Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve seen a variety of Qi wireless chargers for devices over the past months, but at Computex the company known as ConvenientPower is showing off the world’s first Qi charger that can charge up to five devices at the same time – the WoW5. Not only that, but the requirement to place the device just right on the charging surface has also been eliminated, making it easier to use.

With some other Qi charging pads, the device to be charged needs to be placed on the mat in a specific area, otherwise it doesn’t work so well. Such is said not to be the case with the WoW5, which allows up to five Qi-supported devices to be placed anywhere on the mat, where they will then be wirelessly charged. This makes it easier to use, and reduces the odds of your devices being jarred and failing to charge.

The charging is achieved inductively, which means issues with heat and poor efficiency that some devices suffer from are not an issue. The WoW5 features shielding, Foreign Object Detection, and “smart localized charging” as part of its charging powers. The mat itself measures in from 5 to 9 millimeters, and 280mm x 120mm. ConvenientPower says there are no dead spots and users don’t have to worry about uneven charging.

ConvenientPower also brags that the device is both customizable and scalable, with the overlapping coils that are used in the multi-coil array offering a scalable surface for any device. Likewise, the charging mat can be customized without increasing in thickness. There’s no word on when the WoW5 will be released, nor how much it will cost.

ConvenientPower’s President Camille Tang said: “The carefree drop-and-charge anywhere on the charger experience is a real game-changer for our mobile device-dependent lifestyle. The WoW5 platform creates a ‘wow’ user experience for consumers hauling chargers and batteries around and hunting for electrical outlets. Catering to multiple compatible devices, the WoW5 is ideal for public spaces like cafes, airports, hotels, offices – anywhere lots of people want to charge their devices without the hassle of wires and outlets.”

SOURCE: Business Wire

ConvenientPower’s WoW5 Qi wireless charger first to support 5 simultaneous devices is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

One thing everybody does is walk. You could drive a car or ride the bus to work or to school, but you’d still have to walk to do various stuff throughout your day. Now a group of students called the ‘Agitation Squad’ from Rice University are taking that very basic action and coming up with ways to use that kinetic energy, starting with the PediPower.

The PediPower is a prototype device that’s meant to be attached to the heel of your shoes. Energy is generated every time the heel hits the ground (or with every step that you take), and the PediPower harvests this as you go along. The device has an arm attached to the heel of the shoe which hits the ground first and moves up as the person puts his or her weight on the foot. The arm, in turn, is attached to a gearbox, where gears turn with every step to drive a motor that has been mounted on the side of the shoe.

This movement generates electricity, which is transported via a voltage regulator and through wires to a belt-mounted battery pack.

The initiative was a response to a challenge from Houston-based company Cameron International, which called for the creation of a device that could harvest energy from human activity.

The Agitation Squad gives an overview of the PediPower in the clip above. Check it out to see how putting your foot down will one day generate energy to maybe even power up your gadgets!

[via Gizmag]

If you’re on the go a lot, away from a power outlet you may have tried all sorts of things to help get more run time from your gadgets. A new solar power kit has turned up and features a small portable battery that can be recharged from the sun or a wall outlet. The charging kit is called the Sherpa 50.

The first time the Sherpa 50 turned up was during CES 2012 and it was delayed over a year and a half coming to the market. The good news is that it is here now and for $399.95(USD) you can get the complete kit including an AC inverter and a portable battery. The device can also be purchased a la carte – without the AC outlet or the solar panel, for as little as $199.95.

In addition to the standard AC outlet, the device also has a USB port for charging devices and a special port for your laptop. The battery weighs less than a bottle of water according to the manufacturer and can give you one full recharge for most laptops, and multiple recharges for other gadgets.

The battery can be charged completely in about five hours using only the included solar panel. You can also recharge the battery from the wall outlet in about three hours.

The Sherpa 50 is available now from GoalZero.

The PowerPot and the BioLite stove seem like great ways to harness the heat from fire and turn it into electricity. But what if you already have a pot and a stove? A company called Point Source Power might have a solution for you. The only thing that the company’s VOTO chargers need is a fire.

VOTO chargers look like one of those portable water heaters. But instead of a metal coil at the end, the chargers have a stack of replaceable fuel cells made from biomass. You stick this end into the bottom of your stove or bonfire and it will generate electricity over time. The electricity will be sent to its handle. There are a variety of handles, but the most useful one is shown in the video below. It’s a battery that can be used to charge devices via USB but it can also use its stored energy to power its built-in LEDs.

These chargers will be useful not only for campers and field workers but also for people who live in places that don’t have access to electricity. You can check out Point Source Power’s website for more info on their products, although the site seems to be down as of this writing.

[via Inhabitat]

If you’ve been searching for a mobile device battery that’ll power your smartphone or tablet up from your pocket recently, you know there’s essentially no end to your choices. The difference between one battery and the next can be as simple as the color choices you’ve got available. With the company iGO you’ve got a few unique features in their Power Trip line that may very well sway your pocketbook one way or the other.

With the Power Trip you’ve got a set of color options – six of them, to be exact, each of them ready to be your pocketable solution for on-the-go charging of your mobile device. The unit you’re seeing above and below is the Power Trip 4700, so named for its 4,700mAh power capacity. That amount, for your reference, is more than twice the amount of power of a standard Samsung Galaxy S III and more than three times the capacity of the iPhone 5.

This battery pack lineup works with a single full-sized USB port that’ll allow you to connect to your standard charging cord. In the box you get a miniature cord that can charge with microUSB and includes a converter tip so you can charge miniUSB devices as well. Unfortunately the package does not include a Lightning connector, so you’ll need to use the cord you got with your iPhone 5, iPad 4, or iPad mini, but rest assured: it does work.

Once you’ve used up all the power the iGO Power Trip is packing, you’ll have to recharge using the same microUSB cord you got in the box – only backwards. In this case you’ll need to plug the larger end in to your notebook or some other full-sized USB port you’d use at home to charge your devices.

This charger line comes in three different sizes, ranging from 3,000 to a massive 6,100mAh and works to charge your device with a single button click. Lights surrounding the single button on this charger show in simple terms how much of a charge you’ve got left, and the pack itself is perfectly pocketable. The largest size Power Trip will cost you $79.99, the 4700 will cost you $59.99, and the 3000 runs $49.99 – and they’re all available right this minute. Let us know how you roll!

iGO Power Trip line kicks mobile device charging down to the basics is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.