New Cell Phone Charger gets "Smart" Label

Whatever you call it, most people have begun to realize that our electronics are costing us more and more dollars on utility bills. Each new gadget comes with a new charger and they all stay plugged into the wall sipping precious nickels and dimes 24 hours a day. As consumer awareness grows, so does the demand for a product to let will us plug in and forget it.

First to the party is AT&T who is introducing a new cell phone charger in May called the AT&T Zero. The phone charger has the ability to sense when a phone is plugged into it. So when the phone gets unplugged it can stop drawing power from the wall. Keep in mind that it will be sold separately for around the same price as a traditional charger. It would probably be difficult to realize any savings if you purchased a new charger, but if you happen to misplace your old one you should look for this innovate, first-of-its-kind wonder device (I tried to use as many buzz words as possible).

Up to now all chargers (phone or otherwise) continue to draw electricity as long as its plugged into the wall. The amount of electricity it takes drops when a phone gets unplugged, but you might as well being paying rent  on that real estate in the wall.

To learn more about the AT&T Zero, here's an article from the New York Times Gadget blog.