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.

Nokia has been flirting with wireless charging support integrated into cafe tables and Virgin Atlantic lounges, but if you want seamless rejuicing at home, a DIY wireless charging nightstand may be the way forward. The handiwork of Lumia 920 owner Lobbamobba, who turns out to be pretty handy with a chisel, the 90 minute project embeds a Nokia wireless charging pad into the top of an IKEA nightstand, meaning you can power up your phone by simply dropping it in place.

The mod takes advantage of the fact that the Qi wireless charging system which Nokia relies upon operates even if there’s something in-between the pad and the phone itself. The exact distance depends on what the material is: anything from around 5mm to a few centimeters or so.

Actually fitting the pieces together is a simple case of shaving away sufficient wood in the top of the IKEA table – or, indeed, any furniture you’ve a mind to cut up – and then fixing the Nokia charger underneath. There’s some flexibility in where you can position the phone and still get it to charge, and of course the Lumia phones give a useful alert tone when they connect properly.

A second video goes through some of the technical details, including answering those who worry that an inductive charging plate mere inches from your head all night might not be such a great idea, health-wise. Best of all, it’s not Lumia-specific; numerous companies have adopted Qi, including LG for the Nexus 4, and so even if you upgrade your phone, there’s still a fair chance you’ll be able to use the same nightstand mod with it.

DIY Qi Wireless Charging Nightstand:

Nightstand mod Q&A:

Wireless charging nightstand mod injects Nokia Qi into IKEA is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While wireless charging on smartphones still isn’t as “free” as we’d like it to be, we guess the lack of cables does help a bit in terms of keeping desks clutter-free. In any case if you own the Sony Xperia Z and you were looking for a little wireless charging action, Ipan Ipan has announced a wireless charging case for the Sony Xperia Z that will play nice with Qi wireless charging platforms. The best part is that this case will also double as a protective case for your Xperia Z, so not only do you get wireless charging action, but you get a measure of protection as well. As you can see in the image above, it is a flip cover case and the wireless charging module will be hidden in the back. According to the company, it seems that designing a wireless charging case for the Xperia Z was not easy.

Since the back part of the phone is non-removable and made from glass, they could not employ the same techniques used by other manufacturers, such as simply replacing the battery cover door with one with a wireless charging module installed. Instead the company had to go with the 2-pin connector which is normally used by the Xperia Z’s docking station. If the Ipan Ipan wireless charging case for the Sony Xperia Z sounds like something you might be interested it, it is retailing for 39 EUR for the case alone, or 89 EUR for the case and the charging pad. Head on over to Ipan Ipan’s website for the details.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple Patent Hints At Their Own Version Of Google Street View, Mogu Tiger S2 Smartphone Costs Just $49,

It’s official: The Samsung Galaxy S4 will support Qi wireless charging but only through an optional backplate. When the Samsung Galaxy S4 launched last week, Engadget spied several Qi wireless charging accessories. This of course lead to wide-eyed speculation since Samsung had forgotten to mention this little tidbit during their elaborate dog and pony show. Thankfully Qi just took to the wires to clear the air.

From the press release,

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 uses the Qi wireless charging standard in its optional back battery cover and wireless charging pad accessories, as demonstrated at Samsung Unpacked 2013. The accessories are fully compatible with all Qi chargers and Qi-compatible phones.

No further details were given including release date and price. Still, just that little bit resolves the confusion surrounding the device.

This partnership, Samsung and Qi, comes as a bit of surprise. Samsung has long stood with Qualcomm as founding members of the Alliance for Wireless Power. This system uses over-the-air charging called A4WP. Digitimes first reported this switch last week before the S4′s unveiling. And since the two wireless platforms use different wavelengths, they’re incompatible.

Qi is currently used by products produced by Blackberry, ConvenientPower, Delphi Automotive Systems, Energizer, Haier Group, Hitachi Maxell HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips Electronics, Samsung, Sony, TDK Corporation, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, and Verizon Wireless. And they’re all compatible. Even the Nexus 4 charging orb could be used to charge an S4 equipped with a Qi backplate.

Now that Samsung’s latest superphone supports Qi, expect to see a wide-range of comptible hardware. Fire up your 3D printers, makers. It’s time to make some accessories.

[Image via Engadget]

No phone launch is complete without a few accessories added to the mix. Samsung had a whole bunch to announce alongside its Galaxy S 4, but only a few were on hand to check out up close and personal. We did, however, find a nice surprise hiding under those glossy white table covers — a wireless charging pad. Yes, it turns out the the GS 4 does in fact have Qi wireless charging capabilities. Provided its available in your region and your carrier chooses to support it. The charging pad itself has a glossy plastic base that matches the phone, but there’s a nice rubbery gray top that keeps the handset from sliding around too much while it’s juicing up.

We also got to check out the companion wireless scale that looks quite a bit like the Fitbit Aria. Though, with a square LCD and a healthy-sized Samsung logo on it. The scale is just one part of the larger S Health equation which also includes a Jawbone Up-like monitor (S Band), which was sadly nowhere to be found in the demo pit. The scale of course sync with the baked in S Health app over Bluetooth, which makes it quite a bit easier to track how that diet of yours is going. In addition to simply tracking your total poundage, there will be bands for tracking heart rate and the S 4’s various sensor can help judge the comfort level of your environment. The requisite glut of photos can be found below in the gallery.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 event.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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