Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Powermat Review

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Nerdy or Novice?, our technology column! Here, you will not only read about the latest tech toys, you’ll also get a well-rounded perspective thanks to my co-columnist (and fiancé!), Jai! A seriously tech-savvy guy, Jai owns a computer repair business, and will dissect the technical prowess of these gadgets and games. Meanwhile, I will be providing the layman’s perspective on the user-friendly qualities of this geek gear.

Electronics are always a top seller during the holidays. Are you looking for a great gadget to give that special tech-savvy person on your shopping list? Then a Powermat might be what you’re looking for!

Portable Mat with Powercube – $79.99

Powermat is a unique wireless charging mat that you can use to charge almost any device. The Powermat plugs into your computer and provides you with a space to charge up to three different devices at once. You choose which receivers you need, plug them into your electronics, and place the magnetized cube directly on the Powermat to lock it into place and instantly recharge. The Powermat can charge iPods and iPhones, an array of smartphones, and Nintendo DS – you can click here to access a full list of supported products and customize your own bundle based on what devices you own.

Powermat sent us a Portable Mat with Powercube and two boxes full of different receivers, so we can charge virtually everything with this! The Powermat also has a USB slot on the side, so if you have an unusual USB device that doesn’t have a Powermat receiver, you can plug it directly into the side of the mat. We’ve been using this to charge my iPhone and Jai’s iPod Touch, Google Android phone, and different bluetooth devices – having the Powermat has created one convenient place to charge our different devices without tying up several different outlets or USB ports. While it is wireless for the most part, the Powermat does still need to be plugged into an electrical outlet; but it makes it very easy to swap out the devices. (They also have another model with a built-in battery!)

The Portable Mat is ideal for travel – it folds up easily and fits into a custom carrying case which they provide with the unit. We’ve taken this on the road with us a few times now, and it was very handy for charging our devices on the go. For those with iPods or iPhones, this gives you the freedom of recharging your device without having to bring your computer with you. I ended up telling a few people at WordCamp about it, since we took it with us for the conference weekend!

Our final verdict:

Jai says: “It’s a great portable charger for someone with more than one device that they carry around with them. If you have two or three devices with different chargers, this replaces them all.”

Beeb says: “This would be a useful gift for the techy guy – or girl! – on your holiday list!”

Our rating: 4 out of 5 Santa hats!

Powermat products can be purchased online at Powermat.com. Click here to use their “Configure Your Solution” tool to find the right Powermat for your needs and budget.