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Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
Energizer Reveals Hot Controller On Controller Charging Stations

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Vabor
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
Isn't there an induction charger that works for all controllers and consoles?
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NinjaMarion promoted this comment Vabor was starred Vabor was unstarred

NinjaMarion
11/23/09

@Vabor: Yeah. The Powermat. The problem there is the mat itself is $100, then you've gotta buy adapters for each thing, with the Ipod, Ipod Touch, and Iphone ones being about $40 and the Blackberry, DS, and generic (with about $8 per changeable tip) ones being about $30, so it's kinda pricey if you have a fair amount of things that need charging. I'm also fairly certain it doesn't yet have a way to work with any of the console's controllers. Even if it did, it'd be one at a time unless you wanted to shell out even more cash for more adapters.
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methan69
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
You know what? I think I'll buy this. Because of a review. Let companies take note. Submitting a quality product to Kotaku for review nets you sales.
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SuperSonik
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
call me weird... But you can buy a LOT of batteries for 50 bucks. They're good in an awful lot of devices too. I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a while before the cost/benefit ratio is going to improve enough for me to ditch the old standbuy. I will admit though... With products like this at a 50 dollar price point instead of 80, I have hope for induction charging replacing the flimsy charging ports we're stuck with now in devices where AA's aren't an option.
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Nside
11/23/09

@SuperSonik: I just bought a case of AA's on clearance, but all of my controllers use rechargeable batteries... 11 packs of 24 Energizer Max AA's for $31, I couldn't pass that deal up... That's $0.11 a battery!
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SuperSonik promoted this comment Edited by Nside at 11/23/09 10:49 PM Nside was starred Nside was unstarred

VSpeck
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
Kinda weird to leave out charge time and charge life. It's a pretty important part when dealing with rechargeable batteries.
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Ryūkot
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
Induction? Ah oh, you forgot to mention how long it takes compared to more tradition means of charging. I think that could add some hate to your love. Otherwise looks great!
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fuchikoma promoted this comment Edited by Ryūkot at 11/23/09 6:42 PM Ryūkot was starred Ryūkot was unstarred

fuchikoma
11/23/09

@Ryūkot: I'd also like to see the Kill-a-Watt/Power Angel numbers on how much power it takes to charge the batteries compared to a traditional charger - and how much it uses without anything on the mat, or when all the devices are charged compared to a battery charger.
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eimajtl
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
So you could spend $50 on a device that works to ONLY charge your Wii controllers or, OR, you could just buy a $12 set of rechargeable AA batteries. Why do people buy these things and not the batteries that you can just recharge? It makes no sense.
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GodhandX
11/23/09

@eimajtl: I can tell you that rechargeable batteries have a life span. I bought a 30$ energizer rechargeable battery kit and not even 6 months later the batteries wouldn't hold their charge at all. It was the biggest waste of money ever. These are much higher quality batteries that last much longer and are designed specifically for this purpose. You get convenience (no wiimote cover removal) and generally a good cost (10$ for each battery and 10$ for the charger if you divide it up). A plug and charge kit for the 360 is 20$ for a single controller. It makes perfect sense why people buy awesomely designed and specifically targeted products like these.
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fuchikoma
11/23/09

@GodhandX: I spent about $15 on a small 4-cell NiMH/NiCd charger and another $20 per set of 4 AA NiMH batteries at Radio Shack about 11 years ago. They see very frequent use, and started in a hog of a digital camera that would flatten alkalines in a half hour of still shooting. To my surprise, they still have enough power to use primarily in electronics, and have a long, useful charge life. They were rated 1200mAh and 1300mAh.
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GodhandX
11/23/09

@fuchikoma: I think my problem might have actually come from lack of use. I didn't play my Wii for around 4-6 months and when I came back to it, the batteries were dead and wouldn't take charges. So I guess they work fine if you just keep using them? I feel gypped. I just use normal batteries for my Wii now, because it's so rare that I even play the thing that I want to be certain that it has a charge.

#speakup
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N●Gage Croal is grabbin' peels
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
This actually... looks appealing, unlike most Wii Remote chargers. How do the battery packs look? Do they replace the battery cover (like many Wii Remote battery packs), or are they just the size of a couple of AAs?
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Char Aznable
11/23/09

@N●Gage Croal is grabbin' peels: Actually, there's already stuff in the works like a panel you can toss all your electronics onto and they'll charge. Cell phone, PSP, DS, doesn't matter what it is. If the battery stores a charge, induction charging will power it. If this is anything like those, then it charges anything that accepts a charge.

