Inductive charging, allowing you to charge a gadget just by placing it on a non-electrocuting surface, is a pretty neat parlour trick. But you’re still putting a gadget on a charger. This DIY mod, however, trades synthetic chargers for wood.

Using a hacked Powermat, this plank of wood becomes a full capable inductive charger. Why do I find this so superior to the original product? Most tables are built from wood, and this technique would allow a tabletop, with no special gimmicks on top, to charge your gadgets.

And it’s the potential for passive, seamless integration that makes inductive charging so attractive to me, not just the lack of plugs. [Instructables via CrunchGear]

Only a concept now, but this charger — that’s also an iPhone stand — is easy enough that some Chinese company could quickly put out a solution in a few months.

[Petit Invention via Into Mobile]

“The mPower Reserve Battery offers an unprecedented minimum shelf life of 20 years and has an immediate activation to full power. Through an intricate battery design, mPhase developed a way to eliminate power dissipation before initial activation.”

The torch uses an intense, high-performance LED, and has an accessory USB connection to charge your mobile devices. It’s slated to arrive in March, but we hope to get a better look at it at CES in January. [CNETand Yahoo News]

So in that sense, you are getting more out of your phone while it charges — you can set up a slideshow or set a mood with the two apps suggested by the manufacturer: “Art” and the “Ambient Channel“. Plus it’s only $US20, which is significantly cheaper than buying a dedicated digital photo-frame. Yeah, maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all — that is until someone calls you while the phone is in the frame. [Appstand via Gadget Lab]

The Price

$US35, available now. Package includes charger and two compatible batteries.

The Verdict

As we said in the lead, the Charge Base IC (which stands for “inductive charging”) is the best solution for charging Wiimotes we’ve seen to date, if you can stand its two-controller limit.

Yes, the stand is a cacophony of various plastics and LED, but you’ll quickly disregard aesthetics the first time you hold the Wiimote up to the cradle and it just sticks. Attached through magnetism, it will be charged without the need for plugs or ports, without the need of pulling out the little stopper from the Wii MotionPlus adaptor and without even the need of removing the silicone case. (Should you be a non-case user such as myself, you’ll find the ridged rubber backs on the batteries quite comfortable.)

The stand even includes a USB charging port, should you need it, and the AC adaptor has an outlet plug on the back, meaning you won’t waste a power outlet to recharge your Wiimotes.

There’s room for improvement — an indicator that signalled the level of charge (even just empty vs full) would be very handy. I’m not really sure how long it takes to charge the batteries to full because, at the moment, the charger always just glows blue. The magnet could feel stronger through the silicone sleeve. And obviously you can buy a basic four-Wiimote charger for the price of this two-Wiimote charger. Though I have a feeling that Nyko will announce a four-controller unit if this first model is successful.

But for the ultra-lazy among us, the Charge Base IC is pretty great.

Contact charging is easy and practical

Works with real Wiimotes and generics

There’s simply not a better design we’ve seen

Through sleeve, magnet still works, but could feel stickier

Charging indicator doesn’t indicate much of anything

AU: This is US-only for now. -EH

Plus, when the car adaptor is attached to the main unit, you can charge up to two USB devices at once. It’s a pretty versatile device for $US35 (without iPhone/iPod charge and sync cable), but if you are looking for something that offers even more portability, Duracell has been coming out with a lot of battery-powered portables lately that should fit the bill.

Oxnard, CA – October 29, 2009 – Scosche Industries (www.scosche.com), an award-winning innovator of iPod and iPhone accessories, announces the availability of the powerFUZE™ – home and car USB charging system. The powerFUZE is both “Made for iPod” and “Works with iPhone” certified and allows users to carry just one charger for all their USB based devices when travelling.

The powerFUZE’s unique design can be configured in several different ways to provide many charging solutions. The main body is a home charger that features a USB charging port as well as an AC/DC converter port (in-car style port). The AC/DC converter port allows users to plug their favourite car accessories into any wall outlet. The product also includes an ultra low profile USB car charger that nests neatly in the AC/DC converter port. With the car charger installed in the main body, the unit becomes a dual USB home charger capable of charging 2 devices at once. The USB car charger also fits flush in any vehicles 12-volt power socket, allowing users to charge any USB powered device in the car. Each of the USB ports features 1 Amp output to ensure the fastest charging possible.

“Customer convenience is key factor in all of Scosche’s product designs,” said Kas Alves, executive vice president of Scosche Industries. “With the powerFUZE our customers can replace multiple chargers with one that works both at home and on the road.”

Customers can choose between the $US34.99 powerFUZE; the powerFUZE PRO, which ships with an iPod/iPhone sync cable for $US44.99; or purchase the standalone powerPLUG Ultra low profile USB car charger or powerPLUG Pro version that includes the iPod/ iPhone charge and sync cable for $US19.99 and $US29.99 respectively. They are available now on Scosche.com and at select retail locations throughout the US.

[Schosche]

The case—which costs $120—is available in both iPod Touch and iPhone flavours (although iPhone won’t arrive until December) and has the following specs:

• solar panels outputs 5.5V at 100 mAh in full sun
• Optimised power management system provides continuous
charge to iPod touch’s internal battery.
• Integrated rechargeable 1500 mAh 3.7 V lithium-ion polymer
battery offers 120% capacity of iPhone 3G
• Advanced lithium-ion polymer battery cell technology prevents
overcharging and provides protection from extreme temperature
• Custom engineered USB 2.0 cable provides high capacity charging and data exchange

[iWorld]

Some quick background: DMFCs produce electricity from a reaction of methanol, water and air — the only by products are a small amount of water vapour and carbon dioxide. You refill the fuel cell with a few squirts of methanol, and presto, you’re able to charge gadgets without a wall socket.

The idea has been in development for 10 years, and Toshiba says that they’re “seriously considering and researching the next model to [be available for the] worldwide market”.

IDGNS tested the new Dynario charger on gear like the PSP and iPod, and say it pretty much does its job flawlessly — though it won’t support every device you connect to its USB socket, including the iPhone. Toshiba has a list, and says about four out of five gadgets should work.

The ¥29,800 (roughly $353) charger is about the size of a PSP and has a brushed metal finish. It has a small battery to “kick start” the power generation, which charges itself in operation.

Refill bottles/cartridges (50mL) come in packs of five for ¥3150 (about $37), so clearly, this isn’t cost-effective yet. IDGNS says each methanol bottle is good for about 3.5 refills, and each refill charges a mobile phone twice.

And while the charger itself is cleared for airline travel, the methanol bottles aren’t. Toshiba hopes to sell them at airports for quick charges before or after flights. So travel aside, maybe the technology also has more potential in emergency kits for use in blackouts and natural disasters. Time will tell. [PC World]