Ikea turns furniture into wireless phone chargers
AFP 1 hour ago
Stockholm (AFP) - Global furniture giant Ikea announced
on Sunday the launch of desks, tables and lamps that will wirelessly charge
phones and other devices.
The new collection will use Qi wireless technology to
charge devices that are placed on or near the furniture.
"Through research and home visits, we know that
people hate cable mess. They worry about not finding the charger and running
out of power," Ikea's business area manager of lighting and wireless
charging, Jeanette Skjelmose, said in a statement.
"Our new innovative solutions, which integrate
wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler,"
she added.
The Home Spot range of desks, bedside tables and lamps
will hit stores in Europe and North America in April, Ikea said, with a
"global roll-out" in the works.
"This is (a) very early time in the furniture
business to blend wireless technology," Jeff Kagan, a technology industry
analyst, told AFP.
"I expect every other furniture maker to jump on
this same bandwagon," he added.
In January Ikea -- which employs 147,000 people worldwide
-- reported annual profits of $3.74 billion (3.33 billion euros) for 2014,
unchanged from the year before.
Comments
Post a Comment