Interesting to note: Nikola Tesla invented this technology before the turn of the 20th Century. What a world, eh?
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N●Gage Croal is grabbin' peels promoted this comment Char Aznable was starred Char Aznable was unstarred

N●Gage Croal is grabbin' peels
11/23/09

@Char Aznable:
Brian says it comes with four battery packs and the panel. Were it just the panel, $50 would be a bit too much.
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Char Aznable
11/23/09

@N●Gage Croal is grabbin' peels: You're right-- this system is different, I was just regurgitating some interesting info I read about induction charging. :D
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christill
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
I like the idea of this. I'm not sure I trust wireless power yet though. It's definitely a great product if it does work as advertised.
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Parsifal
11/23/09

@christill: My only real concern would be how long the battery packs would last. If they're good for years then this is pretty nifty.
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fuchikoma
11/23/09

@Parsifal: I wonder how much space inside the battery pack is power cells, and how much is antenna, transformer, and charger circuitry...
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Bokusatsu_Tenshi
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
Wait... induction charging without the fugly external battery adaptors coming out of the device?
SOLD
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mangs
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
You should list the price as a con. I know its a new technology for this part of the market, but still I got a 4 controller charger for my PS3 for $20. $50 is pricey. This looks like a really good product tho, something I would very much consider buying if I still had a Wii (or if I convince myself to buy another one).
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Kobun promoted this comment mangs was starred mangs was unstarred

Kobun
11/23/09

@mangs: Not if it charges a multitude of ready devices as with other mats. Not having to have multiple AC adapters taking up numerous outlets is a huge plus in my book. What I want to know is if the charge is diminished in any way with the mat versus a standard wall plug.
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deanbmmv
11/23/09

@Kobun: A normal battery charger comes in much cheaper though. Its not worth $50 till more devices can charge off it.
Induction technology is currently rather slow at charging. Mainly to do with not wanting a mat giving off several hundred watts. It's not meant to charge your hand, but at high power it can start to do that. Oh it'll possibly cook your gadgets at high wattage too ( scroll down for egg picture)
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fuchikoma
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
For me, surface space is at the highest premium of any space...

I charge up AA batteries with a small 4-cell charger and keep a ready supply for my Wiimotes, 360 controller, flashlight, TV remotes, GameBoys, etc... that way the charger can go into a bag of chargers and accessories when it's not in use, and the wiimotes can go into a heap of controllers.

I'm also not a fan of induction chargers in general just because as long as they obey the laws of physics, they will lose energy as it is converted from one form to another, and transmitted/received before you even start getting into the energy normally wasted in charging a battery. Also there is some issue of EM interference in a household with a ton of wireless gear, but I really don't know what frequency of signal they send out - it could be comparable to my drawing tablet for all I know... Finally, I'm leery of putting any other gadgets near such a device in the off chance that some part of their circuitry is the right size and shape to induce a potentially harmful current in it - but this is the least of my worries as something rugged enough to survive a cel phone polling the towers (a few watts) should be fine with this I would think.

So I think induction charging is a gimmick for most practical purposes, though I bet people who leave the rubber sleeve on their Wiimotes would love it, and it would make perfect sense then...
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bboyser8
11/23/09

@fuchikoma: You realize that ANY transfer of energy in a practical world (one without zero resistance wires) will result in a loss of energy (more specifically, the energy will be converted from electricity to something else, usually heat)?
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fuchikoma promoted this comment bboyser8 was starred bboyser8 was unstarred

fuchikoma
11/23/09

@bboyser8: Of course it will - but why, when you can put something into the same area as the mat and simply plug it in, would you instead place a mat down, plug IT in, and then convert the power to DC (probably,) regulate it to the right levels for the mat's circuitry, then convert it to AC, broadcast it as radio waves, capture a fraction of those, convert them to electricity, then convert that to DC, regulate it, and then use it to charge your battery?

To me it's a bit like getting a glass of water by pouring water into a towel, steaming it off onto a collector (and the surrounding area,) then sponging it off that, then wringing it into a glass... it's just extra work and extra waste.

Inductive charging mats are neat to see in action, but it's kind of a solution in search of a problem...
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Edited by fuchikoma at 11/23/09 7:58 PM fuchikoma was starred fuchikoma was unstarred

Tossy
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
Huh..? This is not necessary.

Invest in a set of decent NiMH AA's, get a NiMH charger, and you're good. For all your AA-powered devices, too. So, in 5 years when your Wii is obsolete, your AA's and charger aren't.

Simplifyyy, man.

(Yes, you may have to remove your batteries occasionally. But we can power through this, together. It'll be okay!)
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frank0127
11/23/09

@Tossy: And the Secret of NIMH is revealed to all.
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Adhominem
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
When I had a Wii, switching the batteries in and out was annoying as hell. I really do like Sony's solution better. I've had my sixaxis for almost 3 years and there's no noticeable drop in battery life.

