Our addiction to mobile devices doesn't have to be an enormous energy suck. A new line of chargers intends to fight the perils of "vampire energy."
In many ways, our mobile devices can help us lead more environmentally friendly lifestyles. Myriad apps and constant connectivity to the internet provide us with the information we need to make sustainable consumer choices, for example, or access public transportation more easily. But incorporating gadgetry into more and more aspects of daily life uses up an ever-increasing amount of electricity. Vampire energy—the power suck when our devices are plugged in but turned off—costs U.S. consumers $3 billion a year alone.
Electronics accessories manufacturer Bracketron is hoping its new product line of environmentally friendly batteries and chargers will help make our devices a little lest parasitic on the grid, making another contribution to the growing line of electronics intended to fight vampire energy. Unlike traditional chargers, GreenZero chargers can tell when a device is fully charged, at which point they automatically stop providing juice to a phone. And the chargers know when your phone is unplugged, too, so no need to flick a switch on a power strip to fight the drain of vampire energy.
If the allure of cutting back on your electricity bill isn't strong enough, the GreenZone accessories offer another bonus: the design is pretty cool too. The aptly named "Mushroom" charger includes a big green button on top: Just press it to start or stop charging. Bracketron announced that it'll debut the chargers at next week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and plans to have them in stores by March.