charging

The last time we saw the Touchstone was for a modification involving the Nokia Lumia 800. That saw an enterprising modder hack the charging mechanism, enabling power to flow wirelessly when the phone was set down on the Touchstone. Will the same trick work with the Samsung Galaxy S III? As it turns out, yes. Samsung promised wireless charging at the Galaxy S III event back in May, but it’s a long way off yet, so one owner decided to take matters into his own hands.

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Wireless charging is still a cumbersome affair, requiring separate cases and adds-ons to make the magic happen. That’s still a problem with Powermat’s new products, but the company is trying to make things easier in remote locations with the Wireless Power Nation initiative. In addition to the new charging case and portable battery backup, the company will be integrating power mats into different locations.

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Vodafone has offered a VIP Recharge Truck for festival goers in the past, keeping smartphones topped up so that everyone could tweet about how great [Insert Current Popular Band] is. The telecoms company will be rolling out the truck once again this summer, but is trying to ditch wristbands or or photos of customers dropping off their smartphones. Instead, a new biometric system will be used.

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Remember the Brammo Empulse R electric bike that we peeked a few weeks ago? The regular version that drops the R has officially been debuted in Hollywood today, with all the nitty gritty details being laid out as well as the price. Brammo say that the bike is capable of reaching speeds up to 100mph, and can travel up to 121 miles on a single charge. it features a 9.3kWh lithium ion battery, and a liquid cooled motor.

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General Motors has announced that automakers in the United States and Germany are set to demonstrate fast charging technology that will allow for quicker charging on EVs. According to GM, the new fast charging standard can recharge a battery pack in as little as 15 to 20 minutes. The automakers that are working together are some of the largest in the world.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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