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touchstone

Look ma, no wires! WiPower introduces mainstream wireless charging

Can you imagine placing your cellphone on a Starbucks table and seeing it charge instantly?

Gainesville, Fla.-based WiPower (pronounced "y"-power) is manufacturing wireless-charging technology that could potentially facilitate just that.

Ryan Tseng founded WiPower after he realized how burdening it is to travel with bundles of chargers.

His frustration resulted in WiPower's wireless power transmitter, a mouse pad-like device that connects to a wall with one cord. Devices with an integrated power receiver placed upon the mat start charging immediately.

The product uses inductive coupling, a technology electric toothbrushes have used for years now, mostly … Read more

Accessories: The Touchstone Charger

When I bought the Pre and openned a new account with Sprint, they offered me a 10% discount if bought two accessories. I wanted the Touchstone anyway, so I threw in some screen protectors and the discount covered those.

Palm has introduced some pretty slick new tech with the Touchstone charger. The kit comes with the Touchstone and another back plate.… Read more

Touchstone Charger, Does It Really Work?

The Touchstone charger is great in theory and a nice little take a look at what my Pre can do Iphone type of moment hahaha. but the question is does it actually work effectively? Thanks to my buddy at Best Buy for getting me the Touchstone charger so I could do a review for you all. I got as much light in the room as possible so sorry about the darker image on the video but you can still make it out without strain. Through some testing it was clear as day to see that the Touchstone charger took about 45 minutes longer to charge than straight usb. This is a bummer since you don't want to be waiting forever to charge your device. The reason that I will still be using is because it's wireless, great for having on my beds headboard, and makes turning off alarms easier in the morning. (not sure if the alarm thing is good though) Below is a video of it in action with some of the features explained a little more To make it quick for those that don't have access to videos here's a quick sum-up of the video review. There are two different kits for the Touchstone, you have the basic one which includes the docking station and the battery cover for the device. Than there is a 89.99 version that also includes new outlet plug and usb cord. The docking station has a very interesting feeling grip on the bottom, through some research I found out that they designed it after the gecko's paw so it could be placed anywhere without fear of falling. The reason for the battery cover involves a little science, the science of magnets. The new battery cover has a matte black finish with a rubbery, grippy feel, on the inside of the battery cover you will find four circles which are actually magnets. These magnets are attracted to the one in the docking station holding the phone in place. The whole wireless feature is a plus, but if plugging in the usb doesn't bother you I personally would stay with that route since the touchstone charger does seem to charge the battery at a slower rate.… Read more

Palm Pre Touchstone dock hardwired into BMW 3 Series

An enterprising BMW 3 Series owner has taken it upon himself to hard wire a Palm Pre Touchstone charger dock into his vehicle's center console. The Touchstone charging system is a pretty awesome bit of tech. Essentially, this charging base magnetically holds the smartphone in place while it wirelessly charges the battery using an inductive electromagnetic field.

The install itself seems pretty straightforward. The power adapter is hardwired into the the vehicle's 12-volt system, then the Touchstone is secured to the center tunnel with the wires hidden from view. Instead of fumbling with chargers and dongles, the owner … Read more

Nokia powering up self-charging cell phone

No more telling Mom you can't talk because your cell phone is "about to die"--it soon could be charging itself as you speak.

The Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge, England, is working on a prototype system that would eliminate the traditional cell phone charger.

The system collects energy from ambient radio waves emitted by antennas, TV masts, Wi-Fi transmitters, and the like. This might all sound uber-scientific, but we've been using this technology for years. Have you ever exited a store, only to hear the beep, beep, beep of an accusing alarm system? Many retailers … Read more