Why 2015 will be the year of the wireless charger

BARCELONA - "Got a phone charger you can lend me? No, I need the new type... Oh, forget it."

To ease the stress of a dying mobile phone battery and the hassle of bundling wires into your bag, designers are hoping to make 2015 the year of the wireless charger.

Companies at the Mobile World Congress, a top telecom fair which wrapped up Thursday in Barcelona, Spain, promised that soon you will just place your phone on a table or lamp stand for it to absorb electricity through a wireless surface.

South Korean giant Samsung included wireless charging capability in its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6, unveiled on March 1 in Barcelona.

Swedish furniture-maker Ikea meanwhile announced a line of bedside tables, lamps and desks equipped with wireless charging spots to be launched in Europe and North America in the coming weeks.

"This is probably the year of the wireless charger," said Kevin Curran, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, ahead of the mobile fair.

"A lot of the top-end phones now by default are coming with a wireless charger. You just have to put the phone onto a mat or onto a stand."

If a phone has a wireless charging receptor, just placing it over the charging pad on one of these items will transfer power to it.

The piece of furniture itself is not wireless, drawing its power from the mains, but no wire is needed to plug into the phone.

Standard adapters

Different rival technologies for wireless charging have emerged over recent years.

For their devices, Samsung and Ikea opted for the Qi standard -- a system developed by the Wireless Power Consortium, an alliance of some 200 different companies founded in 2008.

The Qi consortium claims its standard is the most widely used in the world with charging points in 3,000 hotels, restaurants, airports and public spaces. It says its system can be used in 80 models of mobile phone and various types of car.

The product announcements at the Barcelona show "will allow a big step forward," eventually freeing users of cumbersome charging wires, said Inge Tauber of the German company L&P Automotive, part of the Qi project.

"People have no need to fear that their chargers will become obsolete, because these bases will be compatible with the new generations of smartphone."

Even smartphones that were not made with a wireless charging receptor can be fitted with adaptors in the form of an outer case or other minor accessory costing from about 10 euros ($11).

Wireless charging race -

Qi is competing with two other standards, PMA and A4WP, which between them group some 200 other telecom, computing and electronics firms.

The PMA and A4WP camps will merge in mid-2015 "to accelerate the growth of this nascent market," they said in a statement.

Tauber denied this competition would hold back the industry from developing a common standard for compatible charging pads. She reckoned it would drive it towards a "homogenous standard".

Makers of smartphones have so far failed to find a common standard for any kind of charger, despite attempts such as the European Union's bid to impose universal chargers by 2016.

Analysts said it was tricky to estimate the potential value of the market for wireless chargers.

The Wireless Power Consortium estimates that 50 million chargers were sold in 2014.

According to technology consultancy Gartner, in that year consumers bought 1.8 billion handsets -- which typically come with a charger included.

"In the next few years they will all have wireless chargers in-built," Curran said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Motivation to get fit: Exercise can be 'holy'

MANILA – Do you need a reason to start exercising this 2015? Here’s one: it can be a “holy” activity.

Motivational speaker and best-selling author Bo Sanchez, also known as the “Preacher in Blue Jeans,” made the statement during his interview on the ANC program “Headstart” on Friday.

He said that exercise as well as a proper diet can be “holy” because being strong and healthy is important in fulfilling a person’s mission to love as a son or daughter of God.

“Yes, because love requires it,” said Sanchez when asked by “Headstart” host Karen Davila if exercise and eating right can be considered holy. “Whatever love requires, that is what you do. What makes something holy? It’s love.”

“How can you love others if you’re sick? How can you love others until 60, 70, or 90 years old? You want to serve others for the rest of your life, you have to be healthy and strong,” he added. “So walk, eat right and exercise. Think right. Do what love requires.”

Referring to the body as “the remote control of your emotional life,” Sanchez noted that a person’s actions greatly affect his or her emotional state.

“Many people say, ‘I can’t control my anger, I can’t control my laziness, I can’t control my fear. What should I do?’ One would be controlling one’s thoughts, the other is controlling the body.

