Samsung has revealed the wireless charging kit for the Galaxy S III, a combination of a new battery cover for the third-gen flagship smartphone, and a desk cradle. Set to add the wireless power capabilities we loved from Palm's webOS models to a far more appealing Android device, the optional kit will allow Galaxy S III owners to cut another cord.
The Qi wireless charging standard has been updated to allow for a longer distance between device and charging platform. This will make it easier for the platform to be integrated into various surfaces, including tabletops, furniture, and cars. The Wireless Power Consortium announced the updated Qi standard today, which now allows for a distance of 40mm, up from the previous 5mm.
While I've been wishing for a truly wireless charging solution for some time now, especially in my truck, Chrysler is set to add wireless charging solutions to some of their 2013 line-up starting with the Dodge Dart. Now this doesn't use wires, but it still needs to be in a certain place for the conductive charging system to work. The image below can be a little misleading.
Get the charging of your iPhone done in half the time you'd normally have had to wait with IDT Wireless Power's new single-chip system! That's what the group is touting this week, as they make charging your devices wirelessly one whole heck of a lot more efficient with their new wireless power transmitters and receivers, complete with 80% reduction in board size compared to their previous models. This technology will be applied to wireless chargers in the near future - for now we've only to sit back and appreciate the efficiency and awesomeness of this tech which will work for mobile phones, tablets, MIDs, cameras, MP3 players, GPS devices, and any other battery operated mobile device.
Well would you look at that, it's a charging station and we're taking a look at it. This is a station for charging up to 4 devices (three on the top and another via the USB bonus port on the side.) This device is currently available via IDAPT and it'll set you back $59.99. It's got interchangeable tips that plug into the dock creating a system which IDAPT notes provides a charging opportunity for over 4,000 devices. This certainly reduces the number of cords you've got popping out of your outlet - but what if all you've got are Android devices? Let's take a look.
With more gadgets wanting to get their juice via USB, and the contents of our hardware bags quickly outnumbering the AC sockets on offer, manufacturers are getting clever to ways they can extend what power ports are accessible at any one time. FlipIt! may have a silly exclamation point in its name, but it also has a reasonably compact way of doubling up a standard US AC socket, sandwiching its connection in-between the wall and a regular plug.
At one point in time or another, you've probably needed just one more port to get something you needed done, done. We've all been there. And while there's plenty of options out there, some times you're just looking for something a bit more "combined" than just having an extra box hanging around your laptop. Well, thanks to Lenovo, you now have the option to power your ThinkPad and connect four USB devices, without needing anything extra.
The two major issues that we often hear when we talk about electric vehicles is that they have a driving range that is too short for long road trips and they take too long to charge. One of the issues that we often don't talk about is the cord needed to plug the car into the outlet for charging.
We're not shy about our aversion to cables, cords, and anything else that can tie us down and look remarkably messy at the same time. Sure, there's been products out there that have made us wonder if there's any hope for our surge protectors, but then there's gadgets like IDAPT's i4 that make us realize why, all over again, we'd much prefer to have one cable, if we had to have any cables at all.
Microsoft have been developing a dual-sided wireless charging pad for peripherals, that would both offer inductive charging and a compact external display for system updates and alerts. News of the project first emerged when a Microsoft patent application was spotted, but a real-world prototype - called the Microsoft uPad - dating back to at least March 2009 soon broke cover.
Ever been at the beach and realized that your cell phone was about to die? Ever been at the beach, noticed that your cell phone was about to die, and cared? Well, if you have, or perhaps a bit more realistically you needed to charge your digital camera while trapsing around, then it looks like a team of developers has just the thing for you. They're called Solar Trees, and you guessed it, they're solar powered.
While we hate to admit it, a universal charger doesn't seem to be something that's going to happen any time soon for the mobile phone industry. And while we don't expect anything from the other personal gadget manufacturers, it's pretty ridiculous that we usually need to buy a new charger when we get a new phone. Making a standard seems to be the obvious thing to do, but hey, what do we know? Then again, if we had a universal rule of thumb for charging our phones, we wouldn't get cool devices like this.