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EU passes deal on universal mobile phone charger

Under the provisional deal, mobile phone and smartphone makers will have to provide a standard battery charger that can fit any device.

SHORTLY AFTER THE IEC pushed for a universal charger for both laptops and notebook computers, mobile phones in Europe will be getting the same treatment.

Under a provisional deal on a new EU law, mobile phone and smartphone makers will have to provide a standard battery charger that can fit any device.

The move is to help simplify the use of radio equipment while reducing both cost and waste.

Lawmakers also agreed on additional means to track and monitor products which fail to comply with the new rules. Certain products are required to be registered before they can be put on the market, similar to the US.

If the outline agreement is endorsed by the European Parliament and EU members states, member states will have two years to impose the rules into their national law.

Phone manufacturers like Apple, and Samsung will have an additional year to comply, meaning the first universal chargers are expected to arrive in 2017.

The draft laws lays down common rules for placing radio equipment, including cellular telephones, and modems, on the market. The aim is to ensure that devices do not interfere with each other while respecting the necessary health and safety requirements.

It’s expected the full session of the European Parliament will sign off the law in March 2014.

Read: International standards group pushes for universal laptop charger >

Read: Smartphone users are 33% more likely to fall victim to identity fraud >

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85 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute cosmological
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    May 13th 2014, 11:29 AM

    This I like.

    151
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    Mute David Burke
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    May 13th 2014, 1:08 PM

    It’s actually a daft ruling. This isn’t about google collecting your data.

    It’s a newspaper article which was printed about a house being sold because the man in Spain defrauded the government. He wanted the result removed when you search his name.

    It’s pure censorship and technically could mean libraries indexing their newspapers could be forced to stop.

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    Mute Francis Giuseppe Glynn
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    May 13th 2014, 11:36 AM

    They should also apply this to social media like Facebook & Twitter.

    53
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    Mute P O' Neill
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    May 13th 2014, 11:32 AM

    A good step!

    53
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    Mute Bobby Moore
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    May 13th 2014, 11:45 AM

    I’m guessing Denis O’B will be looking to get any info from the Moriarty tribunal removed so.

    46
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    Mute Cpm
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    May 13th 2014, 11:37 AM

    “The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) found that under certain conditions, a person can request certain information to be erased if “the data appear to be inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant.””

    Who decides if the data is inadequate or irrelevant though?

    ” irrelevant or no longer relevant.””

    huh?

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    Mute Dave Gorman
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    May 13th 2014, 11:54 AM

    “Ireland’s bailout and property crash”

    No Longer Relevant, signed E Kenny

    45
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    Mute Jason Bourne
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    May 13th 2014, 11:59 AM

    If the search passes through google’s US sites, then the EU has no clout.
    Google will probably just remove the stuff from google.es

    Even this post will take up a little space on the US data center.

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    Mute Frank
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    May 13th 2014, 12:14 PM

    Indeed.

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    Mute Frank
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    May 13th 2014, 11:58 AM
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    Mute Bob Mc Dermott
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    May 13th 2014, 11:35 AM

    And you can take their word for it?

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    Mute Adam Murphy
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    May 13th 2014, 11:37 AM

    No, you can see for yourself by searching :)

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    Mute James Murphy
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    May 13th 2014, 11:44 AM

    This is only right too

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    Mute Brian Corcoran
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    May 13th 2014, 11:56 AM

    I don’t really understand this, *googles opinion”

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    Mute Wesley Eccles
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    May 13th 2014, 12:58 PM

    Good

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    May 13th 2014, 1:18 PM

    When PULSE has been used as a tool to “set up” innocent people (per Maurice McCabe) can we expect our new Minister for Justice to act on foot of this judgement?
    Permanent suspicion is dangerous, and isn’t really an effective use of leading systems. We need to take a lot more care of how our State keeps tabs on us.

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    Mute Paddy Hannigan
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    May 13th 2014, 5:32 PM

    Talk about your basic internet fail. Google, yahoo ect do not keep the internet in a box at company HQ. Besides because companies such as Amazon pay the likes of Google to give favourable positions to their links ,nobody really uses main stream search engines to find detailed info anymore.

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