might
have predicted). But in pole position, the lethal, energy guzzling
mobile phone charger. I quote:

"1 Unplug your mobile phone charger

These little black boxes suck 100kWhrs a day from your socket, even
when your phone is fully charged!"

I always charge my phone from the USB socket on my computer.

I didn't know you could get electricity via email. That's brilliant. That
should cut the electricity bill!

Bill

Go back to sleep.

"Adrian A" wrote in message
...
Bill Wright wrote:
"Adrian A" wrote in message
om...
Pyriform wrote:
I have this morning received a communication from my current energy
supplier, Southern Electric. After explaining that they've fulfilled
their May promise not to increase my prices again for the rest of
2006, and are therefore now going to increase them from 1st January
2007, they point me in the direction of their handy energy-saving
leaflet, which they have enclosed.

"Work WONDERS in a WEEKEND", it proclaims, ahead of a list of 4
energy saving priorities. In fourth place, the fridge-freezer. In
third place, the standby buttons. At number 2, the boiler
thermostat (not the room thermostat, as those of us less expert in
the field might have predicted). But in pole position, the lethal,
energy guzzling mobile phone charger. I quote:

"1 Unplug your mobile phone charger

These little black boxes suck 100kWhrs a day from your socket, even
when your phone is fully charged!"

I always charge my phone from the USB socket on my computer.

I didn't know you could get electricity via email. That's brilliant.
That should cut the electricity bill!

Bill

Who said anything about email?


He is a bit confused, but obviously thought it was funny.

"Pyriform" wrote in message
...
I have this morning received a communication from my current energy
supplier, Southern Electric. After explaining that they've fulfilled their
May promise not to increase my prices again for the rest of 2006, and are
therefore now going to increase them from 1st January 2007, they point me
in the direction of their handy energy-saving leaflet, which they have
enclosed.

"Work WONDERS in a WEEKEND", it proclaims, ahead of a list of 4 energy
saving priorities. In fourth place, the fridge-freezer.

Can you enlighten me how I'm supposed to use my
fridge freezer to save leccy?

In third place, the standby buttons. At number 2, the boiler thermostat
(not the room thermostat, as those of us less expert in the field might
have predicted). But in pole position, the lethal, energy guzzling mobile
phone charger. I quote:

"1 Unplug your mobile phone charger

These little black boxes suck 100kWhrs a day from your socket, even when
your phone is fully charged!"

Apart for the erors that the others have pointed out, for a modern
phone it isn't even wasteful at all.

New phone chargers use a different technology that doesn't draw
a curent when the phone is not plugged into it.

If you have a new 'smaller' charge, test it without a phone.
Touch it after an hour, is it warm?

tim

On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:54:50 -0000, "tim\(yet another new home\)"
wrote:

New phone chargers use a different technology that doesn't draw
a curent when the phone is not plugged into it.

Amazing. Please tell us how this electronics that isn't drawing any
current can detect when you plug a phone into it so that it can turn
the current on.

If you have a new 'smaller' charge, test it without a phone.
Touch it after an hour, is it warm?

If it's not noticeably warm to the touch, that need only mean that
it's very eficient, not that it draws no current at all.

Rod.

On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:42:43 +0000, Roderick Stewart
wrote:

On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:54:50 -0000, "tim\(yet another new home\)"
wrote:

New phone chargers use a different technology that doesn't draw
a curent when the phone is not plugged into it.

Amazing. Please tell us how this electronics that isn't drawing any
current can detect when you plug a phone into it so that it can turn
the current on.

You don't need to break any laws of physics. There's no need to draw
current in order to detect that no phone is present. You just put a
voltage across the plug. No current = no phone. The difficulty is in
generating that voltage on the wrong side of an isolation barrier.
It's certainly possible to make the current negligible for all but the
biggest of pedants ;o)

Cheers,

Colin.

