The dream of having a single flat surface that's capable of wirelessly charging any device you place on it without any fussing or lining it up is one that is finally within reach.
Apple tried it with its announced -- then canceled -- AirPower wireless charging pad. And while there has been plenty of three-in-one wireless charging pads released since then, none of them have truly allowed you to freely place a device on the pad and walk away, knowing it's being charged.
Also: USB Power Delivery: What's the best charger?[1]
I first told you about Aira's FreePower technology in January[2], when the company, along with its first partner, Nomad, unveiled technology that allows for more free placement on a wireless charging pad, or in this case, the BaseStation Pro.
I patiently waited to see the first device to use Aira's technology, and last month, an early sample of the BaseStation Pro -- a $229 full-surface wireless charger[3] -- showed up at my door.
For the past month, I've been using the Pro on my desk to keep my devices topped off, and I have to admit, it's fantastic.
There were some issues with the firmware early on, causing the pad to get confused and slow down the charging rate for all devices placed on it once one device indicated it was fully charged. But one big benefit of the technology built into the product is that Aira can release firmware updates to fix issues. A couple of weeks after I started testing, I was able to use a tool to install the new firmware[8] on