A Braun-inspired portable speaker that charges using anything – from wifi to sunlight

In today’s fast-paced world, innovative gadgets are transforming our lives, making us question the traditional ways we use and recharge our devices. Soon recharging your gadgets using electricity is going to get obsolete. We’ve all experienced the frustration of reaching for our portable speakers only to find them out of charge. It can be incredibly inconvenient, especially when we’re in the mood for some great music or need to enhance a gathering with powerful sound. And to add to that you can’t even recall where you last left its charger. This just leaves you feeling stressed and sad. But what if there was a speaker that never goes out of charge? Cool right?

If you have Faith, there’s no need to worry! (pun intended)

With FaithFull, the worry of running out of battery power becomes a thing of the past. This remarkable speaker is designed to harness multiple sources of energy to recharge itself effortlessly.

Designer: Edoardo Gouffran

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FaithFull ingeniously converts your everyday movements into energy. Whether you’re walking or cycling, the speaker absorbs kinetic energy and transforms it into a power source. It comes with a specially designed band that allows the speaker to remain attached to various surfaces, ensuring continuous charging.

By harnessing the power of the sun, FaithFull lets you recharge while enjoying the outdoors. When you take the speaker for picnics, workouts, or any outdoor activity, it automatically replenishes its energy reserves when exposed to sunlight.

FaithFull offers the convenience of autonomous charging through its robust wifi charging technology. Even when kept in a bag or backpack, the speaker can recharge anywhere within the house using ambient wifi signals. Say goodbye to the hassle of searching for chargers and outlets.

The speaker reflects the design language of the company – Braun. Braun as a company focuses on creating minimal products with geometric forms and rounded edges with simple interfaces and utilitarian functions. The speaker embraces a minimalistic design that seamlessly blends with any environment. Its sleek, plain black shell exudes elegance and subtlety, allowing it to harmoniously fit into any setting. While its exterior may be minimal, its sound quality is anything but. With FaithFull, you can expect the best audio experience, making your favorite music come alive.

FaithFull understands the importance of simplicity. Its interface is designed to prioritize user experience while ensuring effortless control. The touch keys, including Power, Bluetooth, and volume controls, provide just the right amount of interaction without overwhelming the user. The focus remains on the quality of sound and hassle-free operation.

FaithFull Braun Speaker has emerged as a game-changer in the portable speaker industry. By introducing an innovative charging system that harnesses kinetic and solar energy, as well as autonomous wifi recharging, FaithFull offers an unparalleled audio experience without the hassle of running out of battery power. Its sleek design and superior sound quality makes it an ideal companion for music lovers and those who value convenience. Embrace the future of portable speakers with FaithFull and never worry about recharging again.

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How an innovative wireless charger concept also functions as a tiny smart display

Wireless chargers are becoming more common, and there is also a growing number of designs for these accessories, some of them more interesting than others. Despite the different appearances and functionalities, all these chargers often become practically useless the moment you remove the smartphone from its surface. Some might look interesting and pretty on your desk or bedside table, but they remain passive objects that offer nothing more beyond decoration. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any room for improvement, especially when it comes to adding additional though unrelated functions. This design concept, for example, gives the wireless charger something else to do when nothing is charging on it, allowing it to provide added value in a way you might not have expected.

Designer: Jerry Kong

The earliest wireless chargers all came as flat horizontal pads because devices are required to stay still on a specific area right above the wireless charging coil. While the technology still remains limited that way, the introduction of magnets, courtesy of Apple, afforded a little more flexibility. You can now have chargers that are inclined at an angle or even raised a little above the base because they can hold the smartphone in the correct position all the time. What hasn’t changed, however, is that the charging surface remains flat and that this flat area remains unutilized when nothing’s charging on top of it.

The Dino Charger changes the formula a bit by adding one small component to the charger. The charger itself looks a little typical, just a pill shape with one end chopped off to provide a flat surface for a phone to latch on. When that phone isn’t there, however, you will be able to see a small circular display in the middle of the area, and that is where the charger’s other life begins.

The screen is around the same size as a circular smartwatch, and it functions almost like one as well. Despite its small screen real estate, it can easily show a few pieces of data through icons and images, like the weather, battery levels, and, of course, the time. It can even show a Bitmoji (or Apple Memoji), though the exact use of that function is left up to the imagination. Of course, this circular display will be useless when there’s a phone charging on top, but it’s possible for the phone itself to provide those functions while it’s charging.

