The chargers are sold by cellular companies. It shouldn't be a problem for them to add a function so that the charger answers as a "listen only" phone that answers when you SMS to FindMe.com with your phone nubmer or name and the word "charger"-- pashute, Mar 08 2009 Don't throw your chargers away just yet but... http://www.which.co...dardised-168839.jspVery good news indeed, the propriatary phone charger thing is a primary example of when market forces create sick, perverted results. [zen_tom, Mar 09 2009] Yes, good stuff [+]. Also, how about a ringer only activated by a "finder" on the mobile powered by a source other than the main battery?-- nineteenthly, Mar 08 2009 Brilliant ++++++ make it echo weirdly and even more brilliant.-- blissmiss, Mar 08 2009 (-) I'm sorry, but chargers shouldn't be sold by cellular companies. That's just wrong. They shouldn't be device specific. They should just be universal. (Happily, I think we may be headed there.)-- jutta, Mar 08 2009 How do I send text messages when my phone is dead?-- Bad Jim, Mar 08 2009 Agree with jutta, and I understand some legislation to that effect (standardising chargers) has been presented in Europe.-- tatterdemalion, Mar 08 2009 I've read this several times and still don't get it (I'm one of the non-wirelessed)[edit] oh.. <shrug>-- FlyingToaster, Mar 08 2009 I thought that this was an idea that gave your cell phone charger an option to ring when you can't find it. I lose mine after traveling sometimes when it's left in luggage or it slips underneath something. The same way you can call yourself to find your cell phone when you've lost it AGAIN.
I think that would be great.-- blissmiss, Mar 09 2009 I disagree with "it makes no sense for such a phone to have a USB charger". You can still have a phone charged through a USB socket without making the phone data-capable.-- Srimech, Mar 09 2009 Well, I agree and disagree with Jutta, this should be Bluetooth not Cell access for many reasons. Digital phones work on a system like "yell loud enough to be heard". So even listening while inside a metal box, will kill batteries FAST as they still need to communicate their position to cell towers. Bluetooth would just sit and listen, so tiny batteries could be used.-- MisterQED, Mar 09 2009 21 Quest, how did you get music on the iPod without a computer?-- tatterdemalion, Mar 09 2009 [21 Quest] I think the term 'USB charger' is confusing us. The connector at the phone end can be one of the many types of coaxial DC plugs, something proprietary, or a proper standard like USB. Standardizing on USB at the phone end would solve the phone charger zoo problem we have at the moment. The other end of the lead can be mains or USB; that's not relevant.
As an analogy, my iPod can only be charged by its Firewire connector, but Apple included a mains charger with it; this charger is only different from any other plug-in mains charger in the shape of its connector.-- Srimech, Mar 10 2009 //The other end of the lead can be mains or USB; that's not relevant// Errr.-- coprocephalous, Mar 10 2009 Ok then, replace 'mains' with 'mains transformer' - anything that supplies 5 volts. The phone doesn't need a warning label - a charging-only USB socket on the phone will simply do nothing but charge if plugged into a USB socket on a computer. A data-capable USB socket on the phone will not suffer if plugged into a wall adapter that just supplies 5V.-- Srimech, Mar 10 2009 Yes the idea is to help you find your charger when its lost, just like you ring your phone when its lost.
Cellular company locking: The manufacturer only adds this ringer unit, and any cellular company can enable this as a service to the phone user (and gets paid back by the SMSs for finding your lost unit). The SMS service needn't be of the same company that sells you the phone, so you can buy a Nokia or Samsung charger in any store, and still have this service by registering your unit on the web.
Energy and Technology: It doesn't have to register to the cell as frequently as a regular phone does, and should only be data receive (SMS) enabled, hence very little energy. Bluetooth could do the job, but then you need your phone - and with power... USB is an answer to the charger loss but a) I still see most of the cellphones being charged by electric outlets. and b) Once the system is out, it would work for other things as well. SMS to FindMe.com and write the word "Home Key".
Or better yet: "Home Door Open" responded by a pre-agreed question or password prompt.-- pashute, Apr 16 2009 random, halfbakery