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    Does Sony Want to Make You Pay to Charge Your Gadgets? [VIDEO]

    By Sam Laird | Mashable – Tue, Feb 14, 2012

    Sony is developing power outlet technology that will track energy consumption. The next logical step? Charging users by how much energy they consume while charging their smartphones, laptops and other devices.

    [More from Mashable: Whitney Houston Album Price Spikes — Then Falls — After Her Death [REPORT]]

    The technology uses IC chips to authenticate users of power outlets, according to a press release, determining the identity of people who plug in and whether or not they should be allowed to do so. While that advance in hardware capability could lead to better energy conservation, it could also be used to gouge digital-minded travelers and people who work out of cafes and other public places.

    "Such as deployment to the waiting room or airport lounge cafes and restaurants, the station can be expected," reads a Google translation of Sony's Japanese press release.

    [More from Mashable: Today’s Top Stories: Sony and Nokia Struggle, Apple Sells More Phones Than Ever]

    Sony demonstrated the technology on Tuesday in Tokyo, according to IDG News. IDG News reports that Sony has not set a date for when the technology will become available, but that the company "hopes to cooperate with appliance makers, power companies, and large infrastructure developers in rolling it out."

    While Sony says the authenticating power strips will utilize technology and hardware already in use elsewhere, implementing such a plan would require adding adapters to outlets if not replacing the outlets themselves. But Sony is also developing technology that could enable just one "reader" to monitor an entire household, IDG News reports.

    Would you be willing to pay to charge your smartphone like you do to fill up your gas tank? Let us know in the comments.

    Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, ramsey everydaypants

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

     

    14 comments

    • Josh
      Josh  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  3 mths ago
      already do pay its called paying the electric bill
    • Tom
      Tom  •  Richardson, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      Do I hear Boycott of Sony and any affiliate???
    • Ruiming
      Ruiming  •  Hong Kong, Hong Kong  •  3 mths ago
      Sony is running out of useful ideas, it is going down fast.
    • Freedom7
      Freedom7  •  3 mths ago
      Won't by Sony stuff if this happens!
    • QuestionGeek
      QuestionGeek  •  3 mths ago
      Sony just lost millions of customers. This tyrant big brother technology is not going to go over well with people
    • M
      M  •  3 mths ago
      We really need to start taking down these giant CORPORATIONS that are bleeding us dry. Why nickel and dime us to death?
    • Ender
      Ender  •  3 mths ago
      Boycott Sony !
    • a guy
      a guy  •  Binghamton, New York  •  3 mths ago
      id be willing to bet there plenty of room in the profit margins of any company to cover all the people that charge their devices. just another way to squeeze more money from people.

      I want to see a study on how much energy these traveling device charging people cost the average starbucks or whatever.
    • MJ
      MJ  •  Newport, Minnesota  •  3 mths ago
      I already have one of those on the outside of my house, it's called a meter. Sony should have spent some of that R&D money on their computers, MP3 players, phones, and home audio.
    • Tamyth
      Tamyth  •  Saginaw, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      I pay my electric bill, and I pay for the gas in my car, and the battery in it as well therefor I pay to charge my devices. The minute I have to pay an additional surcharge to charge my devices is the minute that I no longer need those devices. What is SONY looking for ways to go bankrupt? introducing this technology would drive consumers away, because first they would add a surcharge for having to charge your device, next they would put a cap on how much you can charge a month. it's ridiculous.
    • Joe
      Joe  •  3 mths ago
      It's Sony - the same company that sold CDs and DVDs that installed rootkits on your computer. It would not be the slightest bit out of character for them to try to screw over their customers with something like this.
    • Shazam
      Shazam  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      Suicidal move Sony!
    • J
      J  •  3 mths ago
      Why would appliance makers need to be included in this? Do I need to know exactly how much each appliance I have in my home uses. NO because I need those appliances to work regardless of how much they consume. They already do tests on how much these things consume before they sell them there are energy guides on every appliance out there. If we can't trust them then they shouldn't be placed on the product. It's not a like a car a refrigerator should work the same no mater what house you place it in. And yes we track all of this already as most of you have stated through electric meters.
    • Michael_Vicksdog
      Michael_Vicksdog  •  3 mths ago
      I must not be grasping the concept because this sounds like the stupidest idea since Joel Schumacher gave batman's costume nipples.
      • Tamyth
        Tamyth 3 mths ago
        Yes, perfect I love your analogy. And why did Batman and Robin get nipples but not Batgirl.?
     Post a comment
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