The Dino Charger concept doesn’t drastically change the wireless charger’s nature, but neither does it take anything away from it by adding an orthogonal feature. It’s a simple redesign that turns what looks like a normal and boring wireless charger into an exciting multi-functional device, one that can potentially add value to your digital life without taking up additional space.

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Sustainable wireless power bank is also a compact mirror in disguise

Our smartphones have become more powerful and more sophisticated, but the batteries that power them haven’t really changed much in the past decade or so. They have grown larger, yes, but most of the improvements in battery life come from making other hardware more power-efficient instead. Sooner or later, you’ll have to reach for a charger, which is why many people carry power banks with them when they’re often on the go. That means having yet another thing in your bag that doesn’t serve any purpose except in an emergency. Multifunctional products are on the rise these days, so this particular power bank design combines a useful mobile device with a common lifestyle accessory and wraps it in an eco-friendly package.

Designer: Lenny Ming Lo

Checking yourself in front of a mirror is less about vanity and more about respect for others and yourself. You don’t always have to look like you stepped out of a parlor, though some would definitely prefer that, but you will probably want to look decent and at your best to help give yourself a confidence boost. For some people, checking themselves doesn’t just happen in front of a bathroom mirror, which is why compact mirrors have become a common item in some people’s bags, especially for ladies.

Mica is a lifestyle accessory that binds this item with yet another common thing in people’s bags these days: a small power bank to charge their phones in a pinch. You simply put down a compatible smartphone on its flat surface to begin charging, though you can also opt to charge via a USB cable if your phone doesn’t support wireless charging yet. Flipping the charger open reveals two mirrors on both sides, one with 3x magnification and the other with an LED light strip running around it.

More than just combining functions, however, Mica was thoughtfully designed to take inspiration from everyday objects. In particular, it looked at the basic form of bowls whose design hasn’t changed drastically over millennia. When folded shut, Mica looks like two flat bowls stacked on top of each other, giving it not only an interesting shape but also adding to its comfort of use and ergonomics.

Mica was also designed with sustainability in mind, which is a rather surprising detail that might be easily lost on buyers. Most compact mirrors and power banks employ a lot of non-sustainable materials, so it’s a surprise this product uses 80% recyclable plastic to help reduce its carbon footprint. It’s not exactly a ground-breaking new product, but Mica’s combination of two common items and its sustainability focus make it a unique and desirable accessory to have in your bag.

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2-in-1 wireless charger concept shows a tidy and decorative home for your devices

A good number of people today have one or even more smartphones, and it’s not uncommon that they would also have accessories like earbuds and smartwatches to go along with these. With the removal of the headphone jack from many modern phones, the adoption of TWS or truly wireless earbuds has seen an upward trend. Some even have wireless charging capabilities to match their partner smartphones, like the Apple AirPods and the iPhone. This is the reason why wireless charging accessories that can accommodate both these devices at the same time are also starting to become more popular, and this concept offers a more space-efficient design that also looks attractive on its own when not in use.

Designer: Hanyoung Lee

Given the limitations of current technologies, the earliest designs of wireless chargers had to be flat beds, often elongated to accommodate more than just a phone. This can be a waste of desk or table space, especially when the devices won’t always be there anyway. Magnet-powered variants like Apple’s MagSafe allowed for a bit more flexibility in that regard, and we’re seeing some more vertical designs rising to the challenge.

Tri-charge is admittedly a bit of a confusing name because it doesn’t refer to the number of devices you can charge on it. You actually only have room for two devices at a time, one phone that supports MagSafe or magnetic wireless charging and one earbuds wireless charging case. It doesn’t take into account smartwatches, which might not be as common anyway, though a possible design iteration could support that as well.

The name, instead, refers to the charger’s triangular shape, technically a tall triangular prism. The phone latches onto the inclined front of the shape, relying on strong magnets to keep it from falling off, while the earbuds case goes inside the bottom compartment. Both wireless chargers use a single cable, avoiding tangles and messy wires. Not only does it keep your desk or bedside table neat, the design also makes for an attractive decoration if there’s nothing charging on it.

The standard design makes use of wood and plastic, but it can also be made of other materials or finishes, including a fancy transparent body that reveals all its secrets. While there is now a growing number of vertically-oriented 2-in-1 or even 3-in-1 wireless chargers like these, the Tri-charge remains distinctive for having a purpose as a decorative object even while not in use as a charger.

