I love gadget in general. I've got slingboxes, Internet enabled PDA's, digial media servers, digital photo frames, next generation games machines and touch screen tablets around the house. In fact if its got an Internet connection somewhere in its capability I've got to have it. However, this means a number of compromises. For example, the latest and greatest invariably are unreliable to begin with, the amount of wires behind my TV set is scary (think of the snake pit in the Indian Jones movie) and it means I constantly need to have either rechargeable batteries to hand (for all of the remote controls) or I need to take different power supplies when I go abroad.
There may soon be light at the end of the tunnel. A small US based company called PowerCast has developed a smart little chip which retails for $5 per device and it able to be embedded into all types of technology. This device recharges the device via RF waves from a unit that you plug into the mains.
Imagine it. You could have remote controls that you never need to change batteries for again. Or you could take your PDA, portable DVD player, laptop on the move and only require 1 pluggable unit.
How cool is that?
Powercast have recently signed a deal with Philips electronics to start integrating the device in a number of consumer electronics such as mobile phones etc.. and this promises to be an interesting development.
Keep watching this space :-)
Regards
Dean
