More than ever, people want to work where and how they work best. Thanks to the evolution of technology, that means taking advantage of outdoor spaces as well—but of course, powering up al fresco comes with its own challenges. The need for reliable outdoor power is not only increasing in the workplace, but in hospitality […]
Gone are the days of plugging in your electronics and being tethered down in order to charge. As devices are evolving in technology, so is the way we power up, and the latest evolution is towards wireless charging.
Qi charging is a form of wireless charging, and these days you’ll find it in use on a variety of small personal electronics—such as smartphones—but interest is growing across other devices too. With most devices adopting Qi standards, wireless charging is likely to become a standard part of technology in the near future and the integration of new wireless charging regulated devices will change the way we charge at home, in the office and even on the go. Here, we’ll give you an overview of how it works, which companies are using it, safety-related issues and projected market growth.
Wireless charging can come in a variety of forms across many devices.
Radio Charging
Radio charging is a way to wirelessly charge commonly seen in devices such as wireless keyboards and mice, medical devices, watches and music players. These devices are powered on small batteries and use radio waves to send and receive wireless signals. When the device is configured to the same frequency, you are able to charge.
Magnetic Resonance Charging
For larger devices that use a significant amount of power, such as a large computer, electric car or vacuum cleaner, resonance charging is used. Resonance requires a copper coil to be attached to the device needing the charge with another copper coil attached to a source of power. The charging occurs when both copper coils are configured to a common electromagnetic frequency, thus charging from the power source over a short distance.
Inductive Charging
Qi is a form of inductive wireless charging. It occurs when energy is transferred from a charger to a receiver by way of electromagnetic induction. The charger uses an induction coil to create an electromagnetic field, which the receiver coil in the phone—or other device—simply converts back into electricity to feed the battery. The two coils typically need to be touching, with the receiver on top of the charger (or vice versa). Though this is considered by many to be cutting-edge technology, rechargeable toothbrushes and shavers have actually been using this kind of inductive charging since the 1990s. And Qi, a Chinese word that translates to “vital energy,” is today’s worldwide wireless charging standard. It’s able to provide from 5 to 15 watts of power—making it perfect for smaller electronics, like smartphones.
Check out below all of your inductive Qi options Byrne can provide:
The mobile phone market remains the dominant force in overall use, with Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone series leading the pack. Technically speaking, these phones, starting with the S7 model, come equipped with dual-mode Qi, meaning the device is compatible with the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) standards as well as the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) standards, so they will be able to charge with any wireless receiver. Although Apple didn’t release wireless charging compatible devices until 2017, iPhones now come Qi equipped starting from iPhone 8 and versions beyond which are compatible with any Qi certified charging device.
Wearables are also a big category interested in wireless charging, driven by the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear S2 and other popular products. Even larger electronics have begun adopting wireless charging options. In 2017, Dell launched the world’s first wireless charging laptop with their release of the 2 in 1 Latitude 7285. But consumers are now seeking flexibility with their wireless charging. Energous, a wireless charging corporation, has created a wireless charging ecosystem solution that allows charging without contact up to 15 feet away.
Given access to all these Qi-supported products, it’s interesting that in a recent poll by IHS, only 20% of respondents report actually using wireless charging technology—and only 16% charge their devices with this technology on a daily basis. Most users consider wireless to be a good way to supplement wired charging, rather than a primary charging method. This could be due to the inefficiency of Qi charging compared to wired. Wired charging holds around 85% efficiency in the amount of energy sent out while QI charging has only risen to 75% efficiency from its initial launch percentage of 60%. Generally, wireless charging isn’t as fast as wired. In addition to that, the price difference between wired and wireless explains why adoption rates for wireless charging aren’t higher. Any wireless charger that would outperform a wired charger ranges $40-60, about double the price of any wired charger. This article from MacRumors tests wired versus wireless charger performance with an iPhone X.
The Qi Wireless Charging Standard—developed by the multinational Wireless Power Consortium—outlines a number of consumer safety precautions, including issues like heat shielding and foreign object detection, especially among non-certified equipment. Recent tests conducted by independent labs found that non-certified charging products can reach almost 200° Fahrenheit—enough to cause a third-degree burn.
