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back to article Powermat crafts wireless Duracell Bunny boiler

Procter & Gamble, owner of the Duracell brand, has announced a joint venture with induction-charging effort Powermat, with P&G having the controlling interest in the new Duracell Powermat. Powermat gets an undisclosed lump of cash and a 45 per cent interest in the operation, which will develop Duracell-branded products …

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  1. Jas 1
    FAIL

    Micro USB does fine for me

    Except when you actually use a USB port (or cheap ebay AC adaptor) which only supploy a very slow trickle charge Grr

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    1. nichobe
      Reply Icon
      Megaphone

      Micro USB Phone standard fine....

      Please can someone get the tablet standard sorted before they are everywhere.......!

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  2. petur
    Boffin

    HP Touchstone

    Now that I got my hands on a touchpad, I'll be getting a touchstone as well: a wireless dock (stand) for the touchpad. But it does way more than the powermat: The touchpad talks to the stand, this includes a unique ID, so you can let the touchpad start an app or show different content based on the stand it is in (home/work for example)

    I do hope they (HP) patented this just to annoy Apple :)

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    How efficient is it though? Anyone got one and a joule meter. Surely there must be some loss greater than a cable to device connection.

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  4. Russ.T.Starfish
    Holmes

    erm is the most obvious thing...

    building batteries with this ability?

    I have 5 battery chargers of all shapes sizes and permutations dotted around the home, office and car. All I should need is a powermat and compatible rechargeable batteries.

    Just throw a handful of spare batteries onto the mat in the morning and by the evening they are charged and ready for use. remote controllers for the telly, stick-em in there as well. (should be able to just throw the remote on the mat as well before you go to bed so it always is topped up)

    Got a powermat in the car, great, chuck a handful of batteries on top for the emergency torch

    It should take out the complexity of the capacity of the battery being married up to the cheap chargers.

    But the big thing that makes me concerned on this technology is what is the efficiency rating?

    I mean, from a theoretical 100% efficient device charging a mobile phone, then showing the efficiency of the manufacturers standard supply. And then the powermat rating. (bear in mind that ac type chargers are not (in my house anyway) often unplugged.

    Sherlock cos.... well. bleedin' obvious I think

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  5. Chris 171

    I like wires.

    Especially for charging, much better juice hit from the mains.

    Can only see wireless charging taking off when the induction coils are actually built in to the device/battery. Also echo the points about efficiency above but investments with a long tail are no bad thing.

    I have no doubt this will be the future way of doing things but there is a whole heap of disparate tech mfrs to get onside first. And of course the liquid powered stuff that is floating around could also disrupt things too.

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  6. Mage Silver badge
    Flame

    Pointless

    The power mat needs a PSU, it's less portable, it uses up more table surface and it needs a cable to the mains.

    "Wireless charging" is pointless gimmick for people too lazy to find the end of the cable and plug it into their gadget.

    It's less efficient and limited in power compared to a direct cable.

    I'd also be surprised if it doesn't generate more interference too.

    Or are Duracell going to sell rechargeable power mats, or worse, ones with disposable cells?

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Happy

      I used to interview candidates for application development and one of the tests to see if they could think simply and efficiently was to show them a laptop where when unplugged, the cable fell to the floor. They had 5 mins to design a solution. there were an amazing amount of designs for docking stations and suggestions to lengthen the cable, but the answer I was looking for was to stick the cable to the desk with the roll of tape already sitting on the table.

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    2. Francis Boyle Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      You might be right

      about the Powermat. If so that means it isn't doing induction charging right. The touchstone on the other hand is induction charging done right. It answers all four of your points.

      1. It needs a PSU ,yes. but what charger doesn't and this one's the size of a C cell.

      2. It's slightly less portable but there's nothing stopping you taking just the plugpack and USB cable.

      3. It takes up less desk space than the phone itself.

      4. The plugpack plugs into the mains socket. The USB cable connects it to the charging stand. No mains cable needed.

      You can call me lazy but tracking down the end of a USB cable (especially when the whole thing has decided to disappear behind the table) is a daily ritual I can do without. Plus when my phone is sitting on the charger it turns into a very nice bedside clock.

      Yes, I'm enthusiastic about the technology. But since it's turned keeping my phone charged from one of those constant annoyances of modern life to something I just don't think about, I think I have good reason to be.

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  7. theBatman

    At least with wireless charging...

    There's no opportunity for ham-fisted menaces to snap, mash and mangle connectors and cables... some of which are a complete PITA to replace, especially considering the frequency with which they seem to get broken!

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    1. The Fuzzy Wotnot
      Reply Icon
      Happy

      @theBatman

      You got kids too eh?

      "PLEASE STOP RAMMING THAT DS CONNNECTOR IN! It will break and you will not be playing anything."

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  8. Lord Raa

    I realise that there are many technical hurdles to overcome, but surely this could work if they're able to get induction/wireless charging working for electric cars?

    Driving down special roads to charge up your car could take some of the hassle out of keeping a 'leccy car.

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  9. Brian Miller
    FAIL

    Nikola Tesla would be in tears

    Far from the magnificent Wardenclyffe tower in New York, we can't even get wireless power in the simplest office setting, or even to a game machine. Do any devices use induction coupling?

    *sigh*

    Moon bases? No. Wireless electric power? No. Flying car? F*** no. (Unless it's flying down a cliff side with two drunk teenagers in it)

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  10. Anonymous Coward
    Mushroom

    why not use Microwaves like the Russians

    allegedly did back in the 70s

    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911755,00.html

    and then we could cook our bacon and eggs too , as well as ourselves....

    Seriously , I can never see an induction plate being that efficient. Direct connection is much better.

    Plus the standardisation on usb and micro-usb for everyone bar Apple and their silly dock connector , is making this whole "I've got 20 chargers " a bit obsolete.

    1 1
  11. PeterM42
    FAIL

    USB Charging is great...

    ............but why did Olympus not provide it on their FE5035 camera? (which I was given as a present. Would not have bought it myself BECAUSE...). It has a USB connection for downloading pictures, but to charge it you have to REMOVE the battery and place it in an external charger. Add to which the "micro USB" connection is a non-standard one!!

    D'uH! - shouldn't someone at Olympus "get with" the technology.

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