Progress on standardizing the @#$%! chargers
![jason-perlow](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/70cadffdf7df735152f34acdeb275f8b0e4ac35d/2022/08/05/8ee616a1-94ee-439e-9574-58f014ae5ef0/jason-perlow.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
Now, the prospect of bringing yet another gadget with my already bulging TravelPro rolling laptop bag with me on every business trip didn't particularly thrill me, but at this point, I would have done anything to try to minimize the clutter. While somewhat of an expensive mobile accessory at $99 for a starter kit, the ChargePod is actually a very nice solution. Short of making every mobile consumer electronics device use the same charging interface, this is probably as good as we are going to get. The ChargePod is a little flying saucer shaped device with six blue LED-illuminated connector ports, each of which can hook up to a multitude of different devices depending on the connector used.
Does the solution work? Yes indeedy -- the voltages are all regulated by the saucer, and everything -- my BlackBerry 8820, the Jawbone, the Garmin Nuvi and my MP3 player was charged with just one plug. The only complaint I have about the kit is that the AC adapter is somewhat on the chunky side, and doesn't have retracting prongs, which some of the better cell phone chargers come with. I would like to see in a next generation of the adapter a more modular approach, where the brick and the AC prongs are separated by a cord, as most laptop bricks are these days -- this would prevent fighting over socket real estate in hotel suites and packed conference rooms. (EDIT: Apparently, the ChargePod sold on the web site has an updated AC Adapter which addresses these issues, but what I received for evaluation was older stock from the PR agency). Otherwise, I think the ChargePod is a near ideal solution and I would highly recommend it.
Now, short of crash development on safe magnetic induction technology, I still think connector standardization thru micro-USB is the way the industry should go. Then we can carry micro-USB charger "Squids", with much more simplified electronics, that don't cost an arm and a leg to replace.