Chargebox
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A ChargeBox is a machine for charging devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, iPods, PSPs, and other small, mobile electronics. They can be situated in locations between the home and the office, with securable lockers, so devices can be safely charged at the owner’s convenience.
[edit] Motivation
Today’s mobile devices have many more features such as games, music, video, email as well as being phones. Having ChargeBoxes in convenient locations enables people to use these features without being nervous of running out of battery power and no longer being contactable.
A YouGov survey conducted in June 2006 found that 61% of under 30-year olds have run out of battery power on their mobiles while out and about within the last month. Also 48% of under 30-year-olds said that they had been in situations when they had wanted to use the features on their phones, but had refrained from doing so for fear of running out of battery.
The importance of a working mobile phone for safety was endorsed in the YouGov survey which discovered that 76% of women would feel vulnerable if their mobile ran out of battery when they were out and about on their own late at night
[edit] Britain example
An easy to use kiosk that recharges mobile phones, Blackberries and iPods has been unveiled recently by Boxbrands, a British company formed in 2005 by a team of professionals that recognised that the need for an ‘on the move’ battery charging facility was growing in line with the massive rise in hand held electronic devices and the huge increase in functionality that those devices have and the subsequent strain on battery technology. The kiosks are able to charge up to 24 different brands of phones as well as iPods, BlackBerries and PDAs (the system can take into account the latest models).
For only £1, anyone that has run out of battery power on their portable device can now recharge them in a ChargeBox. They accept both cash and SMS payments. Users can lock their devices inside the ChargeBox with a simple and secure key interface. They then leave them to charge and return at their own convenience.
The first machines have been sited at locations such as easyInternetcafes, Arora Hotels, Holiday Inns, Novotel, Road Chef, Tower 42, Vodafone stores, the Carphone Warehouse and various airports, with new sites constantly under review. One hundred ChargeBoxes are currently being installed but the company has aims to have over 1000 in the UK by the end of 2007. They can be installed anywhere and are very easy to use.
Boxbrands also launched the product in countries outside the UK starting in September 06.
