Jay-Z Wants You to Put Your Phone Down — to Charge It Up
There’s nothing more frustrating than picking up your cellphone to make a call, only to find your battery is dead. Or finally finding an outlet to charge up your phone, but oops, you left the charger at home. What if you could charge your phone simply by doing what you do anyway; set it on the table at a restaurant, or on the desk at the office?
That’s the goal of a new joint venture between Duracell and Powermat in creating what they call a Wireless Power Nation. And that’s precisely why the rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z signed on in January to be an investor and spokesperson.
“I believe in the future of wireless energy and I believe that Duracell Powermat is the company to bring on the revolution,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “I’m partnering with Duracell Powermat because they’re providing the solutions for the future.”
Mashable got a sneak peak of how Jay-Z is driving the wireless power nation with a visit to his 40/40 Club in New York City. It’s the sports bar and lounge owned by the hip-hop mogul, outfitted with Powermat charging stations through the resin-top bar area, VIP lounges and the stadium style seating with a view of the 165-inch state-of-the-art video walls.
The Powermat charging system is not new. In fact, it’s been around for a few years, and has proven to be pretty simple and convenient, but the cases are cumbersome and bulky. A “mat,” called a Powermat, is plugged into a wall outlet and provides wireless power. Simply lay your Powermat-enabled phone on the mat and you’ll hear a “ZZZT” noise as it connects wirelessly and begins charging.
There are competitors out as well. Energizer has a similar system that works with the Qi wireless charging standard.
