Charging grid to embrace Iphone

21 Apr 2008 | 10:59 BST

By Tony Dennis

WILDCHARGE – which makes a recharging grid of the same name – claims it will be adding the Apple Iphone to the list of devices it can support.

The device can best be described as a cable-less battery charger. Basically, you plonk all your electrical devices onto the one grid, which in turn is plugged into the mains.

So instead of having five different chargers – the maximum it can support – plugged into various sockets, all you need is the one mains outlet.

Since the power is fed through sensors on the grid, there's no need to go searching through all your adapters for the one with the right cable fitment.

Sounds great doesn't it. Except you need the correct 'skin' or adaptor for each kind of device you wish to charge. Plus Wildcharge hasn't actually been that swift in releasing these skins, so getting five different skins isn't actually possible yet.

At present there are skins for the Motorola Razr V3 and Apple Ipod Nano. But the company is promising adapters for the Crackberry Pearl 8300, Ipod Touch and Iphone any time now.
Nokia and Sony Ericsson should follow soon.

In the UK, the product is being resold by Firebox. What puzzles the INQ is that the Razr V3 version is being sold in the US for $34.99 while the Iphone/Ipod/Crackberry versions will retail in the UK for $119.70.

That's a bit of a steep markup. µ

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