Ready to be a bit less plugged in? A slew of wireless charging mats have appeared on the market of late, but the Orée Wireless Power Pebble is the first we've seen that was conceived to be a simple and interesting object on its own. The wireless charger is part of French company Orée's collection of tech designs and accessories in wood, leather, and stone that, we hope, are are glimpse of workstations to come.
Above: The Orée collection of wireless tech products includes, from left to right, a wooden keyboard, leather tablet pouch, wooden tablet board, wireless phone chargers in wood and marble, and leather and wooden phone sleeves. Orée is a French tech company whose name stands for original, rational, elegant, and engaged.
Above: The Orée Wireless Power Pebble provides wireless charging for Qi compatible smartphones (such as the Google Nexus 4 and LG Revolution) or tablets simply by placing them across it. It's shown here in tilia (linden wood) and is also available in walnut; €110 from Orée.
Above L and R: The Orée Wireless Power Pebble is also made in two kinds of marble: white Carrara and a veined red marble, €150.
Above L and R: A smartphone and tablet being charged on an Orée Wireless Power Pebble in white marble. The company says it takes approximately 20 to 30 percent longer to fully charge a phone using the Pebble vs. standard plug charging.
Above L and R: For many smartphone users, there's a wrinkle: their phones aren't Qi compatible. To enable the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5, and Galaxy S4 to work with the Power Pebble—or any Qi-compatible charging mat—the company offers the Orée Wireless Power Sleeve made of leather (in natural or indigo) and wood (maple or walnut); €90. It makes these phone designs, but no others, Qi compatible. Confession: We like the way these cases look and are still trying to wrap our minds around the technicalities.
Above: The Orée Board is a portable wireless keyboard cut from a single piece of maple (shown) or walnut, so that each key matches the overall look; €150. It comes in three keyboard fonts, is powered by a pair of AAA batteries, and works with tablets, smartphones, and PCs equipped with Bluetooth (an invisible varnish protects the wood from finger smudges and water spills.) It's shown here paired with the Orée Board Leather Pouch, a stand for a smart phone or tablet (it's sized to also work as a tablet cover) that comes in natural or indigo leather; €50.
For more details ad to view the whole collection, go to Orée.
Ready to be less plugged in? Read 10 Cures for Technostress.