Some smartphones claim they are water-resistant, or even waterproof, but most wireless chargers are not. As with all electrical devices that connect to a power outlet, liquid can be very dangerous. Users should never get a wireless charger wet—and need to be sure any phone is dry before setting it down to charge.
A poorly made charger may also not be able to detect if a foreign object—like your keys or a coin is sitting on the pad under your smartphone. As a result, the charging pad may continue to emit power, not only damaging your device, but potentially melting the other objects on the pad. So, it’s important to look for a charger with a foreign object detector—one which will shut down charging and alert you (usually with an LED light) that something other than a compatible device is in contact with your charger.
Finally, when it comes to health and safety, a common cause for concern is the effect of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by wireless chargers. High levels of EMF have been found to pose health risks such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and even suicidal behavior. However, the EMF emission levels involved in wireless charging are negligibly low as there is no sustained human contact with the charging pad. In fact, a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that exposure to low EMF emissions does not lead to any known health problems.
Products holding Qi certification through the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) go through rigorous testing in order to become regulated. Products may be included in the Qi Certified Product Database under these conditions:
By ensuring that all Qi-Certified devices work together, regardless of manufacturer, country of origin, version of the standard used, etc., the Qi standard ensures a consistent and simple user experience, where a Qi-Certified phone placed on a Qi-Certified charger will simply work. The process of becoming Qi certified is done in six steps:
Shipments of wireless power receivers/transmitters are forecasted to grow from some 450 million units back in 2017 to more than 2.2 billion units by 2023. And by 2027, wireless charging shipments are expected to reach 7.5 billion units. Smartphones, wearables and home appliances are predicted to be the top three market drivers for wireless charging over the coming years.
Smartphones should account for about 77% of the 6 billion wireless charging receiver devices sold by 2023. Annual shipment volume for these devices in particular is expected to top one billion units by 2020 and two billion by 2025—according to IHS Markit, the leading global source of critical analytics information and insight.
In addition to current technology, advancements in wireless Qi charging are expected. Ossia, a wireless technology company, is in the process of developing a solution that is capable of transmitting power to a phone case of a distance of a few feet to slowly charge the phone inside. Ossia has partnered with a case making company, Spigen, to bring this product to consumers. The transmitter and power receiving case is set to launch in 2020. The company Solace is creating technology that changes the game for wattage allowance. Their wireless powering solution, Equus, is capable of delivering up to 200 watts versus the typical 5 to 15 watts. This amount of wattage is used to power portable medical equipment like carts, hospital beds and vital signs monitors, and manufacturing test equipment such as sensors and robotics. Wireless charging technology is even crossing over to the automotive sector. BMW is the first car manufacturer to create a wireless charging system for their hybrid car. It is set to be available for the BMW 520e iPerformance plug-in hybrid in 2019. It is also expected to see more charge points in locations such as airport and restaurant tables.
Ultimately, the broad success of Qi-Certified devices in the marketplace depends on all the elements interfacing seamlessly—regardless of manufacturer, country of origin, version used, etc. The Qi Wireless Charging Standard, mentioned earlier, is intended to do just that: to ensure a consistent and user-friendly experience, one where a Qi-Certified phone placed on a Qi-Certified charger will work reliably, each and every time.
To find to out if your device is Qi compatible, check out the Wireless Power Consortium’s product database tool.
In 2018, work spaces are entirely different than even 10 years ago. The days of “traditional” work spaces are quickly on dwindling, let alone the days of the “cubicle farm.” So what designs do matter for work spaces in 2018?
Open Floor Plans have been around for years, but we’re starting to see an increase in the use of this concept, moving from private offices and cubicles.
You read that right. Not only do these spaces not need “open door policies,” there aren’t even doors to close. Open floor plan offices encourage collaboration, shared work spaces, and everything that comes with them.
Designing work spaces has changed from a layout having just a few spaces within office buildings that are open concept to nearly the entire space as open floor plan. While the C-Suite may still have doors to close, the rest of the building likely will be sharing desks, outlets, and screens.
Working doesn’t have to be done at an assigned seat to be productive anymore. In fact, many people that come to the office take part in a trend called “Hoteling” or “Hot Desking”.
