Mu Folding Type-C 20W PD Fast Charger

Product Information

The product at the core of the company is a Folding Plug that transforms from a bulky three-pin plug into a portable, hassle-free unit ideal for people on the go. When not in use the Folding Plug transforms into a fraction of its original size. PVTis specific technology developed to allow a three-pin electrical plug to a pivot, enabling the live and neutral pins to rotate. By using PVTtechnology, the MU reduces the standard UK plug by over 70% in size, whilst still being operational in the open and folded positions. PVT, a technology that is central to the MUUSB Charging Adapter and the MUrange of products, has taken 3 years to develop and is protected by six global patents. Award winning design and concept with international recognition Made in Mind was formed in 2009 to commercialise the award winning Folding Plug design now available commercially as the MuTM.

Tl;dr: There aren’t enough folding UK/Ireland chargers, and the ones we have are crap. Manufacturers, please make more and better ones. As soon as you see the Mu plug you can’t help but be wowed by the pure genius of its design. It only measures in at a slim 1cm and the design allows the two bottom live and neutral power pins to rotate by 90 degrees, thus halving the size of the plug’s body. PVTis specific technology developed to allow a three-pin electrical plug to a pivot, enabling the live and neutral pins to rotate. By using PVTtechnology, the MU reduces the standard UK plug by over 70% in size, whilst still being operational in the open and folded positions. PVT, a technology that is central to the MU Duo Folding USB Mains Adapterand the MUrange of products, has taken years to develop and is protected by manyglobal patents.What you do end up with is a device that looks good and will fit in your bag without digging into your other gadgets or getting tangled. Plus, it's something that looks cool and you'll be keen to show it off to any mates who are also impressed with innovative design. News from Dezeen Events Guide, a listings guide covering the leading design-related events taking place around the world. Plus occasional updates. Dezeen Awards China Matthew Judkins, Choi's business partner, says: "The problem was then bloody obvious and you kind of go through a process saying how does one solve it. When you look at the plug, the problem is that you have got three pins and they are in a triangular formation and it is fairly obvious what to do then – you just make them flat and in a line and that gets rid of the bulk issue.".

The whole time that this has been a sketch to [being] a product, we have thought about the moment that this will be a licensing play for these guys because that is how we make money," he said. Talks are ongoing with smartphone companies at present while the firm behind the Mu expects to be in profit in the last three months of this year. Judkins and Choi each own one third of the venture while investors have another third. Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen Jobs Weekly The Mu, named by a crowd sourced campaign, is a Folder Plug. Following the original launch of the product, Made in Mind has developed further members of the Mu family based on the Min-Kyo Choi’s original folded plug concept. I have been looking at the Mu Duo which combines the Made in Mind’s innovative and patented PVT technology that allows a standard UK 3-pin plug to be reduced by over 70% in size, with a pair of USB 2.0 ports for attaching devices for charging purposes using the folded plug concept. It does mean though, that this is out of bounds for cameras and your laptop. Although there is promise of a more heavy-duty option in the future. So yeah. More folding chargers please. And better ones. Thx. (Though I assume that nobody actually got this far in my rant.)

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The original Folding Plug concept was the brainchild of brilliant product designer and illustrator Min-Kyu Choi. Unveiled in 2009, the Folding Plug concept became a viral phenomenon winning the much coveted Brit Insurance Design of the Year Award in 2010. It's one that you'll probably want if you are looking to charge that iPad too, because the charging capability here isn't as powerful as the charger used to recharge most tablets. It will work, but it won't be as fast.

News about our Dezeen Awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates. Dezeen Events Guide It is unlikely however that the foldable plug will be seen at the end of cable for a table lamp or on a toaster in the near future. There is no problem there to solve, it seems. "If you are never going to use it, like in the wall, then there is no reason to have a folding plug, only when you are lugging it around," he said. What makes it different The Folding Plug was a gold medal winner in the International Design excellence Awards in 2009, and was featured in numerous publications including Wallpaper and Wired. Min-Kyu Choi, designer of the plug, recently won Brit Design of the Year award, which resulted in substantial media coverage. Weekly updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen AwardsWell, I recently became jealous of all of the Americans with their fancy folding chargers and set out on my own quest to find a 45w folding UK/Ireland charger. And what did I find? Nothing. Well, nearly nothing. It is frankly pathetic how few and far between folding chargers are for our plug. I will admit that the plug is not the easiest thing to make fold, but it has been done several times before with varying degrees of elegance.

At the same time as grappling with the engineering questions of whether it could actually be made, the pair also considered whether they should make a plug that could fit on the end of any cable or make a charger, which could then be sold at a premium price and the design licensed out. They went down the charger route. "We have a business where we make and sell stuff and make a margin and we have a licensing business where we supply the solution for someone else to put with their product," says Judkins.

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Now Min-Kyu and his business partner Matthew Judkins are set to launch a full range of products in 2012 to cater for universal smartphones, tablets and laptops through their company, Made in Mind. When out and about with the constant companionship of your mobile devices, it can be a challenge to ensure that these devices are kept in a charged state ready for use. While several companies have taken the approach to offer a solution consisting of a power bank type of product that can supply a recharge capability to your power hungry devices when required, this is not the only solution available. One possible example is the solution on offer from a company entitled Made in Mind.