Tag: station

Twelve South Introduces Valet at CES 2026

Twelve South today introduces Valet, a wireless charging station and personal essentials tray featuring supple Nappa leather and refined metal framing. Built as a beautiful home object first and a sophisticated wireless charger second, Valet blends warm materials with modern precision to create a calmer, more intentional form factor that works in any place in the home – from the entryway console to the kitchen to the nightstand.

Valet elevates the daily ritual of charging with seamless 15W wireless power for Qi2-compatible devices like iPhone or AirPods. The soft, spacious leather tray keeps cord clutter at bay while placing intuitive charging within reach. An additional USB-C port powers another device, providing a personal charging solution that replaces the visual noise of technology with a design that naturally belongs in the home.

“We wanted the Twelve South Valet to feel like home, not tech,” said Christina Tapp, Principal Industrial Designer at Twelve South. “By stripping away the usual technology cues and focusing on seamless charging, warm, tactile materials, and an architectural form, our Valet becomes part of your decor rather than another device. A familiar place for the things you reach for every day – that just happens to charge.”

A Valet First, a Charger Second

Most chargers are designed for a specific function, eliminating the need for an object to fit aesthetically in the home. Valet evolves beyond the bright circles, LEDs, or raised plastic shapes that typify the category – it’s also not meant to charge every device you have. The soft, square charging pad aligns with the leather tray’s architectural lines. At the same time, the weighted zinc alloy base keeps everything grounded and organised. Phones, keys, watches, and wallets all find a natural home within the tray.

Twelve South’s Valet can adapt to the layout of your environment. Integrated cable management under the base lets you position Valet in one of four ways, allowing you to rotate and place your iPhone on the left or right, or turn the tray to portrait orientation for narrow spaces.

Customisable Style

Designed as a modern heirloom, Valet is built to evolve with your environment, from a new room to a new home. Starting with a weighted base in Black or Taupe Nappa leather, the outer frame is removable, allowing you to swap colors to match your changing aesthetic. With frame options in Black, Taupe, Brown, and Ecru, Valet can be restyled endlessly to complement any interior. Additional frames will be available separately from Twelve South.

Introducing the Goodnight Glow

Valet features a soft, breathing light indicator that gently pulses for eight seconds to confirm charging has begun, then fades away completely. This design eliminates unwanted light pollution to keep your room dark while preventing the common moment of waking up to a phone that did not charge overnight.

Intentional Power, Hidden Complexity

While Valet has a warm, analog feel, its power system is fully modern.

  • Qi2-certified wireless charging up to 15W

  • Additional hidden USB-C port under base delivering 15W to charge a second device such as an Apple Watch, Kindle, or iPad

  • Integrated cable management system allows for four orientation options to fit different nightstands and setups

Key Features

  • Premium Nappa leather valet tray

  • Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W

  • Goodnight Glow pulses to confirm charging, then fades out after eight seconds

  • Interchangeable frame with four orientation options

  • Weighted zinc alloy base with hidden cable management

  • Additional USB-C port (15W) for a second device

  • Includes 36W power adapter and 1.5m USB-C cable

Pricing and Availability

Valet is available today for pre-order in the United States exclusively at twelvesouth.com for USD $179.99, with shipping beginning January 15. International availability, including the UK and Europe, will follow later in 2026.

Geekplus unveils new Robot Arm Picking Station

Geekplus (Stock Code: 2590.HK), the global leader in warehouse robotics,has unveiled its new Robot Arm Picking Station, marking the industry’s first end-to-end unmanned picking solution, and a major leap from “partial automation” to “full-process intelligence”. The breakthrough sets a new benchmark for warehouse automation and redefines what’s possible in unmanned logistics.

 “This new solution marks a key milestone in our journey toward general-purpose warehouse robotics,” said Yong Zheng, Founder and CEO of Geekplus. “With the picking process now fully automated, our next focus is on the packing stage, where robotic arm packing technologies are under active development. Supported by our deep technical expertise and innovation capabilities, we’re confident that full-process unmanned warehouses will soon become a reality.”

At the core of the new workstation is Geek+ Brain, which overcomes one of the toughest challenges in warehouse automation: enabling robotic arms to precisely pick and adapt to large, diverse SKU inventories across multiple product types and industries.