“When you can control your body, you can control your emotions. Sooner or later, you actually feel great,” he said.

Reacting to people who tend to say that they do not have enough time to exercise, Sanchez said the key is to know one’s priorities.

“Whatever is important to you, you will make time. A lot of people waste a lot of time on things that they do habitually. You have to make a decision: ‘What is the most important [thing] to me that I’ll give time [for it]?’ If exercise is important to you, then you’ll do it,” he said.

Sanchez said people can use this motivation to save money and spend more time with their famiy.

“Be rich so you can give and be generous,” he said, adding, “Your mission is not just connected to your work, but also to your family, your relationships, recreation, your health, food and exercise. All of those have to be connected with your mission.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

12 'lucky' fruits to ring in the New Year

MANILA – Preparing to welcome 2015 at home? Consider adding these fruits to your dining table on New Year’s Eve to attract prosperity and good luck, a feng shui practitioner said.

According to Hanz Cua, these 12 “lucky” fruits symbolize each month of the year, bringing anything from money and luxury to happiness and good health.

Here are Cua’s 12 suggested fruits and their respective meanings:

1. Pineapple – the Chinese word for pineapple is “ong-lai,” which means “fortune cones.”

2. Orange – represents gold in Chinese tradition. Its round shape signifies money.

3. Apple – the Chinese word for apple is “ping,” which means “harmony.”

4. Grapes – represents luxury as these are traditionally eaten by royalty.

5. Banana – comes in clusters, symbolizing unity. Its yellow color stands for happiness.

6. Mango – its sweetness signifies strong family ties.

7. Lemon – its fragrance and essence is known to cleanse and remove negative vibes.

8. Watermelon – symbolizes prosperity. Its many seeds stand for abundance.

9. Papaya – similar to the orange, it represents gold in Chinese tradition.

10. Lychee – its round, red body stands for happiness and good fortune.

11. Avocado – its colors – green and purple – symbolize prosperity.

12. Pomelo – its bright red or pink pulp represents good health.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Toyota to launch 'car of future' in US in 2015

LAS VEGAS - Toyota said Monday it plans to launch a fuel-cell car in the United States next year, declaring the hydrogen vehicle with zero emissions "the car of the future."

Toyota Motor Sales vice president Bob Carter said the initial market will be California, together with an initiative to establish hydrogen refueling stations in key regions of the state.

"In 2015, we will bring this car to market," Carter said in the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The vehicle, yet to be named, would be a "zero-emission, electric-drive, mid-size, four-door sedan."

"Functionally, this is a regular car," he added.

The streamlined design is to maximize oxygen intake for the fuel-cell process. It will be able to travel 300 miles (480 kilometers) on a single fueling, which would take three to five minutes.

While carmakers have long touted the advantages of fuel cells, high production costs and a lack of fuel stations have held back the technology.

Carter said however that Toyota had been getting results from its major investments and added that "we believe we can bring it in at a very reasonable price for a lot of people."

Government initiatives in California were making progress in getting hydrogen fueling stations in needed areas, he added.

"The issue of infrastructure is not so much about how many, but rather location, location, location," he said.

"Fuel cells will be in our future sooner than many people believe... and in much greater numbers than anyone expected."

Toyota unveiled a prototype last year at the Tokyo auto show, but on Monday offered more details for its plans for the US market.

Honda is also expected to roll out a fuel-cell car in the US market in 2015, and other automakers are working on the technology, which emits only water vapor as exhaust.

Honda already has a fuel-cell car, the FCX Clarity, available on a small scale in a limited number of markets.

Carter said that Toyota and California officials plan to add 20 new fuel stations by 2015 to the 10 existing ones. The goal is to have about 100 in the state, and to have a station within a six-minute drive of an owner's home or business.

"This infrastructure thing is going to happen," he said.

"I believe this vehicle will be the car of the future."

It is expected to launch in Japan at about the same time.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com