jelun

I am not a fan of IKEA, I think of them as the worst thing to come out of Sweden ever. That being said, this seems like it should come in handy.

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/gadgets-electronics/stories/charge-it-ikea-builds-inductive-charging-into-furniture

Charge it: IKEA builds inductive charging into furniture
Wireless inductive charging built into furniture is a good idea whose time has not yet come.
By: Lloyd Alter

It seems like such a good idea, wireless charging. So convenient, no need to plug in your phone, just sit it on top of the chargers that IKEA is now building into its VARV table and floor lamps and a few other new furniture designs with funny names. It's all the usual nicely designed modern IKEA furniture, along with some portable charging pads that you might mistake for coasters or cutting boards.

However, there are a couple of issues. The main one can be summed up in one word that will be meaningful to people of a certain age: Betamax. That was Sony's videocassette system, which competed with JVC and Matsus**ta's VHS tape system. The format wars were expensive and Sony lost — along with everyone who bought one of their machines.

Right now, there are at least three competing wireless charging standards: The Qi standard from the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), which works with LG phones and the Nexus 6. IKEA says in a news release:
"Our belief is that mobile phones are vital parts to people's lives at home and their desire to stay connected, and Qi addresses an unmet need to keep devices powered," said Bjorn Block, Range Manager for Lighting and Wireless Charging, at IKEA. "As a member of WPC, we value the access to the leading and most advanced global standard for wireless charging."
However there is also the Power Matters Alliance, which is growing fast and is supported by Duracell. This newer system will be capable of t***sferring data as well as power. AT&T has asked its suppliers to integrate PMA into the phones that it sells.