Rolling Up The Charger Cord, Permanently

Cords, cords cords.  In today’s world, electronic devices almost define us.  Along with them goes corded chargers.  Since companies love to sell you accessories, they are all proprietary, meaning you have to have one for each of your devices.  I have a box full of wall chargers and I haven’t got a clue what they go to, just sitting in my closet.  Most from old devices that are stored somewhere in this apartment, I have no clue where.

Named one of TIME magazine’s best inventions of the year, the WildCharger is a flat, thin pad (it could easily be mistaken for a mouse pad) with a conductive surface. When the pad is plugged in, any cell phone or other electronic device that is set on it automatically begins to charge. Well, OK, it’s not quite that easy: the cell phone or device must first be equipped with a WildCharge adapter in order to power up. An adapter connects to a device’s battery cover and has tiny bumps all over it that, when in contact with any part of the pad, receive power and transfer it inward. The pad can be used universally with any device that has an adapter – meaning all different types and brands of cell phones or music and video players can be charged on any pad. And, the charging speed is exactly the same as if the device was plugged into an outlet with a charger.

Right now the device is limited to certain brands, such as the Motorola RAZR and iPod.  Each device has to be equipped with an adapter that allows the charge to reach the battery, but can’t you see this being updated so all you have to do is lay any electronic device on it to charge?  It will sense anything that is not meant to be on it, such as car keys, and shut itself down, then restart once those items are removed and a compatible device is set on it.

I can see coffee tables embedded with this and other surfaces you might routinely put your electronic devices.