A ChargeBox is a machine for charging devices such as mobile phones, PDA

Personal digital assistant

A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...

s, iPod

IPod

iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...

s, PSP

PlayStation Portable

The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

s, 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. Other vending machines that are also capable of performing this function are operated by Photo-Me International

Photo-Me International

Photo-Me International plc based in Bookham, Surrey operates photobooths. It became a plc in 1963 and has built operations in several countries including Japan, Philippines, Germany and France in addition to the UK...

.

Usage

It would seem to be hoped that as today’s mobile devices have many more features such as games, music, video, email as well as being phones having ChargeBoxes in convenient locations will enable people to use these features without being nervous of running out of battery power and no longer being contactable. A YouGov

YouGov

YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...

 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.

Locations

The first machines have been sited at locations such as easyInternetcafes, Arora Hotels, Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...

s, Novotel

Novotel

Novotel is a mid-scale hotel brand within the Accor group. Novotel has close to 400 hotels and resorts in 60 countries, situated in the business districts and tourist destinations of major international cities.-History:...

, RoadChef

RoadChef

Roadchef is a company which operates twenty motorway service areas in the UK. Behind Moto and Welcome Break, it is the third largest motorway service area operator .-History:...

, Tower 42

Tower 42

Tower 42 is the second tallest skyscraper in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London overall. The original name was the National Westminster Tower, having been built to house the National Westminster Bank's International Division. Seen from above, the tower closely resembles the NatWest...

, Vodafone

Vodafone

Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...

stores, the Carphone Warehouse and various airports. About one hundred ChargeBoxes are installed in the UK in total.

Chargebox, also launched the product in countries outside the UK starting in September 2006.