German industrial designer Luigi Calani is known for the rounded, biomorphic forms he introduces to everything from home appliances and vehicles to furniture and buildings. Now the designer has come up with the curvy, futuristic Anyfix universal phone charger that claims to be able to handle 80 percent of the mobile phones on the market—just beware of the use of the word "wireless" that’s often being used to describe it. The charger doesn’t magically charge up telephone batteries using some form of through-the-air transmit power; rather the device is better described as "cord-free," designed to plug directly into a power receptacle and act as a cradle for the phone.
The idea behind the AnyFix charger is that users simply pop it into a wall, pop their phone onto it, and then press a button: the charger then (apparently) automatically determines and selects the appropriate charging connector for the phone. The hope is that a singe charger can thereby support multiple devices in a household or office environment, saving users the trouble of constantly searching for the appropriate chargers and adapters. Anyfix is touting the in-socket design as a feature—no wires! no cords!—but we imagine it all depends where ones power outlets are located. Sometimes a cord is better than having to crawl under your desk (or behind your sofa) every time to want to charge your phone.
Colani showed off the Anyfix charger at CEBit, and was apparently greeted by so much enthusiasm that the company is ramping up to produce 2 million units per month in preparation for a worldwide release in November, although there’s no word yet on when they may reach the North American market. In the meantime, if you just have to have one now, the first 15 Anyfix chargers—signed by Colani—will be available for purchase on the online auction site eBay, with proceeds going to benefit the Ethiopian charity trust Menchen Für Menschen (MFM). Anyfix is now accepting pre-orders via its Web site; the units are currently priced at €39.
