Charging devices eliminate vampire power
April 19, 2012 | Length: 00:01:45
We all know that leaving a device plugged in wastes significant amounts of electricity over time. But is anyone motivated enough to unplug all their gadgets and appliances while they're not in use? SmartPlanet's Sumi Das takes a look at a new product that stops the standby power problem.
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Transcript
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>> Hello and welcome to Sumi's Smart Picks. I'm Sumi Das and each week I'll tell you about a clever product that in one way or another helps us live cleaner, greener lives. My pick this week, the Mushroom GreenZero charger from Bracketron. This is the charger we've all been waiting for. When you're device is fully charged, the charger will turn off automatically. A typical charger continues to draw power. In other words, these GreenZero chargers solve the vampire power problem. If you don't think it's really a problem, consider this; vampire, or standby power, accounts for 10% of residential electricity use. Some estimates say that amounts to $3 billion, with a 'B', in the U.S. alone. If you can save a few hundred dollars on your utility bill every year, why not, right? Here's how it works. Plug the charger into a socket. We have it plugged into an extension cord here. And then connect your device. I have my phone...plug it in. When you're ready to start charging, push the green button right here and the device will start to charge. You can even push it with your foot if it's plugged into a low wall socket. Pretty simple. This version of the charger also has a cord keeper. Just wrap it around the button which is pretty convenient as well. Unfortunately, this is a prototype and it's been a bit buggy at times, but we trust that when the models go on sale, they'll work as promised. We'll let you know if they don't. That's my pick for this week; Bracketron's Mushroom GreenZero charger. Check back next week for more.
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