Hoteling doesn’t mean that you live at a hotel or even work in a hotel, instead it refers to using a scheduling system to reserve a desk for the day or a few hours. Hot Desking is similar, but deals with unassigned seating by a first come, first served basis.
Each of these concepts is moving us away from having an assigned or static desk and moving to an environment where you sit where you feel you’ll get your best work done. Heads down work could be in a space with more barriers and a quieter environment, collaboration could happen when your team decides to sit together for a day or two.
This surge in providing unassigned workspaces is already changing the face of many offices and can be seen in the rise of Co-Working Spaces.
Standing work desks are more than just a passing fad. Their sudden rise in popularity is linked to more than just health benefits. From a facility point of view this is saving valuable real estate or even allowing new workspaces to be deployed within an existing footprint.
Standing desks increase collaboration, focus, and productivity. You may have heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking,” but you may not be familiar with all of the benefits of standing.
As new workers arrive in the office we need the workspaces to meet their needs not just for doing a task, but also meeting their social needs. That means that our workspaces are changing and how we design them up makes a difference. The goal of a great workspace design is to provide the tools that someone will need, so that all they need to do is sit down, plug in and get to work.
With every day and the improvement technology tools at work, the way we work changes. And when the way we work changes, workspace design needs to change too. How is it affecting you? Let us know in the comments of this blog.
In a world where people can work from home, why sacrifice the convenience and comfort in an office space?
Design and coworking spaces are constantly changing. And while it seems hard to keep up initially, understanding how wireless power is completely changing the way we design spaces is a big first step.
Just a couple of decades ago, the workplace was designed around the significant technology explosion of USB and other cables. So many new technologies needed to be connected – to sync, to charge, and to function at all.
This required several changes to workplace design. In an effort to accommodate the cables and cords that were so prevalent in workspaces, furniture made a shift. Desktops and bench style tables were designed to include troughs or other under-surface cable organizers. Raised floors were invented in an effort to manage cables, cords, connections, and power charging without cluttering desks, conference rooms, and other shared spaces.
Even with these new design styles, designing new methods for cable management were the beginning of countless startups, technology branches, and other new designs. But as we’ve learned in Business School, leadership books, and TED Talks alike, incremental change isn’t the way to a blue ocean strategy.
Fast forward to the mid-2010s and we’ve seen massive changes in how the workspace is designed.
With the emergence of Bluetooth and wireless power, cables no longer need to be managed but rather sought.
Gone are the days of needing to charge your phone in your car during your lunch breaks. Office spaces, restaurants, and hospitality spaces are all finding the great value in wireless power within their walls.
Wireless power encourages smartphone owners to find the nearest pad, case, or any other home for inductive coupling. Rather than being chained to a wall by a 3ft cable, users can set down their phones on a surface that will charge their phones. Some of the biggest benefits include:
Reducing the need to use a car charger rather than plug in at work,
in airports, or at a coffee shop with wireless power
Eliminating the need to buy phone chargers by the dozen
These benefits alone can influence a decision on where to stay for vacation, where to work, what airport to use, and what brand of charger to swear by. As designers, it’s critical to maintain spaces that complement those who work within it. And as marketers, it’s just as critical to understand pain points that led to these design shifts.
While designing with these new technologies may force costs to be incurred sooner rather than later, they are quickly becoming the expectation for the base norm. Until wireless charging goes into full effect, you will begin seeing power solutions with a combination of plug ins as well as cordless options.
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) has quickly become an expected technology included in any new tech hardware. From smartphone chargers to flash drives and printer to computer connections. But what is the difference between the two most common USB versions, USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and USB 4.0?
USB 2.0 was released in 2000 whereas USB 3.0 was released in 2008. In those 8 years, 5 major innovations improved the usage of USB 3.0. Coming in 2019, USB 4.0 will be released to address higher data transfer rates.
Transfer Rates (Speed)
USB 2.0 has a transfer rate of 480 Megabits per second (Mbps). Its counterpart USB 3.0 has a transfer rate of 10x that, offering a transfer rate of 5 Gigabits per second (Gbps). More recently, USB 3.2 offers a transfer rate of 20 Gbps and in 2019, we can expect the ratification of USB 4.0, which will offer 40 Gbps. These transfer rates allow quicker uploads of data.