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These all-in-one portable wireless chargers can juice your phone, earbuds, and watch, and they’re on sale

Remember the AirPower mat that Apple announced in 2017 but never produced? Well, MOMAX went two steps further and designed TWO wireless chargers that are also portable, allowing you to charge all your devices on the go without worrying about cables, ports, and sockets. The Airbox and Airbox Go remain two of my most highly recommended portable charging solutions. They’re MFI-certified, portable, and can charge at least 3 of your most common EDC tech gear like your phone, earbuds, and watch. The Airbox has a slot for charging your 2nd Gen Apple Pencil too!

Designer: MOMAX

Airbox

The Airbox and Airbox Go cater to two niches within the same category, but I could totally see them having different audiences. The former is roughly the size of a spectacle case, and opens up to reveal storage spots and charging zones for your phone, Apple Watch, AirPods (2nd Gen), and Apple Pencil (2nd Gen). The charging zone for your phone comes with a neat non-slip mat, and the coil underneath supplies your smartphone with 10W of power, fast-charging it so you can make the most of your day instead of leaving your phone on a charger. The Airbox works as a case more than just a charger, letting you easily carry your tech around with you in a single cohesive unit that’s easy to slide right into your laptop bag while shuttling between work and home, and placing on your desk as you work. The foldable 5-in-1 charging station also comes with a 20W USB-C port that lets you plug other devices like your Nintendo Switch, iPad, headphones, or any other gadget that doesn’t charge wirelessly, and a whopping 10,000mAh battery provides more than enough juice for all your devices through the day and even beyond.

Click Here to Buy Now: $77 $119 (10% off with voucher and an additional 10% off with coupon code “YANKO10OFF”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours.

Airbox Go

The Airbox Go is smaller but still manages to pack a big punch with its internal 10,000mAh battery. It doesn’t store your gear like its predecessor, apart from a flip-top lid that lets you stash your AirPods inside it. It does make uo for it in other ways, notably by also including a MagSafe feature that lets you snap your iPhone to it to charge it while at your desk or on the go. There’s a flip-out Apple Watch charger that lets you charge it with the straps on (unlike the Airbox that would only allow you to charge your Watch after removing the straps), providing a 5W output for your watch, while the MagSafe phone charging zone supplies an upgraded 15W of power. The Airbox Go sports a USB-C on the side too, allowing you to juice other devices with a 20W output so you can simultaneously fast-charge up to two smartphones at once.

Click Here to Buy Now: $115 $199 ($20 off with voucher and an additional 10% off with coupon code “YANKO10OFF”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours.

The Airbox and Airbox Go notably offer something even Apple couldn’t – the ability to charge all your devices simultaneously with one single gadget. While Apple couldn’t deliver on the AirPower mat, they did give both the Airbox and Airbox Go their MFI (Made for iPhone) certification, which means you can rest assured that Momax used the best quality parts and components for their offerings. The Airbox Go gets an extra win in my book for its unique design that feels futuristic yet somewhat playful, with its liberal use of curves, textures, and metallic/glossy finishes. Both the Airbox and Airbox Go are on sale now, with discounts up to 36%. The sale lasts till January 15th, so grab the deal while it’s still hot!

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Tesla’s wireless charging pad wants to achieve what Apple couldn’t

Name a product that Tesla never thought of making, and out of the blue there it is. That’s the case with this new creation by the Elon Musk-owned company, never willing to show the white flag.

After the shenanigans of Apple’s scrapped AirPower charging mat back in 2017, and a few knock-offs in the local markets, Tesla has decided to offer one of its own.

Designer: Tesla

The wireless charging pad is good enough to charge three devices at once in any orientation. Called the Wireless Charging Platform, this accessory is “inspired by the angular design and metallic styling of Cybertruck.” According to the product description, the mat juices only Qi-enabled devices like iPhone, AiPods, and other Android devices. However, Apple Watch or other smartwatches won’t be charged with the pad.

The three devices can be charged simultaneously at 15 watts on the mat. Now, that is much slower than the 45W charging speed that some Android flagships like Galaxy S22 Plus/Ultra support, but I’m not complaining. Would you be able to cram in 3 big devices at a time is a question you need to ask before even thinking of owning one.

The Aira FreePower technology beneath the gadget has a couple dozen charging coils and requires only a single 65W cable to work. Tesla says in the product listing that the device comprises aluminum housing, a detachable magnetic stand and is draped in premium Alacantra surface. The Wireless Charging Platform comes at a price tag of $300 which is certainly not cheap. If your requirements perfectly align with the given set of features, you’ll not be wasting a penny that’s for sure.

