inductive
Latest
Verizon and HTC offer Thunderbolt extended battery, give your phone dumps like a truck
Though never confirmed by Verizon, it seems likely that battery life (or more accurately, the lack thereof) played a part in the series of delays preceding the Thunderbolt's launch. To combat this problem, Big Red and HTC are offering a rather unsightly extended battery pack that nearly doubles the handset's capacity from 1400mAh to 2750mAh. All that extra juice will certainly come in handy for folks leaning heavily on the phone's LTE radio. However, the device costs $50 and adds an ounce of junk in the trunk -- on a device that isn't svelte to begin with -- so why not buy another standard battery for ten bucks less instead? Then you can use the Qi-compatible back and induction charging station Verizon's releasing in April -- both are pictured after the break. It's just under $100 ($29 for the back and $69 for the pad) for those who want to cut the cord and don't mind the expanded waistline we assume comes with the privilege.
LG Revolution gets Fulton inductive charging back, HTC and Samsung handsets joining the party soon
We've just swooped our way through the Fulton Innovation stand here at MWC and found, sat next to the familiar light-up cereal box, a peculiar version of the Verizon LTE network-riding LG Revolution. Thicker than its CES-announced counterpart (by only 1.5mm, if the Fulton reps are to be believed), this Revolution features a Qi wireless charging-compatible back, which happens to go very nicely with a Verizon-branded inductive charging station. You can scope those out in the gallery below. We're told the back cover that makes this possible will be available as an accessory in the next 30 to 60 days, but the excitement for us was in hearing that Samsung also has an unannounced handset that will feature a similar add-on, which will be landing in the same timespan. While at the stand, we were also shown the back cover of an HTC Thunderbolt -- we weren't told the Thunderbolt will be making like the Revolution and getting its own chunky wireless charging adapter, but don't be surprised if it does. %Gallery-116621%
Fulton Innovation blows our minds with eCoupled wireless Tesla, inductive cereal boxes (video)
Wondering what your future kitchen looks like? Take a gander at what Fulton Innovation is showing at CES this year. They're also giving a peek at the future of retail shopping, and even parking lots. It's all the magic of inductive charging, and now that the Qi standard has been finalized it seems like things are coming together. Really together, in everything from cereal boxes with blinkenlights to Tesla Roadsters that charge almost as quickly as with a wire but, quite obviously, without the wire. Would you like to know more? Click on through. %Gallery-113129%
Energizer rolls into CES with new power packs, inductive chargers, solar products, and more
We've seen a handful of new Energizer cases and charges crop up over the past few months, but the company's turned up at CES with those and a ton more, and we got up close with their complete lineup. That includes the AP1204 iPhone battery case, the AP750 EnergiStick backup battery for any microUSB-equipped phone (pictured above), the Energi To Go SP1001 solar charges for smartphones and mobile devices, a whole range of solar / crank-powered flashlights, and its Qi inductive charger complete with cases for the iPhone 4 and a replacement cover for the BlackBerry Curve 8900, among a host of other poewr-related products. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the gallery below for a look at the entire lineup. %Gallery-113022%
Sonic the Hedgehog will charge your Wiimote inductively, but he won't like it
He may be flashing a peace sign, but you can tell from the look in his eyes that Sonic isn't exactly thrilled to be doing anything to support Nintendo. This is the cat that made blast processing a reality, whose addiction for gold rings is legendary, and who hasn't starred in a truly great game since, well, since Sega stopped making hardware, now reduced to this. Look at him, perched atop a mock floating platform, brown and tan checkerboard base with a green top where you can set your Wiimotes for charging without stripping them of their prophylactics. Though the press release makes no mention of this, we were led to believe that this is not actually powered by your AC outlet, instead by the spirits of fuzzy little squirrels and rabbits trapped within, making this $49.99 figurine from Mad Catz all the more nefarious.
