Powermat cuts ties with cabled power
Wireless charging for phones and laptops
CES Power sockets clogged with gadget chargers and swamped by a cable spaghetti will soon be just a memory, if Powermat has its way.
Powermats charge gadgets wirelessly
The US company has unveiled five wireless charging mats - all called Powermats - for phones and laptops.
According to the company, these provide consumer gadgets with real-time power at the same rate as if each device were plugged into its own charger.
iPods, iPhones, BlackBerrys, GPS devices, handheld gaming consoles and laptops can all be charged up wirelessly using a Powermat. Only the mat needs a cabled power source.
Mats can also be used for data streaming
The base delivers a charge based on the principles of magnetic induction. This allows each Powermat to provide either low or high capacity juice to compatible products placed on its surface.
Powermats can also be used for wireless data transmission. For example, a mat will help stream video from a portable media player to your TV.
Future models may be embedded into walls and tabletops
The company hopes that future Powermat-esque devices will be suitable for embedding into walls, ceilings, tabletops and so on so that almost any surface can become an invisible and wireless energy source.
The five Powermat models go on sale later this year. No prices yet.
COMMENTS
Powermat
What an amazing idea! I can't wait to get one for our family!
It's about time..
...that someone thought this up!
I have a charging station home now and it's overrun with wires.
wireless = awesome!
tough crowd redux
The thing I'm eager to check out when this comes to market is that the dongle/docks appear to be universal devices. So yeah, I'm with you, you still have to plug the mat in and then place some sort of receiver on the mat that connects to your gizmos. But at least in my world, if I can plug in most of my devices to a single adapter/dongle I still win. I can retire that drawer full of cables and adapters in favor of one multi-purpose unit. We'll see how it plays out.
Tough crowd.
"Also, if you're a mini-USB guy, just buy the dongle with the USB tip instead of a case and charge everything with that."
Brilliant. So I plug the charger into the mains, then plug the mini-USB into the device, then place the dongle onto the charger. All that extra convenience at the knock down price of less efficient charging and more expensive equipment.
Does anybody know if snake oil cures sarcasm?
it works
It's not a new concept, but it's one that finally appears to work. The manufacturers say that it's 90% efficient between the coils and that there are magnets to ensure the device and mat couple, no sliding. The technology also includes a handshake to determine how much power to transmit and can stop the transmission when the device is charged. Also, if you're a mini-USB guy, just buy the dongle with the USB tip instead of a case and charge everything with that. Sheesh. Tough crowd.
