charging

Apple plans to launch a new platform Wednesday that could put a big dent in wireless carriers' bottom line.

Introduced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, iMessage lets users on iOS devices chat with one another like they would send a text message. Like the BlackBerry Messenger, iMessage allows them to bypass the SMS text-messaging network--along with carriers' texting charges.

Instead of routing the text message over the cellular network using SMS, it sends the message over a wireless Internet data connection. The service itself is not tied to any carriers and is designed to work on the … Read more

Verizon Wireless meant business when it promised a big push for 4G LTE at CES 2011. The carrier unveiled four new devices: the HTC ThunderBolt, the Samsung Droid Charge, the LG Revolution, and the Motorola Droid Bionic. All four promise fast 4G speeds, and indeed, they deliver. However, they aren't all the same. Here's our roundup of all four Verizon 4G handsets. … Read more

It's not the first concept we've heard of that uses human motion to charge our batteries, but it could be far more efficient than anything up to now.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison say that one day soon, any portable device--including the meatiest smartphones--could be charged by simply taking a stroll.

"Humans, generally speaking, are very powerful energy-producing machines," Tom Krupenkin, a UW-Madison associate professor of mechanical engineering, said yesterday in a statement. "While sprinting, a person can produce as much as a kilowatt of power."… Read more

As any company involved in the mobile consumer electronics industry is aware, one of the main areas of focus for new technology is the speed and ease of charging solutions. For iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads, charging may soon include wrapping your headphones around an inductive charging tower.

According to a new patent discovered by AppleInsider, Apple suggests that by twisting your headphones around a specially designed tower, an inductive receiving coil would be formed.

In an effort to keep the devices small, having a home-based tower may be the solution.The charging tower creates a magnetic field, allowing a … Read more

Inductive chargers combine coolness and convenience like few other gadgets. Just lay your phone on a special pad and presto, it recharges--no dock, no wires, no fuss, no muss.

Unfortunately, they tend to be expensive. The Energizer Qi system I reviewed a few months back, for example, was $90 for the pad and $35 for the special case that makes the iPhone, um, inductable. Ouch.

Ah, but how does 20 bucks sound? For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Powermat Wireless Charging System PMM-1P4-B19 for iPhone 4 for $19.99, plus sales tax in most … Read more

Paving the way for the wave of electric vehicles poised to enter the market, Coulomb Technologies announced that it will be installing 150 ChargePoint stations in the Boston metropolitan area.

The planned installations are part of Coulomb's $37 million ChargePoint America project funded by the Department of Energy. The 150 networked EV charging stations will be installed primarily within the Route 495 Beltway, and available for use by any ChargePoint member. After they are built and go online, drivers can find the stations using the ChargePoint iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android apps. TomTom GPS users will also be able to … Read more

Coulomb Technologies today is demonstrating a way to locate public charging stations for electric vehicles through the TomTom car navigation systems.

The application will let drivers find and reserve the nearest available Coulomb charging site, as well as get details on each location, such as the cost, charge rate, and connector type.

Coulomb, which is one of the major players in EV charging sites, declined to say when the product will be available. It does intend to integrate with other car navigation systems, according to a representative. The TomTom application is being shown this week at the Plug-In 2011 electric … Read more

My time with the Accessory Power GoCharge Power Pack has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. When the device landed on my desk, I dismissed it as a basic 12-volt to USB adapter. However, closer inspection revealed some very interesting secondary features that are worth highlighting. Unfortunately, once I started looking closely, I discovered a few build quality issues that quickly quenched my excitement.

In the box, you'll find the GoCharge unit itself, an AC to USB power adapter, a Mini-USB cable, and a Micro-USB cable.

The GoCharge has about the same footprint as a business card (… Read more

The Federal Communications Commission approved a proposal today to give consumers the ability to better identify and complain about unauthorized charges on their phone bill.

The actions are part of the FCC's move to crack down on an illegal practice called "cramming," in which third parties will sneak in charges on phone bills for services that consumers haven't asked for and often don't know about.

"It's a serious and continuing problem for wireline customers, and an emerging problem for wireless customers as well," Chairman Julius Genachowski said on Tuesday during an FCC … Read more