Mobee Magic Charger review: wirelessly juice up your Apple Magic Mouse
Aww, look at that cute little mouse cuddling up in its nest. Wait a tick... an inductive charging mat for the Magic Mouse? You won't currently find the Magic Charger at the Apple Store (something that could change soon) but the good folks at Mobee are finally taking orders for this intriguing product on its website. To mark this occasion, the Swiss company sent us a review unit for some sweet wireless charging action. Read on for our full review after the break.%Gallery-107485%
Mobee's inductive Magic Charger for Apple's Magic Mouse really is magical
If you look deep enough into the halls of IFA, if you can see through the 3D television murk and tablet hype, you might be lucky enough to find a few gems. Like the Mobee Magic Charger for Apple's Magic Mouse making its worldwide debut today. So, what's the "magic?" Well, if you own a wireless Apple Magic Mouse then your biggest complaint is without a doubt battery life. That means you're either purchasing (and tossing) alkaline after alkaline or you're constantly swapping in a fresh pair of rechargeables to keep the juice flowing. The Mobee Magic Charger does away with that nonsense with its inductive charging mini-USB base station and battery pack that slots into Apple's mouse -- no special sleeve or bulky appendage required unlike many after-market inductive charging solutions. Oh, and the 1.30oz / 37g battery pack -- developed in-house by Switzerland-based Mobee -- is actually lighter than a pair of AAs thereby reducing the overall weight of the mouse. Regarding specs, we're told that a Mobee charged Magic Mouse will last for 6 days under constant use. After that, it requires 6 hours to reach a full charge. Otherwise, the idea here is to park the mouse on its dock when not in use. While the company has considered an inductive charging mouse pad, they opted against it so that people can mouse on the surface of their choice and to keep the whole package portable and inconspicuous. The Magic Charger itself matches the materials, look, and feel of Apple's Magic Mouse perfectly. Oh, and the blue charging light you see above will be green once the product ships worldwide in mid-October for €49.90 (with tax) / $49.90 (before tax). At that price, it offers a 6-8 month break-even for the typical Magic Mouse user relying on disposable batteries. Honestly, the Mobee Magic Charger is an idea so good that it makes you wonder, why didn't Apple think of that? Expect to see a "few more" Mobee products launch for Apple products before the end of the year and into 2011. While Mobee wouldn't tell us exactly what products are coming, it did admit to looking at Apple's new Track Pad, the iPhone 4 (we expect to see a case), and wireless keyboard. We look forward to it.
WiPower flees to 1974, returns with through-desk wireless charging system (video)
Based on just how intimately we studied Chris Berman's hairdo from ESPN's 1979 launch, we're more than confident in saying that the video produced here to showcase a "new" wireless desk is most certainly a relic from yesteryear. WiPower -- a company that was trumpeting its wireless charging pad way back in '07 -- has purportedly joined up with Gill Industries in order to showcase the planet's first production through-desk, wireless charging system at NeoCon 2010. The solution would enable laptop users to plop their machine down anywhere on their desk (within the charging area, of course) and have it instantly charge, and if you play your cards right, doing so may open up a wormhole to the era of your choice. In all seriousness, we already saw a working demo of a similar solution at Qualcomm's Computex booth, so there's a better than average chance that this stuff is ready to ship right away. Trouble is, there's no official launch date for Gill's new family of energy-infused tables. Blast the from past is after the break... if you're prepared.
EVO 4G receives a Palm Pre inductive charging transplant (video)
Oh yes, an HTC EVO has been modded with the inductive charging coil ripped from the still beating heart of a Palm Pre. The 30 minute soldering project does have the side effect of rendering compass apps useless while creating a slight bulge in the battery cover. Other than that, it just works -- or so says the creator. See the modded EVO get busy with a Palm Touchstone and do what yours can't in the video after the break. [Thanks, Brody White]
iGrip mount brings inductive charging to your windshield (video)
At CES this past January we took a look at a number of high-end concept dashboards destined to fill up the insides of the car of the future. One of those concepts, from Visteon, even had an inductive pad upon which you could throw your phone and have it charged up by the time you got where you're going. Cool, but it doesn't do those of us driving the car of the present much good. The iGrip could, based on WildCharge tech and installable into any car, so you can just insert your handset into this windshield mount and get juice on the go -- if it's wearing the appropriate WildCharge-compatible case, of course. That's the idea anyway, but rather sadly this too is just a concept that may or may not ever make it to production, so don't throw away that tangle of car adapters just yet.
Nissan looking to give an inductive charge to its upcoming Zero Emissions Vehicle
It won't be quite the same as putting a Palm Touchstone under your tire -- although that's quite the mental image -- but Nissan's thinking big and planning to apply that same inductive charging technology for its upcoming five-seat Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV). As envisioned by the company, the ideal scenario would be to drive into a compatible charging bay and power up without the need to haul around a plug like current EV owners do -- Nissan Europe's Larry Haddad estimates a 25 minute shopping trip could be enough to refill the battery back up to 80 percent. In an admittedly more far-fetched case, the company said it's scientifically feasible to have charging plates buried just under the surface of the road for on-the-go charging. With realities like money and practicality in the way, we can't imagine that example to fruition anytime soon. In the meantime, we've still gotta wait until August to even gather a glimpse of the ZEV -- maybe by then we'll get a better idea of Nissan's plans for the technology.[Via Autoblog Green]
