When I was in design school, a professor told us that technology would reduce the amount of objects in our lives. To some extent, that has happened; the smartphone took the place of cell phones, media players, cameras and daily planners. But the smartphone then spawned additional product ecosystems of its own.

Take wireless charging. The thought was to get rid of the cable. Reduce, right? Wrong. Wireless charging means we've now got objects that would've looked strange a decade ago, like this Mag:2 charging stand and Mag:3 charging tray from tech accessory brand Courant. Most of the offerings we've seen in this space are plastic and metal, but the brand is hoping to stand out by skinning their objects in leather or linen.

While the addition of fabric makes the objects more touch-friendly, I'd guess it also makes them more difficult to recycle. I'm not sure that's the right choice; as charging tech evolves, do you think these objects will still be in service in ten years' time?