Look ma, no wires!: The monitor can charge a smartphone, tablet or smartwatch without cables. Photo: AFP Relaxnews
The Samsung SE370 is the first world's first computer monitor that can double as a wireless battery charger for a smartphone, tablet or even a smartwatch.
Available in two display sizes – 23in and 27in, the monitor is packed with clever little technological tricks to reduce eye strain and improve performance. For example, it uses AMD's FreeSync technology so that it refreshes at the same rate as the computer's graphics card (provided it's also AMD) for a smoother, more immersive gaming experience.
The monitor also has a 4ms response time to cut blur or ‘ghosting' to a minimum and a system for reducing exposure to blue light for those that have to burn the midnight oil.
However, it's the inclusion of a wireless charger for the Qi standard that makes the monitor stand out. "Technology should support, not interfere with, active lifestyles. Our customers increasingly rely on mobile devices to obtain information and interact with others; so by doing away with the clutter on their desks, we are helping them to use their mobile devices in a smarter way," said Seok-gi Kim, senior vice president, visual display business at Samsung Electronics.
After years in the wilderness, thanks to different types of technological standard and different devices that work with different types of pads, wireless charging could be on the verge of becoming a mainstream consumer technology. Starbucks and McDonalds have committed to rolling out wireless charging points in their US branches.
And although Samsung is the first to integrate wireless charging into a monitor, the company is following similar initiatives from General Motors and Ikea to try to make the technology more useful, accessible and visible.
New Cadillacs feature a wireless charging tray that has been adapted to support two of the rival wireless charging standards (an automotive first) so that owners won't need to buy an adaptor case for their smartphones, and in April, Ikea announced that it was integrating the technology into a number of its tables and desks as well as selling pads as standalone items.
Like Samsung's monitor, Ikea's system supports the Qi standard, which is currently the most popular and most established form of the technology, supported by HTC, Nokia and Microsoft as well as Samsung. — AFP Relaxnews
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