In December I attended Construct Canada, attending seminars and looking for greener building materials and anything else that might stand out. One of the things that grabbed my attention was the ChargeSpot wireless charger. Pat Laureano, Founder and CTO of ChargeSpot, explained to me that it’s as simple as placing your dying phone on top of the logo indicating a charging spot.

Now, if you’re anything like me, when you go to meetings or conferences, you are constantly seeking out electrical outlets in hallways and conference rooms and racing to get there before others, pulling out your cord and adapter to recharge that baby, because, after all, who can live without a phone these days? As a writer my phone also acts as my recorder, camera, agenda and library. So, when it dies, I feel pretty darn useless.

When Pat started to explain the simplicity and ease of the ChargeSpot, I could immediately see the appeal of the product.

Will ChargeSpot charge your phone?

Depending on the model you have, you may or may not need a wireless adapter. iPhones, older Androids and Blackberrys with a micro USB port require a special adapter. If you have a newer phone you’re in luck —  your phone will charge automatically, just by placing it on the logo on a table. Check out the website to see which phones can use ChargeSpots (this list is updated frequently and more are added all the time).

Where to find a ChargeSpot.

Currently ChargeSpots are being installed in cafes and boardrooms around the GTA, in Waterloo, and Michigan. Pat told me that the new flagship Second Cup at King and John in Toronto has installed them.

Cost and Installation.

Each unit sells for about $120 and should be installed by a ChargeSpot specialist. There is volume pricing available.

Future Uses.

What I found most interesting about the ChargeSpot were the future uses of the technology. Right now, wireless charging is only available for devices that use 5W of power or less. However, researchers are working on medium and large power applications such as kitchen appliances. ChargeSpot is one company that is part of a global consortium called Qi. Qi seeks to standardize wireless charging globally. I commend the group on its forward thinking. What it means is that competing brands will all be able to be charged wirelessly using the same equipment. After collecting tens of different adapters for all of the different phones in our house, I can see why this is an important goal! Anyway, the point is, if you browse this website you will notice that more and more products are registering with the group to provide wireless charging. There is also a video, unfortunately in Chinese, that discusses the future wireless kitchen. All appliances would be wireless and would be able to communicate with each other, share electricity, making the kitchen appliances more efficient.

For more information on ChargeSpot, visit its website.

For more information on wireless charging technology, visit Qi.com