Physical Changes
In order to offer an increase in the transfer rate, the USB Type-A/B connector for USB 3.0 and higher requires more pins than USB 2.0, increasing from 4 to 10. To accommodate the physical updates, USB 3.0 required the design of new USB Type-A/B connectors. Additionally, the arrival of the USB Type-C connector has 24 pins and allows for inverted insertion.
Bandwidth
USB 2.0 offers one-way communication between devices. This means that it can only handle data transfers one direction at a time. With USB 3.0, they contain two unidirectional paths, allowing them to maintain transfers in both directions at the same time. While the USB-C connector adds two more data paths for a total of four. These are key innovations for improving data transfer load times and improving efficiency.
Power
While simultaneously sending data, USB 2.0 provides a maximum of 500 mA when charging devices. USB 3.0 offers up to 900 mA – cutting charging time nearly in half while sending data. The categorizing of USB power has evolved and new standards have been released for power delivery. Depending on the connector and wire type, up to 5A at 20V or 100W can be delivered to a device needing a charge.
Compatibility
The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) maintains that their revisions are always backward compatible. This means that USB 2.0 devices are compatible with USB 3.0 – though only at USB 2.0 speeds.
If you are looking to learn even more about the USB versions available, be sure to check out our USB 101 blog.
The Universal Serial Bus was originally developed to be an industry standard connection between communications, computers, and other devices. Dubbed the USB, this technology quickly replaced previous standards that hadn’t been regulated across devices. It became the gold standard, the Lingua Franca of the technological boom.
There are dozens of different types of USBs, from 1.0-4.0, A-C, and even minis – and it’s tough to keep track of which ones perform what.
USB 1.0 Capabilities
USB 1.0 was originally designed in an effort to streamline connection between all devices. After arriving on the scene in 1996, USB 1.0 became the go-to standard between brands, technologies, and devices.
USB 2.0 Capabilities
After USB 1.0 took off in popularity, USB 2.0 set out to increase speed for connecting, charging, and sharing. USB 2.0 went through several iterations over a multiple year span, becoming a critical innovation from 2000-2010 that ushered in a new age of expected speed and accuracy for syncing devices, charging rapidly, and sharing downloads and uploads seamlessly.
USB 3.0 Capabilities
USB 3.0 was developed basically to shame anyone who thought 2.0 was truly an upgrade (kind of). It introduced the USB “SuperSpeed” capability, as well as improving data transfer and charging speeds. USB 3.0 ports are denoted with a blue color code (or the super sweet SS initials).
USB 4.0 Capabilities
USB 4.0 was developed to improve upon data transfer rates up to 40 Gbps and interoperability with Thunderbolt. This capability will available on the USB-C connector and cable.
USB Type-C Capabilities
USB Type-C is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0, eliminating the compatibility with Type-A ports. Almost any device that supports USB 3.1 use USB-C port. Both ends of the USB cable are the same which allows a device to be connected with reversible plug orientation, so you never have to worry about plugging in your device the wrong way. USB Type-C delivers more power which gives the opportunity to charge larger electronics, such as laptops.
Each USB version delivers different speeds and works with different ports.
It’s important to understand which USB versions work best on which power levels. In order to incorporate USB ports into designing spaces and furniture, it is critical to know what USB version will fit most efficiently. Whether you are looking for a fast charge to keep people moving along, a trickle charge hoping they’ll stick around longer, or the ability to sync and share between other devices like printers and computers, you’ll need to know each capacity.
An easy fallback is to assume that USB 2.0 ports will work well when incorporating into furniture. While USB 3.0 is even better, USB 2.0 is still internationally the most compatible option. In theory, USB 3.0 was developed to work on 2.0 ports and for 3.0 ports to also accept 2.0 charging and data transfers.
As always, the supplier of your tech will know best – don’t be afraid to ask questions. After all, they’re there to help you succeed. Check out Byrne’s variety of USB solutions to best meet your power and data needs.
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