Even though there’s the Nomad Base Station Pro that offers similar tech and features, the biggest downside is its slow charging speed. Certainly not, if you have a high-end phone with lighting-fast wireless charging capability.

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This odd wireless charger concept is actually a portable projector in disguise

Humans have never been busier or more distracted than ever. While technology affords us many conveniences, it also generates some negative effects on our psyches. One of the favorite examples of this phenomenon is smartphones, whose power sometimes comes at the cost of burdening our minds with incessant notifications and the lure of instant gratification. Sometimes, these devices even completely erase the already blurry line between work and personal time. Sometimes we just need to kick back and relax without our smartphones, but that’s almost impossible if we consume our entertainment from those small screens. It’s in that vein that this attractive yet eccentric device tries to make that happen and does so in an effective yet admittedly unconventional way.

Designers: Gabin Park, janchi

Many people these days use their phones for entertainment, whether it’s for music, gaming, or even videos. In fact, most entertainment services these days have a mobile-first policy in attempts to target a much wider market than TV or PC owners. That said, even those who binge on Netflix will probably want to see those videos on a larger screen at home, but only if it were convenient and painless. That leaves out having to buy a smart TV just to access those streaming services or using the rather complicated process of “casting” your content from phone to TV.

The SILO design concept tries to offer a solution by using a laser beam projector for that purpose. Granted, there are plenty of portable home projectors these days that can wireless connect to smartphones. What this concept does differently is that it actually takes the phone out of your hand as well. A slot for a smartphone functions as a wireless charger, leaving you really free to give not just your mind but also your body a break.

Think about it. Streaming videos from your phone to a projector will eat up your battery quickly, and most people will plug their phone into a charger anyway. With SILO, the same device is both the projector and the charger, simplifying the process. At the same time, it forces people to actually detach from their phones, which is the point of enjoying videos away from the phone’s small screen in the first place.

SILO is both a place for storing and charging a phone as well as a way to isolate it from your life. It also looks quite attractive to boot, with a simple shape that doesn’t call too much attention to itself. There are, of course, some technical details that need to be ironed out, such as thermal management for two types of devices that are known to generate a lot of heat, but it’s an interesting concept nonetheless and one we wish would become a real product someday.

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This super-thin MagSafe power bank has a trick to keep your iPhone standing

Although it was terribly late to the wireless charging party, Apple managed to one-up everyone else by adding something that it already had a lot of experience with. Adding magnets to the equation sounds almost trivial, but it’s a small change that made the technology not only more convenient but also more flexible. Now there are dozens of magnetic wireless charging accessories, including those certified for Apple’s MagSafe branding, that take advantage of this development. Unsurprisingly, some are better designed than others, especially when it comes to both appearance and usability. This power bank concept, for example, is designed not only to keep your phone alive before you reach home but also to keep it standing so you can watch your favorite videos in comfort.

Designer: Eli Lan

Power banks are old news, of course, but they have always carried with them some level of inconvenience in exchange for their portable batteries. Most require you to wrestle with cables to charge your phone, making it difficult to use the phone at the same time. Others do come in cases that enclose the device, but it’s an all-or-nothing situation with these. Magnetic wireless charging thankfully mitigates some of those problems, leaving enough room for innovation and creativity in design.

This STRICKERS concept, for example, utilizes an ultra-thin power bank that magnetically attaches to the back of a phone, most likely an iPhone. Current technologies do allow such a small pack to have a 10,000mAh battery capacity so that it won’t add too much bulk to your phone’s back. It could actually be thicker in reality, but at least you don’t have to stick it to the phone if you’re not using it, unlike bulky battery cases.

What makes STRICKERS really special, however, is the sheet of bendable silicone material that turns the power bank into a smartphone stand. Most accessories of this kind utilize awkward rings or kickstands, but this design allows the stand to stay flat and stay out of the way when you don’t need it. And since the power bank uses magnets, it is possible to use the stand in both vertical and horizontal positions, breaking the mold of limited phone stands.

Despite this mix of convenient features, the power bank remains visually simple. The power bank’s form itself is almost like a mirror of the iPhone’s current design, while the silicone stand brings not only a contrasting material but also a better grip compared to slippery glass or metal. The design also leaves plenty of room for different colorways to match available iPhone options. This sadly remains in the realm of ideas, though, but it’s a shining example of the kind of designs that are now possible, all thanks to the addition of a few small magnets.

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