Cell phones have changed the way we communicate in the last decade, and despite standards being developed to make chargers universal, there is always that same old issue: where to plug it in, and with what charger. The situation has gotten worse with the use of smart phones that drain their charge within a day.

The Israeli company Powermat has done something brilliant to shift this bad energy in a new direction. They've developed a solution that allows you to charge your smartphone, iPod or handheld device simply by setting it down on a small high-tech charge pad. You need no cord, no plug - just a small case or receiver that is permanently affixed to your device. You come home (or enter the office), set up to three devices on the mat and voila - after the required charge is achieved, Powermat shuts down and you're good to go.

Powermat is making confusing cords for smart phones a thing of the past.

"It's an increasingly wireless world and we are more tied down with wired devices and finding the right charger," says Beth Meyer, vice president of global marketing. "Powermat gets rid of the tangle."

On the road or in the airport

Meyer points out that Powermat can actually extend the battery of handheld devices and phones, which are more often than not overcharged. Powermat determines what charge to deliver and for how long. That will help prolong the battery's lifespan, consume less energy and cut down on environmental greenhouse gases.

The mat is plugged into a power source, and using a digital "handshake," charges the smart device or phone via a receiver or case attached to it. Sold for about $59 at stores including Target, the Powermat has been touted on American TV shows like Good Morning America and Fox and Friends News.

After launching Powermat to retail success in 2009, "we are going into the vision to build a truly wireless world," Meyer says, noting that travelers should soon expect to see Powermat stations in airports.

Now, the company has announced a new project with General Motors to develop a Powermat to charge your phone cordlessly while driving.

Power on the go

Powermat and GM demonstrated a prototype in a Chevrolet Volt at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The electric Volt featured two charging mats - one behind the gearshift and another in the backseat for passengers to use. It will first be available to GM car buyers, but the plan is to develop the technology so it can be standardized to fit into any automobile, Meyer says. This announcement came along with the news that General Motors Ventures, its VC arm, had invested $5 million in Powermat.

GM executives expect to include the Powermat in the company's vehicles as early as 2012: "This is a technology that really transcends any brand or consumer segment," said Jon Lauckner, president of GM Ventures.

Developing a new standard

Powermat has just signed a letter of intent with Qualcomm, a leader in handset technology development, to form an alliance and develop a new standard for the industry. The idea is to bring future handsets together with the Powermat so that its two-part technology (the mat and the receiver) can be developed with the receiver built right into the handset.

According to Meyer, the Powermat can theoretically be developed to charge anything from a cell phone to an electric car - the latter on a bigger mat, obviously. Maybe even one you park on.
"Right now we are focused on handheld devices, in particular smartphones, which are so core and integral to most of us today," Meyer explains.

Founded in 2006 and employing about 60 people, Powermat has its headquarters and R&D in Neve Ilan just west of Jerusalem.