WildCharge brings 'wireless' charging to hundreds of devices
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted August 14th 2009 4:33PM
posted August 14th 2009 4:33PM
posted August 14th 2009 4:33PM
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so plug in the dongle, put it on the pad
that's one extra thing to do as opposed to just plug in the charger and just dropping it like it's hot :O
Exactly what I was thinking...One extra step for only $80+ more. Awesome.
Perchance, by dropping it like it's hot do you mean like people have been doing with those iPod's/Sony products lately?
Can we say Crapgadget?
The problem with these wireless charging solutions is that there are no devices out there that support them.
Also a back pannel from one company will not charge on another company's pad.
So if I invest in a wireless charging system... If the base breaks, I either have to get the same base, or get a whole new set!
So...let me get this straight. I pay an assload of money to get a large, stupid looking metal pad that I have to plug into the wall. Then, when I get home, I am supposed to take another stupid looking disc shaped charger and plug its cord into my device and then set it on top of the pad. And this is supposed to be better than plugging the thin and more energy efficient cord that plugs directly into the wall why?
I don't get it...
What is the point of wireless charging when it still has a wire connected to the device?
I know, I just wanted to post about this one sentence:
"All you need to charge your previously incompatible hardware wirelessly is this one little wire..."
New feature for Office 2010: Contradiction detector for the spell-checker.
Suns, perhaps a sarcasm detector for your browser?
Why does this seem like the dumbest thing ever. There is a power cord connected to it and it's only 5 inches long... making it pretty much tethered to the little pad.
It has to have it integrated for it to make sense.
Did you put the Beck's 'An Inconvenient Book' in there to balance out the story a few posts back?
( I doubt that I should post this...)
i imagine because this device is as inconvenient as glenn beck's continued existence
I lol'd.
Thanks sir. Hate can be surprisingly funny....
@sacapuntas: I was going to write the same thing. Just hope you unchecked that "send me e-mail" checkbox.
@Uncontrol: Imagine the outrage if I were to put Barack Obama's name in place of Glenn Beck's name. Wait a second, I think the SEIU is knocking at my door right now to re-educate me for even thinking that.
I know you're allowed to claim sufficiently small numbers are zero, but I don't think the length of cable on that thing is less than lambda.
But bonus points for tools who just leave the dingleberry on and walk around talking like that.
wow....just ...wow
I agree. This makes no sense. Now, if it was something that clipped on the device. Lets say - something small that went along the bottom or back of the device (like how the palm pre does it) and you can literally just sit it on there and leave it on there - then this would be a cool product. Otherwise - this just seems silly. I don't like cables/dongles - hence the reason for the wireless charger. A charger with wires is not wireless.
So close Josh, you almost had it. What they need to do is integrate it into replacement batteries. Buy the WildCharge version of the battery for your Blackberry, or whatnot, then you can just drop it on the pad. Yes, significant technical hurdles exist to that solution and your battery life will probably suffer, but then there is nothing external to the device and this would actually excite people.
You should probably explore the site a little before judging based on the poorly chosen picture for this article.
http://www.wildcharge.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/Product_ID/508
They actually make several clips that permanently stay on the device and just let you set it down.
Josh, that comment wasn't directed at you specifically but more the entire comment chain. Not sure why it stuck under you.
Ya, this is going to fail... hard.
+1 fail.
This is just awesome. Now, instead of just plugging the charger into the wall, then into my device, all I have to do is plug the pad into the wall, then the dongle into my device, then place the dongle on the mat. Wow, how extra convenient!
"Wireless" fail.
So they've just invented an $80+ power strip, except less convenient. Genius!
What's extra pathetic is that people are actually going to buy these. The majority of people are so dumb, they won't realize how oxymoronic this device is.
This was crap when it came out, and this newest iteration is still crap. I want a wireless induction charger built into my desk and my gear. Oh, and a shielded hard drive.
^_^
I have the WildCharge pad and skin for my iPhone and love it. At first glance, I thought this new product seemed really, really dumb but the more I think about it, the more I like it. I don't that anyone is buying the mat and PowerDisc alone. I think it's more for people that already own the mat and want to be able to charge something else on there and also not take up an extra outlet.
I agree on this being dumb, but could see it being useful in the sense that you could buy one of these devices, disassemble it, and try to incorporate it into the device sans wires.
WOULDN'T THAT BE FUN?
You guys are all stupid. If you go to the site it clearly says it connects via a "PowerLink"...not a wire.
Jeez if you guys could read you'd know that a "PowerLink" isn't a wire at all. If it was a wire they'd have to call it a wire instead of a "PowerLink"...which they clearly aren't doing.
On a side note I'm going to start marketing a line of cars that doesn't require gasoline. My car will run on "Dino Juice". Boom...environmental issues solved.
so funny XD
I first believed you were saying that thing is good XD
next time put sarcasm tag on it ;P
I assume that thing is basically a series of alternating positive and ground bars.
What happens when my cat jumps on it?
Say what? I'm pretty sure it uses induction...
Maybe, but then why does it need metal contact points?
If only it came with a Hello Kitty theme.
Epic fail of a product
Its a neat idea, but its fixing a problem that was not a problem.
This is the second engadget article I've read about this company making "wireless" chargers. First off, their chargers are not induction based like the original article seemed to imply, and second off, this product is very lame as discussed above.
Is engadget in bed with this company or something to promote their products? I don't see any other reason why this could remotely be newsworthy.
I think that this puts the final nail in the coffin for wireless charging.
1. It is energy inefficient
2. Very limited range
3. Hardware / batteries not compatible
4. people are scared of radiating power
5. costs a lot to do a little
There are a dozen companies trying to get this off the ground and they are dropping like flies.
I love how the article starts out with:
"We know you're jealous of your friends' ability to charge up their RAZRs and iPhones sans wires"
and the writer completely leaves out the Pre....you know...the phone that started this craze?
This is a VERY VERY primitive version of the wireless power that was promised. It is like a lab tech device packaged and sold to the public. This is stupid. Well anyway in 5 years or less the market will finally get products that do not require that reiduclous disc and you simply place the device on the pad or in the general area and BOOM it is charging.
What will be funny though is wifi charging thieves who roam around looking for wireless charging. lol
I seem to recall having this argument with someone about wifi internet when it was brand spanking new.
...Give it time this is a little harder than wifi internet.
There's a wire between the charging pad and the device being charged! Therefore, NOT WIRELESS!
How many times do Engadget readers have to unanimously tell you, "KEEP POLITICS OUT OF OUR TECHNOLOGY SITE!" Or are you really that thick headed?
I don't care whether you post something favorable or unfavorable to what I believe in. But you are just an absolute moron! You think no one will care or notice about your insignificant political opinions. So instead of actually having a place to voice your political views, you throw them up all over your technology articles. Get a life Joseph or get out of the tech writing business and do politics.
They might say " Keep your politics off the page" but look how many comments the OCC, FNC story has.
If readers really didn't want it they'd ignore those posts, and engadget would stop posting them.
They can't sell it, if we won't buy it.
Why the hell is Glen Beck on the iPod? Can we make a bi-partisan agreement here and collectively call him a douche-bag?
is it not a Kindle, ese?
lol @ Glenn Beck on the cover
Beck makes everything fail.
TGGGD86 : +1111