 The Robot Arm Picking Station delivers three core advantages:

  1. Plug-and-Play Agility:
    Trained on massive real-world data, Geek+ Brain’s general model enables intelligent recognition and grasping of tens of thousands of SKUs, including irregular and soft-packaged goods, without retraining. Its modular design supports 48-hour rapid deployment and flexible expansion to adapt to seasonal or packaging changes.
  2. Ultra Efficiency:
    Lightweight model optimization achieves millisecond-level inference speed and smooth coordination across workflows, delivering multiple times the picking efficiency of manual labor and supporting 24/7 continuous operation. Advanced features such as Double Pick verification and scanning modules ensure near-zero errors and consistent, predictable performance.
  3. Data Security by Design:
    All model processing and data operations occur on-premises, eliminating cloud transmission risks and ensuring compliance with the strictest enterprise data privacy standards.

 The new workstation completes the final link in Geekplus’ full-process unmanned picking chain. Seamlessly integrated with the company’s AMR portfolio, it can be easily embedded into existing warehouse workflows.

 Supporting both single-order picking (for real-time responsiveness) and batch picking (for optimized throughput), the solution addresses complex business needs across e-commerce, retail, pharmaceuticals, and 3PL operations.

Geekplus’ leadership in full-process unmanned warehouse automation is powered by its unified technology architecture. Through a cohesive software ecosystem and a complete AMR product portfolio, Geekplus enables multi-solution collaboration across warehouse processes, significantly reducing integration costs and complexity.

About Geekplus

Geekplus is a global leader in mobile robotics technologies. We develop innovative robotics solutions for order fulfilment. More than 850 global industry leaders use our solutions to realize flexible, reliable, and highly efficient automation for warehouses and supply chain management.

Ecofil Launches Water Refill Stations at Irish Rail Locations

Ecofil, Ireland’s leading provider of sustainable bottle filling solutions in Ireland, has announced the continued rollout of its Iconic-V Outdoor Bottle Filling Station with the addition of Irish Rail locations nationwide. Malahide DART station is the first location under the new agreement. Mr Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Transport was present for the installation in Malahide.

The initiative, launched in collaboration with Irish Rail, aims to promote environmental responsibility and reduce single-use plastic among rail passengers. This marks the beginning of a phased national rollout. In the coming week, four additional stations at Bray, Drogheda, Mallow and Limerick will have the Iconic-V Filling Station installed, significantly expanding access to free and clean drinking water for rail users across the country.

The installation at Malahide reflects the busy and diverse footfall the station sees daily from commuters and festival goers to tourists exploring the area. It offers a convenient and sustainable amenity that supports reduced plastic waste and promotes refilling over single-use bottles, aligning with wider environmental goals across the Irish Rail network.

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment and Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD said: “Providing free, premium filtered water at our train stations is a simple but effective way to encourage more sustainable behaviours. Initiatives like this, delivered through collaboration with forward-thinking companies like Ecofil, are key to delivering a greener, cleaner public transport system for everyone.”

Jimmy Guerin, Director of Ecofil said: “This partnership with Irish Rail represents a major step forward in our mission to make sustainable hydration accessible and convenient. Having our first unit live at Malahide, especially with the current high footfall around concerts, demonstrates just how impactful our water filling stations can be. We are proud to be supporting both public health and the environment at such a visible level.”

This initiative reflects Irish Rail’s ongoing commitment to environmental innovation and complements broader efforts across the transport sector to reduce the environmental footprint of daily travel. The rollout aligns with government sustainability goals and efforts to reduce plastic waste across the public transport network.

Ecofil designs and manufactures innovative water dispensing solutions that support sustainability goals and reduce environmental impact. As part of the ERG Group, based in Finglas and employing 38 people, Ecofil plays a vital role in helping communities across Ireland eliminate single-use plastics and embrace a greener future.

Republic of Ireland’s First Ever Dedicated Bio-CNG Refuelling Self-Service Station Opens Today

There’s good news for businesses today who are looking to make the transition to more sustainable, cleaner fuel for their heavy goods vehicles. Flogas, part of DCC plc, is today announcing the official opening of the Republic of Ireland’s first ever dedicated Bio-CNG refuelling self-service station.

Flogas, a commercial and industrial energy supplier and supplier of renewable biomethane to transport in Ireland, said this new self-service station will support large companies who want to make the switch to Bio-CNG and reduce their Scope 3 emissions.

 Located at FoodCentral in St Margarets North Co. Dublin, this 2,900 square metre site can refuel up to 50 HGVs per day from one dual sided high-speed dispenser. When the station is at full utilisation, it will cut over 9,000 tonnes of C02 emissions per annum compared to diesel fuelled HGVs.

The news comes after the Government recently published its new National Biomethane Strategy to support the delivery of up to 5.7 Tera Wat Hour (TWh) of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. Bio-CNG will support the decarbonisation of Ireland’s road haulage sector, responsible for 20.7% of the total road transport emissions in Ireland.

