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Saturday, September 4, 2010

Mobee's inductive Magic Charger for Apple's Magic Mouse really is magical

If you look deep enough into the halls of IFA, if you can see through the 3D television murk and tablet hype, you might be lucky enough to find a few gems. Like the Mobee Magic Charger for Apple's Magic Mouse making its worldwide debut today. So, what's the "magic?" Well, if you own a wireless Apple Magic Mouse then your biggest complaint is without a doubt battery life. That means you're either purchasing (and tossing) alkaline after alkaline or you're constantly swapping in a fresh pair of rechargeables to keep the juice flowing. The Mobee Magic Charger does away with that nonsense with its inductive charging mini-USB base station and battery pack that slots into Apple's mouse -- no special sleeve or bulky appendage required unlike many after-market inductive charging solutions. Oh, and the 1.30oz / 37g battery pack -- developed in-house by Switzerland-based Mobee -- is actually lighter than a pair of AAs thereby reducing the overall weight of the mouse.

Regarding specs, we're told that a Mobee charged Magic Mouse will last for 6 days under constant use. After that, it requires 6 hours to reach a full charge. Otherwise, the idea here is to park the mouse on its dock when not in use. While the company has considered an inductive charging mouse pad, they opted against it so that people can mouse on the surface of their choice and to keep the whole package portable and inconspicuous. The Magic Charger itself matches the materials, look, and feel of Apple's Magic Mouse perfectly. Oh, and the blue charging light you see above will be green once the product ships worldwide in mid-October for €49.90 (with tax) / $49.90 (before tax). At that price, it offers a 6-8 month break-even for the typical Magic Mouse user relying on disposable batteries. Honestly, the Mobee Magic Charger is an idea so good that it makes you wonder, why didn't Apple think of that?

Expect to see a "few more" Mobee products launch for Apple products before the end of the year and into 2011. While Mobee wouldn't tell us exactly what products are coming, it did admit to looking at Apple's new Track Pad, the iPhone 4 (we expect to see a case), and wireless keyboard. We look forward to it.

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