What is the crazy Apple-made contraption you see above? Answers on a postcard please!
You don’t have to really send in postcards, as much as we’d enjoy it. We’ll let you in on Apple’s secret gadget. The crazy tower shaped accessory you see above is Apple’s take on an inductive charging method for their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.
Inductive charging is an alternative method of charging gadgets, usually done without the need of plugging in a cable. One such example of this is the Powermat – you slip an inductive charging case over your gadget and simply sit it on the charging mat. Your device receives power instantaneously and without the need for messy cables everywhere.
From what we can see, Apple’s inductive charging method involves a “Charging Tower” which stands vertically from a base stand. You’ll then connect headphones to your iDevice and wind the cable around the Charging Tower several times in order to create an inductive receiving coil, sending charge to your Apple product.
Apple applied for a patent on this device today but there’s no way to know if such a product will ever go into production as Apple files hundreds, if not thousands of patents each year on ideas that usually don’t come to fruition.
What do you think of Apple’s proposed inductive charging device? Personally, I think I’ll stick with my Powermat!
Source: Patently Apple