I have a USB port near my computer which is near my PS3 and all my controllers just remain plugged in there.
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fuchikoma promoted this comment Edited by Adhominem at 11/23/09 4:16 PM Adhominem was starred Adhominem was unstarred

fuchikoma
11/23/09

@Adhominem: Yeah, if you have a powered USB hub handy it is the easiest solution... one day you see that you've gone from 3 bars down to 2, and think "gee, I'd better plug my controller in for an hour some time in the next few weeks..." and if you don't get around to it, meh, it goes down to 1 bar, or you can even play at 0 for a while - but since my PC and console monitor are one in the same, I never go below 2/3 battery on my DualShock3...
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Kitradu
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
Now...I've got three wii-motes, and 7 rechargable batteries (initially bought some usb rechargables, then a charging station later that came w/ four). The rechargable batteries that I have have those two little metal strips that make contact with the prongs on my current chage station. Question: Would this charge station charge THOSE batteries as well?
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Fernando-Rocker
11/23/09

@Kitradu:

I'm pretty sure that the pad will charge any induction device.
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BahamutNeo
11/23/09

@Kitradu: I highly doubt it. Those little metal strips on the back of the battery are there for conductive charging. This charger uses inductive charging. I haven't gotten to take one of these apart yet, but I believe the base station has an induction coil that creates an alternating electromagnetic field. Additionally, each of the batteries probably has an induction coil that converts energy from the electromagnetic field into a current that charges the battery. I hope that clears things up for you.
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Kitradu
11/23/09

@BahamutNeo: I get what you're saying. If I want sexy black mat, I'll have to be willing to ALSO use my little white cradle in addition to.

#calendar
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Antiterra
11/23/09

In reply to Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
I don't know... when you own multiple consoles (Wii, 360) and other electronics that require standard batteries (keyboard, mouse, remotes), using dedicated chargers that only work for one device doesn't seem like the best solution.
A simple AA/AAA charger remains the most efficient option for me. Mileage may vary, of course.

Now, give me an induction plate that can accommodate different types of devices (well, maybe not a kb, but everything that isn't too large) and I'm buying it immediately.
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D-K, Anarchist
11/23/09

@Antiterra: There are several universal charging pads already on the market, depending on your location, of course.
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Atomsk88
11/23/09

@D-K, stubbed his toe..*swears*: Isn't there an ad on this site for a universal induction pad? Like, it has a DS as an example along with two other devices, and I've seen them in stores.

The catch though is you need to equip some special charger to the device for the whole "universal" aspect of the thing.
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D-K, Anarchist
11/23/09

@Atomsk88: There was that green ad about a week ago, yes.

I have only a PS3 so I never have to fumble with batteries or chargers that break up gameplay. Not to be a troll but god how i love how Sony got that right on the first try.

I Can even keep on gaming, stick it in a laptop and charge it, and the input is a standard usb size, so i can buy a 10m cable if i wanted too.

Yay for... that..
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Edited by D-K, Anarchist at 11/23/09 4:35 PM D-K, Anarchist was starred D-K, Anarchist was unstarred

deanbmmv
11/23/09

@Antiterra: Induction charging is even more universal than a regular old AA battery charger.
You can change devices that use AA, AAA, li-on batteries etc etc.
Your phone can be put on a pad, n bam it'll start charging (if it uses induction charging) Jsut give it a few more years and it'll become much more common.
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fuchikoma
11/23/09

@deanbmmv: I wonder how they're going to handle different tiers of induction charging though... so far I haven't seen any with intelligence to deliver different power levels to devices - the devices would normally take what they need - so what if you have a cel phone that uses it, but you get too close to a charger for a cordless drill or other heavy duty appliance? I'm thinking if they used similar frequencies to charge, it would burn out the voltage regulator on the smaller device, which would mysteriously stop charging after that... but I guess time will tell - I'd hope that's already taken care of.
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Edited by fuchikoma at 11/23/09 5:12 PM fuchikoma was starred fuchikoma was unstarred

deanbmmv
11/23/09

@fuchikoma: Oh its quite easy to deal with that.
When I find my phone fried I shall take the drill and....well the newspaper stories for months to come will stop folks from using power tools and electronics on the same mat.
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Variatas
11/23/09

@fuchikoma: From what I gathered from the TED talk the guys who first developed the tech gave, the idea is to use very different frequencies, and induction has very little cross-talk, so it's all safe for the different classes of device, because it is physically impossible for the lower power devices to get any of the higher powered signal.
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fuchikoma
11/23/09

@Variatas: I was thinking some kind of FCC guideline might pigeonhole them into a narrow frequency band, but if they can key it like that, that's great - a large device like I'd mentioned would be able to house a bigger receiver anyway.

I'll have a peek around TED later since they have some great talks, but do you happen to remember any presenter names or keywords in the title?
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Edited by fuchikoma at 11/23/09 6:06 PM fuchikoma was starred fuchikoma was unstarred

Variatas
11/23/09

@fuchikoma: [www.youtube.com]

I only somewhat remember the technical explanation, but I seem to remember he saying interference wasn't much of an issue.

Basically the key is that it's using magnetic resonance, which doesn't interfere with electro-magnetic radiation used in everything else. It also doesn't propagate nearly as well because of the Inverse Square Law. I recall hearing about some headphones that were supposed to used resonance, but I've never been able to find them.
#speakup
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Edited by Variatas at 11/23/09 9:05 PM Variatas was starred Variatas was unstarred

fuchikoma
11/23/09

@Variatas: That is really awesome. With the usage distance of the charge pads and because Giler's team no doubt has patents on that method, I suspect the pads are use the simpler method, but Giler's demo is pretty amazing. I look forward to seeing where his work goes.
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