"Roderick Stewart" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:54:50 -0000, "tim\(yet another new home\)"
wrote:

New phone chargers use a different technology that doesn't draw
a curent when the phone is not plugged into it.

Amazing. Please tell us how this electronics that isn't drawing any
current can detect when you plug a phone into it so that it can turn
the current on.

How does a 13 amp socket detect that you have plugged
in a lamp so that it can turn the current on?


If you have a new 'smaller' charge, test it without a phone.
Touch it after an hour, is it warm?

If it's not noticeably warm to the touch, that need only mean that
it's very eficient, not that it draws no current at all.

The old stye charger included a transformer.

This has two separate circuits, the one plugged into the wall
remains connected even when the second one is broken.

The new charges doesn't include a transformer (which is why
they are smaller) which, presumably have one circuit which
is broken wheh the phone is removed.

tim

tim(yet another new home) wrote:
"Pyriform" wrote in message
...
I have this morning received a communication from my current energy
supplier, Southern Electric. After explaining that they've fulfilled
their May promise not to increase my prices again for the rest of
2006, and are therefore now going to increase them from 1st January
2007, they point me in the direction of their handy energy-saving
leaflet, which they have enclosed.

"Work WONDERS in a WEEKEND", it proclaims, ahead of a list of 4
energy saving priorities. In fourth place, the fridge-freezer.

Can you enlighten me how I'm supposed to use my
fridge freezer to save leccy?

In third place, the standby buttons. At number 2, the boiler
thermostat (not the room thermostat, as those of us less expert in
the field might have predicted). But in pole position, the lethal,
energy guzzling mobile phone charger. I quote:

"1 Unplug your mobile phone charger

These little black boxes suck 100kWhrs a day from your socket, even
when your phone is fully charged!"

Apart for the erors that the others have pointed out, for a modern
phone it isn't even wasteful at all.

New phone chargers use a different technology that doesn't draw
a curent when the phone is not plugged into it.


I rather thought I was the one pointing out the errors, but I guess my
approach was too subtle for you.

However, your contribution to the general stupidity is duly noted. I am
fascinated by the intelligent zero current charger, and eagerly await your
explanation of how it works. Try to write on one side of the paper at a
time.

Bill Wright wrote:
"Adrian A" wrote in message
om...
Pyriform wrote:
I have this morning received a communication from my current energy
supplier, Southern Electric. After explaining that they've fulfilled
their May promise not to increase my prices again for the rest of
2006, and are therefore now going to increase them from 1st January
2007, they point me in the direction of their handy energy-saving
leaflet, which they have enclosed.

"Work WONDERS in a WEEKEND", it proclaims, ahead of a list of 4 energy
saving priorities. In fourth place, the fridge-freezer. In third
place, the standby buttons. At number 2, the boiler thermostat (not
the room thermostat, as those of us less expert in the field might
have predicted). But in pole position, the lethal, energy guzzling
mobile phone charger. I quote:

"1 Unplug your mobile phone charger

These little black boxes suck 100kWhrs a day from your socket, even
when your phone is fully charged!"
I always charge my phone from the USB socket on my computer.

I didn't know you could get electricity via email. That's brilliant. That
should cut the electricity bill!

Bill



Bill, you idiot!

This has nothing to do with email!

The USB charging power comes down the outer braid of the USB cable using
the skin effect as it is actually high frequency energy generated by the
CPU. The CPU radiates microwave energy, which is picked up and directed
to the USB port by the large lump of metal placed in close proximity to
the CPU - notice the 'vanes' on most modern heatsinks? - they are
actually waveguides and microwave reflectors.

In reality, the CPU does not heat up due to power dissipation caused by
fast transistor switching, but because of the microwave energy field it
generates as a 'vessel' for the magic white smoke held in its core and
which must not be vented because without it the CPU will not work.

Some of this energy is now tapped off on modern computers to charge
mobile devices and also act as a personal space heater - if you have
ever sat with a laptop on your lap, you can clearly feel your nads
warming up (not the ladies, obviously).