PC World — Enough with bickering cell phone technologies, messaging systems that won't talk, incompatible file formats, and TV remotes that spread like kudzu across your coffee table. We've been dealing with some of these problems for more than a decade, and it's time for things to improve.

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Here are ten technologies that cry out for standardization--tomorrow if possible, though yesterday would be even better.

What tech do you want to see standardized? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

1. One World, One Plug

Over the years I've used hundreds of chargers, plugs, AC/DC adapters, power bricks, and wall warts for my laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, GPS units, and other gadgets. No two were interchangeable. It's not merely stupid, it's a landfill nightmare.

USB-based AC adapters are a step forward, but you still have to deal with six kinds of USB connectors. If your camera uses a Mini-A USB charger and your smart phone is Micro-B, you're just as stranded as if they used completely unrelated chargers. You may be able to buy a "universal" charger that lets you plug in a laptop and other devices, but only if the vendor supplies adapters designed for your particular gadgets. What a pain.

What the world needs now isn't love sweet love--it's a power adapter that works with every portable device. Last year, most of the big handset makers agreed to standardize on Micro-USB chargers by 2012. (The most prominent exception? Apple, of course.) For the past three years, groups like Green Plug have been lobbying consumer electronics companies to adopt a single plug standard, but so far they have little to show for their efforts. You can add your voice to the chorus at the I Want My Green Plug site.

2. A Real Universal Remote

Like everyone I know, I have a basket crowded with remotes (including several not-so-universal "universal" ones) on my coffee table. All of them do more or less the same thing, but each one is slightly different. Does every TV, DVD, DVR, set-top box, and stereo manufacturer really need to redesign the wheel?

We need one remote that controls everything and doesn't require a 45-minute video tutorial, tedious trial-and-error experimentation, memory-hogging software, constant updating, or the services of a Home A/V specialist. That, or maybe Project Natal-like gesture recognition, so we can just wave our hands to control our A/V gear. Even better: brain implants. That way my wife and I can fight over what to watch without having to speak to each other.

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