powermat

Start-ups partner on universal wireless charger

Start-ups Green Plug and WiPower are working together on a universal wireless charger for portable devices, the companies said Thursday.

The partnership makes sense since GreenPlug has developed a protocol to allow power sources and portable devices to communicate, while WiPower has invented technology to transmit power wirelessly over short distances.

Green Plug's universal chargers allow portable electronic devices containing its embedded Greentalk chip to be charged from a universal port. Once a device is plugged in to a Green Plug charger port, the charger's Greentalk protocol reads the chip inside the device to determine the power supply … Read more

Powermat charging system took my iPod Touch hostage

I originally planned on writing my review of the Powermat magnetic inductive charging system by highlighting the innovation in the technology and the lack of necessity for a product that costs a serious amount of coin--$99.99 for the wired mat plus $40 for the charger--for achieving the same goal as a simple wire.

But then the Powermat took my iPod Touch captive.

First, the straight shooting: the Powermat system is indeed very cool. It does what it advertises and brings "wire-less" charging to devices that normally don't have the ability: the iPhone, iPod Touch, select … Read more

Powermat wireless device chargers finally available

Powermat has been touting its wireless chargers for a while now--ever since CES 2009, quite frankly--but now they're finally available for you, the consumer, to purchase.

The Powermat is a one-pad, one-plug system (pictured above right) that charges all your gadgets in one place without wires. Your gadget gets a special "Powermat Receiver" sleeve so that it can use magnetic induction charging to power your devices. (Aren't familiar with magnetic induction? If you've got an Oral-B rechargeable toothbrush, or a Palm Touchstone charger for your Pre, it's the same thing.)

Wireless electricity in the kitchen

I've never been a fan of cord clutter. I switched to a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard in my office, and I've delighted in the clean look ever since. Cord clutter may be annoying in the office, but it's downright dangerous in the kitchen. The kitchen--that place where I spill, where my kids come barreling through at top speed, where tangled cords are truly an accident waiting to happen.

Cordless technology for the kitchen is a great idea, but one that doesn't get as much press, perhaps, as wireless peripherals for the office. Until now.

At the … Read more