Now You Can Charge Phone Wirelessly—With Your Table

From the land of Things You Didn't Know You Needed comes the advent of furniture that allows you to charge your gizmos wirelessly, and yes, Ikea is involved. The Swedish home-furnishing giant is rolling out a line of bedside tables, lamps, and desks that utilize the Qi wireless charging standard, which the AP notes is currently available in some Windows and Android phones and the coming Samsung Galaxy S6. Ikea says it'll offer charging covers for iPhones and older Samsungs. The line is due out in April.

"Our belief is that mobile phones are vital parts to people's lives at home and their desire to stay connected, and Qi addresses an unmet need to keep devices powered," says an Ikea rep, per a statement. The downside? Per the Verge: There's a Beta-vs.-VHS type arms race going on here, and in choosing Qi, Ikea is landing on the side of the Wireless Power Consortium. The competing standard, backed by Power Matters Alliance, has been picked up by heavyweights that include AT&T, McDonald's, and Starbucks. Another drawback, per Gizmodo: "Keep in mind that wireless charging isn't exactly the greatest thing for the life of your smartphone battery because of the excess waste heat it can generate." (More Ikea stories.)