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Powermat Nintendo DS Lite Receiver
www.powermat.com
We recently reviewed the Powermat which through the magic of
magnetic induction, allowed a plethora of devices to be charged
wirelessly. Basically, by connecting a receiver to your device,
e.g. iPhone or Blackberry, all you needed to do was put the device on
the Powermat and presto, the device would start charging and
once charged, the device would power off. (Please
click here for a full review of the Powermat)
Although the Powermat came with a powercube which allowed it to be
connected to a variety of devices, this still required some fiddling on
behalf of the user and this is where the accessories come into play
which are specifically designed receivers.
For example, a receiver/case
for the iPhone is available that removes the need for the powercube and
makes wireless charging even easier. This review however, focuses on the
Nintendo DS Lite Powermat receiver which allows gamers of all ages, the
ability to throw away their cables and experience the freedom of
wireless charging. Designed specifically for the Nintendo DS Lite, the
appearance of the unit looks like a skin that snugly fits on your DS and
suits the console quite well. No complaints from us!
The installation process of the receiver is quite straightforward and
all you need to do is plug the power connector from the receiver into
the power connection on your DS and then attach this to the bottom of
the DS. That’s basically it! Although it adds a little extra weight to
your DS due to the receiver which sends power from the Powermat to the
DS, it’s really a moot point. In relation to design, it’s almost perfect
and if I could look into my crystal ball, I’m sure many companies will
investigate this technology in future devices.
Of course, this is where the fun begins and I’m still trying to get my head around
this very cool technology. To charge the device, I just placed the
Nintendo DS onto the Powermat and thanks to the magnets, it helps line
things up. To know if it’s working or not, the Powermat will make a
sound, informing the person that it is charging. With charging times, we
tested both mains and wireless charging and they were both on par which
is good news to the world of wireless charging.
We only foresaw two issues, the price of the Powermat and the receiver
for the DS is still a little expensive for mainstream gamers and when
the device is charging, you cannot use your DS. These were the only two
issues that we stumbled across but from what it can do, it’s an
interesting gizmo that is only in its infancy.
However if you are a
techno collector and have multiple devices that need charging, then race
on into your local tech store and check out the Powermat and accessories
for yourself and I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised. |
