By Rachel Metz / Associated Press (CLICK to read more)
"Powermat USA helped consumers cut some power cords last year by selling mats that juiced up gadgets placed on top of them. They weren't seamless solutions, though, because they required add-ons such as special cell phone cases.
Now, the company is trying to streamline wireless charging with a battery that replaces the one that comes in your cell phone. Called the Powerpack, it lets users charge phones by just plopping them down on one of the company's mats.
Powermat was announcing the Powerpack on Tuesday at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, along with other wireless charging products it will release this year.
The batteries are expected to cost $40 and begin selling in May. At CES this week, Powermat will show about a dozen Powerpacks that will be compatible with more than 50 cell phones from such companies as Nokia Corp., HTC Corp. and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.
Powermat uses induction to charge electronics. When you place a Powermat-enabled device on one of its mats, the two exchange a 'handshake' using RFID, or radio-frequency identification technology. The mat identifies the device, determines how much power it needs and transfers energy to it. Once a device is fully charged, Powermat stops the electricity from flowing."
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