Duracell Powermat's $100 package: A charging mat, a charging case for the iPhone, and a portable charger.

Just last year, Powermat and Duracell were rivals in the wireless-power world. The two brands had competing products in the wireless-charger market: Powermat's eponymous charging mat and Duracell's MyGrid charging mat. Then, late last year, the two brands formed an alliance.

On Monday, the Duracell/Powermat joint venture released its first co-branded wireless charger, the Duracell Powermat 24 Hour Power System. In addition to that in-home system, Duracell Powermat is also adding wireless charging stations to a number of high-profile locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, hoping it will help jump-start widespread adoption of its technology.

After using the 24 Hour Power System for a few days, I think a combination of ubiquitous power mats and compatible charging cases has the potential to change things on a bigger scale. Although physically plugging your phone into a wall outlet to recharge it is a minor inconvenience, using a normal, wired charger seemed archaic after I started using the system. Today, I placed my phone down on a regular old table, expecting it to make a space-age beep and start recharging; I figure that's a good sign for the technology's potential.

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