One of the coolest things about my Touchpad is the induction technology built in. It’s what allows the Touchstone to work to charge the Touchpad. If you don’t know what induction technology is, here’s the short version. Electricity is passed through a magnetic field and then through a conductor, allowing you to charge a battery without plugging it in. It’s not new technology, but very few companies have adapted it for mainstream use. Other than the Palm Pre and Touchpad, you won’t find anybody else with it from the factory.
iPort makes a case and station combo that allows you to charge your iPad simply by setting it on the station. They make the case in both white and black, and the station comes in either a desk stand or wall mount. You can see in the video how easy it is to use, and some of the many ways that you can use them. One big red flag for this product however is the price. The case alone costs $150 US, and each stand costs $200 US. Just for the Launchport equipment seen in the video you would have to spend at least $950. I counted four stations plus the case. You could almost buy another two iPads at that cost. Even at $350 for an initial purchase, I just don’t see iPort selling a whole lot of these. It’s a great idea, and it’s technology that I love, but that price is a little steep.
[Launchport]
