Steve Smith talks about induction charging for cellphones, tablets, and even medical devices. The benefits, the disadvantages, and how it works.
Episode #5-22 released on February 19, 2015
Induction chargers are a combination of two different devices that allow for a device to be charged via contact only. You have a primary coil that creates a magnetically resonant field that is picked up by the secondary coil that transforms it into current.
It can used to charge plenty of different kinds of devices, like medical implants. It prevents wear and tear of connection sockets where power cables would be plugged in, has no risk of ionizing radiation, and virtually no e-waste. It, can, also, make the device, at least the charging port, more durable. Mainly because you use it less.
It is a technology that has yet to be very efficient, and some of the energy is lost as heat, which can prematurely age your lithium battery. If your battery is not user replaceable this may pose an issue for you. It is definitely more expensive, requiring induction charging plates to be accessible, in order to be used, and it takes longer to charge your favorite device.
Now, we may wonder whether it is worth using this kind of charging method, and coming from the ecological stand point, I can only state the issues I see. Saves the power connector port, but at the cost of being inefficient, more costly to make, therefore buy, and produces heat that will age the lithium battery, which is not necessarily user changeable, but also poses and ecological issue.
From the health point of view, if we absolutely have to store a battery inside of us for any reason what so ever, it is by far, safer to have a wireless way of charging our batteries, however, in this case, we have the option of using a dermal connection point, which can contribute to infection. When forced to decide, induction charging may be safer than dermally affixed charging point, when facing the question of health. And, because induction has no ionizing radiation, we won't be exposed to ions that could pose cancer, however, the charger does emit heat, and so making sure we don't cook ourselves is something to take note of.
The induction charger is a useful technology, and used correctly, can save our devices, and lives, but issues with heat and inefficiency is why more gadgets don't come with built-in solutions, contributing to a group of people having to seek third party cases to achieve the same end.
Tell me what you think? Do you think that the inefficiencies in the induction charging technology far outweigh the fast and effective charging benefits of just plugging in our phones, and tablets?
Do you have a pacemaker, or other technology that requires an induction charger? What do you think of this technology compared to the old method of charging devices inside of you?
Host : Steve Smith | Music : Jonny Lee Hart | Editor : Steve Smith | Producer : Zed Axis Productions