As phones and tablets begin to play a bigger and bigger part of our everyday lives, designers are looking at more ways to integrate them into our homes.
Stylish furniture that charges these devices is becoming increasingly popular and there is now a wide variety for you to choose from. Swedish design giants Ikea recently released a range of wireless charging furniture that blends beautifully into any home. Comprising of a floor lamp, bedside lamp and a particularly elegant table, the minimalist range removes the need for messy wires and the nearly endless hunt for runaway chargers. Compatible with most mobile devices thanks to a handy cover, there is even a JYSSEN wireless charger that can be built into furniture you already own, so you don’t have to remodel your whole house.
Similarly, SOL NRG has created a solar-panelled table that integrates device-charging technology. Intended for businesses, such as restaurants, the trendy table has a thickness of just 5cm and is compatible with most devices, including the newer iPhone and Samsung models and tablets. The surface incorporates a solar charging panel for optimum power.
But it’s not just bedroom and living room furniture that is embracing the charging revolution. DuPont are an American company who have incorporated wireless charging technology into their sleek kitchen surfaces. Hidden from view, the transmitter is fitted seamlessly below the worktop, and transmits power wirelessly to phones fitted with DuPont’s specially developed receivers. The technology is so smart that the charger stops as soon as your device is fully charged.
Perhaps the most advanced charging furniture is the Glowdeck. It uses your phone as a key, not only charging your device but also delivering notifications about your social networks as well as emails, weather reports and news through a clever operating system called Streams – all of which can be operated through Glowdeck’s voice-activated secretary. It also comes with colour responsive LEDs that can be synched to match different notifications and even respond to your music. With its sleek wooden case in either Walnut, Cherry or Maple wood, and a price tag of just $249 (which is about N50, 000), this is mobile powering furniture at its finest.
With such a range of furniture available and plans from some of design’s big players to launch more products soon, this is the beginning of an extremely exciting time for mobile integration into the household.
