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CES 2010: Powermat

by: Ben Berry -
More On: CES 2010

I had seen Powermat in Target and Best Buy prior to CES, and I knew a little bit about the product, but none of the details. Needless to say I was blown away to learn about the product and it’s future.

Currently, Powermat offers 2 mats, the full size home/office model and a folding travel model. Both mats power up to 3 small devices. You simply set a Powermat enabled device on the pad, and it starts charging. It’s pretty much that simple. The wireless receiver in the device is magnetically attracted to the charging points on the pad, and you even hear a little beep when it starts charging.

There’s also the power cube, which is a small square unit with a cord that accepts different tips for charging devices that haven’t been Powermat enabled. To enable a device for the Powermat, you simply replace the battery cover with a cover attached to a Powermat receiver.

At current, most any portable device (phones, Nintendo DS, etc) are compatible with the Powermat, most of them via the Powercube.

Though almost without competition in the wireless charging space, Powermat already has an eye to the future. They are reducing the overall size of the standard Powermat, offering single device mats, and reducing the size of the travel mat as well. Additionally, they are targeting a larger array of additional devices by integrating the receiver to the replacement back panel of the unit, or the battery itself.

Finally, Powermat is amping up the power in order to support netbooks. There will be a high power spot on travel mat, and a double thick Powercube to support netbook power needs.