We all know about smart cars, smart cities, smartphones, and smart speakers, but did you know there are also “smart egg trays” and “smart umbrellas”? If you’ve always wanted to be notified when you’re running low on eggs or find out from your umbrella when it’s raining outside, these smart devices might just be for you. For us, these new products are a sign that the term “smart” has quickly become one of the most popular consumer marketing buzzwords of the digital age.
It’s no wonder that the smart label is so widespread. Who isn’t on the lookout for things that make life easier? If something is smart, the perception is that it will take away the responsibility of figuring out what needs to be done. So-called smart devices and technologies are supposed to determine what you want and do it for you.
Charging is the latest in the long list of tech to be given the “smart” or “intelligent” label. The idea behind it is that the charging system is controlling and monitoring the charging process. Sounds pretty cool right? However, just because something sounds cool, doesn’t mean that it’s necessary. In the case of fancy internet-connected egg trays, do you really need an expensive carton to tell you to buy eggs when you can clearly see for yourself every time you open the fridge? In the case of smart charging, most devices already have built-in software that regulates charging to ensure devices aren’t overcharged. As PC Magazine explains, “The one thing all the experts agree upon is that smartphones are smart enough that they do not let an overload happen. Extra protection chips inside make sure that can’t happen in a tablet or smartphone or even a laptop. Once the internal Lithium-ion battery hits 100 percent of its capacity, charging stops.”1
You may also think that a solution that offers intelligent charging automatically senses the power needs of each device. Be aware. Few smart charging systems actually do this. Rather, they sense the average power need for a bank or row of devices and direct power to the bank most “in need.” Which sounds useful in theory, but if you really think about your day-to-day workflow, it isn’t all that helpful. Read on to find out why.
As an efficient alternative, PC Locs offers the remote control ECO Safe Charge™ Power Management System. This intelligent programmable power management system can charge multiple laptops and power other electrical equipment safely. In our carts, the devices can be programmed for a certain amount of time, and if the device has built-in software, it won’t overcharge. If the device just needs a quick pick me up in the middle of the day, it will charge just as fast in its cart. You control how long you want your devices charged, and ECO Safe Charge will supply as much power as the device needs, regardless of how much of a charge it currently has.
Check out the five advantages this technology offers that are not only pretty cool; they’re also useful and put control where it belongs, in your hands.
Although there are many possibilities for how to set up the ECO-TIMER functions based on your specific needs, here are a few popular scenarios.
Don’t fall for the hype; when used as a buzzword, remember that “smart” doesn’t always mean superior. You probably don’t need an umbrella to tell you it’s raining and you definitely don’t need so-called “smart” charging to properly charge your devices.
1 Charging Your Phone Overnight: Battery Myths Debunked – PC Mag