Get Ready to Throw Out Those Power Adapters, Cables and Connectors; Wireless Power is Here

[Kris Kumar]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/Wireless+power+gets+recharged/2100-1041_3-6147684.html' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/Wireless+power+gets+recharged/2100-1041_3-6147684.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"At the Consumer Electronics Show next week, two companies--Arizona-based start-up WildCharge and Michigan-based Fulton Innovation--will demonstrate what are expected to be very different ways to give gadgets juice, sans wires. The concept isn't new, and some of the same challenges--such as cost and size--that have prevented the technology from winning over manufacturers still remain. But executives at the companies, who won't say how much their recharging devices will cost, hope the sheer amount of mobile gadgets today could portend a different outcome."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-jan2007-splashpad.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.splashpower.com/Products">Splashpower.</a> </i><br /><br />Every time we add a new gadget to our ever growing collection, we add a new power adapter to our collection. Every evening when we come home from work, we wish we didn't have have to untangle those power adapter cables and look for an empty outlet to charge our gadgets for the next day. Looks like our wish is soon going to be full-filled, <i>provided</i> the mobile gadget manufacturers adopt the wireless charging concept. Personally, I am not sure if the mobile manufacturers would be interested in letting go of the revenue stream associated with the power accessories. CNET is talking about two companies, <a href="http://wildcharge.com/">WildCharge</a> and <a href="http://ecoupled.com/">Fulton Innovation,</a> that will be demonstrating their products at the CES 2007.

[saru7755]

my dreams are coming true ;)

[Jerry Raia]

My electric tooth brush charges like this. :mrgreen:

[Kris Kumar]

My electric tooth brush charges like this. :mrgreen:

Isn't it strange. The lowest of lowest tech item has wireless, I mean contactless, charging but mobile gadgets that cost upwards of $300 and need to be charged daily still don't have an easy way. :evil:

[Kris Kumar]

my dreams are coming true ;)

While I am happy that the technology is going to become available soon, I am concerned that the manufacturers may not be too keen and again manufacturers might not standardize on the charging base. Each might choose to have their own way and require their own base. That would be bad and put us in the same boat as before, albeit a more expensive boat. :x

We need something like what the Chinese government (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20061220PD215.html) did to enforce some standards when it comes to charging our gadgets. :roll:

[ctmagnus]

We need something like what the Chinese government (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20061220PD215.html) did to enforce some standards when it comes to charging our gadgets. :roll:

I concur, only with something smaller than USB-A. I see no reason why miniUSB can't be used, as a ton of devices already support it. The only advantage I see to using USB-A as a charging interface is that it's impossible to plug the wrong end of the cable into the computer.

[Mike Temporale]

oh, this is so cool. Just think of all the stuff around the house that uses batterries - remote controls, cordless phones, cameras, etc... You could get one of these pads and just make sure you put the device back on the pad when your done with it. Very very cool. :drool: