Unleashing iPads with power.

Kokley thinks a lot about power and cord management. These are details make hardware a clean aspect of an iPad system. It can’t look like an afterthought.

iPad systems create powerful shopper experiences. Powering the devices must be blind to the users – it just has to work. Fortunately, we see an increase in the use of induction. IPads will be free to roam within moderate sized-retail floors and departments within larger stores.  Utilizing RFID and Bluetooth theft deterrent systems, shoppers will be handed the responsibility of moving around the floor with the iPad. Geo-fencing also has a long list of applications in this area.

Back to power, we are seeing Launchport bring induction at a reasonable price into the home. Retail-ready versions of induction charging systems are certainly in the works by a few companies. Taking wireless charging a step further, check out the gang at WiTricity. Their technology uses magnetic resonators to transfer power over large distances via magnetic near-field. In other words, you can power a device over a distance without wires AND without cooking any living objects that walk through the field. At this point, it is expensive to use in a scaleable retail application, but this will be the future of powering and charging devices soon enough. Take a look: http://witricity.com/pages/technology.html