Sony, of all companies, is developing a new type of charging outlet that’s described in a report from Ars Technica. It won’t be your standard plug with the Sony name, it’ll include NFC and RFID technology so it can meter and charge you for your usage. It will tie into Sony’s FeliCa smart card system so it can process wireless mobile payments. The technology can manage your usage on a per-user, per-device basis via the Internet. It can even control electricity flow and turn off outlets when there is a brown-out situation.
I can see this technology being used in airports and other public places where the need to charge a device is high. If you need to charge, you can pay to use a Sony outlet or wait and use a public one for free. It could also be used in office buildings or hospitals to manage electricity usage during times of high consumption. Managers could make sure the server system and critical medical equipment stays running, while less important items get turned off. The technology was announced earlier this year by Sony and demoed recently by Tokyo news site DigInfo TV at the recent NFC & Smart World conference in Tokyo.
[Via Ars Technica]