Lose the cords with Powermat
2009 News
October 23rd, 2009
Change the way you charge with first wireless charging system
Unsightly wires and bulky chargers will soon be a thing of the past with the first ever wireless charger from Powermat. The first products in Powermat’s revolutionary range of wireless charging systems – Powermat Home & Office and Powermat Portable – will launch on 22nd October this year.
Powermat will help users de-clutter their homes and offices with a wireless charging system that enables mobile phones, MP3 players and handheld gaming consoles to charge at the same time. With an extensive product roadmap already in development, Powermat is paving the way for the wireless home.
Drop and charge
Using wireless energy transfer, Powermat pairs an ultra-thin mat with a receiver that connects to your device. By simply placing an enabled device on the Powermat, the mat and receiver will work together to charge up to three devices at once. Incredibly, charging occurs at the same rate or faster than if the device was using a standard charger plugged into an electrical socket, even when multiple devices are placed on the Mat.
A further device can be charged via a USB cable, making Powermat able to charge four devices at the same time.
Style and substance
The sleek black design will look elegant in any home, creating one common charging area for all your electrical needs – as well as a tidier living space free from the many mobile, MP3 and games chargers usually plugged into an electrical socket in the wall. Powermat makes it easy to be green as it only generates energy when a device with a Powermat receiver is placed on the mat. It then stops as soon as that connection is broken, making it highly energy efficient compared to standard chargers which are frequently left plugged in when not being used – consuming unnecessary energy. So, with Powermat, charging is not just simple and stylish but also helps to cut energy consumption.
“Tangled wires, multiple adaptors and ugly brick chargers have become an unfortunate side-affect of the digital age,” explains George McGhee, Managing Director of Powermat Europe. “But Powermat brings this to an end with an easy-to-use, convenient and simple system that de-clutters your home or office in style. Our technology transforms the task of charging your favourite devices from being a pain-in-the neck into a positive, hi-tech experience. And it doesn’t stop here. The technology is able to scale up to address higher power applications and is flexible enough to be embedded into both existing and future device designs. There is a whole lot more to come from Powermat in the near future.”
On the move
For the discerning traveller or businessman, Powermat is also launching Powermat Portable which will streamline your suitcase, folding up to measure less than 10cm by 10cm by 3.5cm. Perfect for taking abroad, Powermat Portable means no more hunting round your house for all your different chargers the night before your trip – with Powermat you only need to take one charger for all your devices, leaving you with more room in your case and less time spent on packing!
Powermat receivers are currently available for the iPhone, iPods, BlackBerry and Nintendo DS Lite and DSi devices. Consumers can also purchase the Powermat Powercube which comes with eight unique tips including mini USB to connect to additional devices such as Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG handsets as well as Sony PSP consoles.
Powermat products will be available nationwide from 30th October 2009 from The Carphone Warehouse, Amazon.com and John Lewis.
Andrew Harrison, UK CEO at The Carphone Warehouse said: “It is very exciting to be able to offer customers the Powermat. We believe that this product will completely revolutionise the way we power our electric devices, using unique cutting-edge technology. This ground-breaking device could one day see us all using one charger for all our gadgets, and doing away with all those tangled wires.”
Mike Khalfey, buyer for information technology at John Lewis, continues: “We are excited by the Powermat proposition. We believe that with the increasing number of devices in the home that need charging, this is the most convenient way of doing it instead of searching for individual chargers. We expect customer demand to be high.”
For more information visit http://www.powermat.com
For high-res images, and product review requests, please contact:
Laura Macdonald or Heather Forty
Skywrite for Powermat
0207 608 4650
Notes to editors
How the technology works
Inductive coupling transfers energy via a magnetic field from a charging circuit inside the mat to another charging circuit in the receiver which is embedded in, or attached to, the device. The uniqueness of the Powermat technology lies in its intelligent power management features:
When the mat and the device are in immediate proximity, an RFID “handshake process” evokes to identify:
1. if there is a valid connection between the mat and the device,
2. the amount of power required, and its existing level of stored battery power,
3. which component in the Mat should be activated to transfer the required power. Then and only then does the transfer of electricity begin.
The connection is monitored at all times and the power transmission will cease once the connection is broken.
About Powermat
Powermat is a complete solution for simultaneously delivering real time, wireless charging to multiple electronics including iPods, iPhones, Blackberry, other mobile phones, GPS, handheld games and laptops. Its innovative technology is fast, efficient and safe and revolutionises the way consumers charge and power.
Powermat is a collaborative effort produced by HoMedics Powermat North America; (HPNA) led by partners Ron Ferber, Alon Kaufman and Ran Poliakine.
HPNA is based in Commerce Township, Michigan. Powermat EU Ltd is the European arm of the business with head offices in Tonbridge, Kent.