The renewable fuel for the station will come from Irish and European anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. Flogas is the only energy supplier in Ireland approved under the Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme for the supply of Bio-CNG. The Renewable Gas Certification scheme ensures transparency and accountability, as the biomethane will be meticulously tracked in the supply chain.  This dedicated Bio-CNG station is another renewable market first for Flogas having already been the first energy supplier in Ireland to supply biomethane through the gas network to Diageo in 2020.

Speaking at the official opening, Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications Ossian Smyth TD, said: “Renewable fuels are an important transition measure for transport decarbonisation until we realise the shift to zero emission solutions. The supply of biomethane for transport is incentivised under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Scheme and the recently published Biomethane Strategy recognises that biomethane can be used as an alternative in heavy goods transport. Flogas’s Bio-CNG refuelling station can play a role in supporting businesses who choose to reduce their carbon emissions using Bio-CNG.”

“As we stand at the forefront of Ireland’s sustainable energy revolution, Flogas is proud to unveil the Republic of Ireland’s first ever dedicated Bio-CNG refuelling self-service station,” said John Rooney, Managing Director at Flogas. “Bio-CNG represents not just a fuel, but a promise—a promise of a greener, more efficient future for commercial transportation. Bio-CNG for heavy goods vehicles can cut carbon emissions by up to 90% and can reduce the lifetime vehicle costs compared to diesel vehicles, which is in line with DCC’s strategy – Cleaner Energy in Your Power. We would encourage any business thinking of making the switch to Bio-CNG to get in touch with our dedicated team of energy experts at Flogas,” he added.

Operated by Certa, a sister company to Flogas, this self-service station will offer convenient access to Bio-CNG 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will support companies with existing Bio-CNG HGV fleets and those looking to make the switch.

Flogas already supplies renewable biomethane to four Circle K refuelling pumps across Ireland. As experts in gas distribution, Flogas saw an opportunity to provide a well to wheel solution for the transport sector.

This is a new business division and Flogas plans to roll out more Bio-CNG stations with its industrial and commercial customers in the future, to support them with their Scope 3 emissions reduction plans.

The new Flogas Bio-CNG refuelling self-service station is supported by Gas Networks Ireland’s Causeway project, which has to date delivered a network of high capacity fast-fill CNG stations nationwide, developed a renewable gas injection facility, deployed a fleet of CNG vehicles and made a CNG vehicle fund available to businesses in Ireland.

Demand showing strong growth

Gas Networks Ireland’s latest gas demand report shows that demand for renewable gas in transport from Ireland’s road freight sector is continuing to show strong growth – in May 2024, demand for this low carbon alternative to diesel saw another significant year-on-year increase, up 28% on the same month last year.

Gas Networks Ireland’s Head of Business Development, Karen Doyle said:

“We are delighted to support Flogas in the opening of the Republic of Ireland’s first dedicated Bio-CNG refuelling station, part of our Causeway Programme, which will play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions from the commercial transport sector. With three more public stations in development, we are delivering a network of stations offering a low carbon fuel alternative to diesel for Ireland’s commercial fleet.”

 If you are a large enterprise and would like to learn more about how you can switch your fleet to sustainable Bio-CNG, please call 01 884 9400 or email enterprise@flogas.ie

Tech Review – T20 5-in-1 15W wireless charging station with clock and alarm

The T20 15W 5-in-1 Wireless Charger is a sleek and innovative device that combines the power to charge your smartphone, smartwatch, and earbuds simultaneously, all while doubling up as a digital clock and night light. With a charging capacity of 15W for your smartphone, 2.5W for your smartwatch, and 5W for your earbuds, this versatile charger ensures speedy and efficient charging for all your devices.

But that’s not all! The unique forklift-shaped design adds a touch of playful charm to any space. it will garner attention in your home or office. Say goodbye to messy cables and embrace the convenience of a single, multipurpose charging solution that keeps your devices powered up while keeping you on schedule with its digital clock display and creating a soothing ambiance with its built-in night light. When it comes to charging your phone no matter what type it is that supports wireless charging it will automatically find the right spot and stay in place and after testing on several phones here it is really cool and acts like what it looks like on the inside being a forklift and you can see the component move up and down.

Overall a nice gadget to have in the home or an ideal Christmas gift with the holiday season coming up.

• Charging Method: Wireless
• Smartphone Charger: 15W
• Smartwatch Charger: 2.5W
• Earbuds Charger: 5
• Input Type: Type-C

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