One of the coolest accessories to hit the market for the HP TouchPad (actually, make that any tablet) will be the HP Touchstone Charging Dock
But let’s deal with its core purpose first – to charge! Not just to charge, but to charge without wires! You may recall that the Palm Pre was released in 2009 with a Touchstone wireless charging dock, which used electromagnetic induction to safely charge the device whilst resting against the dock. The principle is exactly the same, the dimensions are a little larger. Simply rest the HP TouchPad in the dock (portrait or landscape orientation is fine) and the device will charge.
$79.99 (list price, you may find it cheaper online) buys you the HP Touchstone, which ships with the dock itself, a USB cable and a power adaptor. Once you’ve got it set up, you’re ready to charge… and find out a little more about what happens when you dock your TouchPad.
Place the HP TouchPad on the Touchstone dock, and an exhibition view automatically appears on screen. It’ll display your calendar for the day, a slideshow of your photos or simply a clock.
Do you need the HP Touchstone to charge your TouchPad? Nope, you’ll get the usual charging adaptor and USB cables to allow you to charge your new tablet. But do you want the HP Touchstone? At $79.99, it’s not cheap, but it’s most certainly one of the coolest accessories we’ve seen for a tablet yet.
Stay tuned for a full Hands On review in the coming weeks.
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