Wireless Charging
The weird properties of artificially engineered metamaterials are at the core of research into invisibility cloaking, but engineers from Duke University in North Carolina suggest that these materials could also provide a boost to another of technology's quests - wireless power transmission. In this latest hard-to-get-your-head-around metamaterial scenario, it's not the cloaked object that "disappears" - it's the space between the charger and the chargee. Read More
Going wireless with your keyboard and mouse might unleash you from the shackles of cables, but at the price of having to constantly shell out for batteries or swap rechargeables in and out. Inductive chargers like the Powermat have provided a convenient, cable-free way to keep mobile phones, portable games consoles and PMPs powered up, and now Mobee has launched the first inductive charger developed specifically for the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and Magic Trackpad. Read More
The arrival of viable wireless charging solutions has given us the opportunity to pull the plug on devices like mobile phones and personal media players (with televisions and electric vehicles next in line). Game controllers are another obvious candidate for this technology and BLAZE's latest offering joins the ranks of wireless-charging solutions for the Nintendo Wii remote. Read More
Wireless charging solutions for mobile devices have been trickling onto the market in the last couple of years and now industry heavyweight LG has announced that it's joining the sans-cable party with its own Wireless Charging Pad. Read More
Many of us can now wirelessly stream images from a computer to a screen over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without too much trouble, but the display is still inevitably powered by cables. At CeBIT 2011, Fujitsu is showing off a working prototype of a 22-inch computer display that receives both images and power wirelessly. The power transfer is made possible by magnetic induction technology – similar to Powermat chargers – that's concentrated into hotspots built into office furniture or conference tables. Read More
Between Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the latest-gen cell phone networks, we hardly ever have to plug anything into our mobile devices these days. That is, until the batteries die. Then we’re rooting through a rat’s nest of USB cables and adapters trying to find the right wall wart and a plug that fits the charging port. Clearly wireless charging’s day has arrived, and Texas Instruments has released the industry’s first Qi-certified wireless power development kit. The bqTESLA kit is meant to help design engineers integrate wireless power technology into devices such as smartphones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Read More
Wireless mice are great for users who don’t like a “tail” trailing from the mouse getting tangled up with all manner of objects sitting on a desk. The only real downside is the need to replace or recharge batteries when their power runs down. For users of Apple’s Magic Mouse who are tired of constantly swapping out dead batteries for new alkalines or fully charged rechargeables, Mobee Technology has unveiled its Magic Charger. Unveiled at IFA, the device charges wirelessly using the magic of induction technology to provide around six days of power under constant use. Read More
Fujitsu announces development of wireless recharging technology
We're all aware of how annoying a tangled mass of electrical wires can be. Fortunately, a research effort from Fujitsu is tackling the problem at its very source. During a conference held in the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers at Osaka Prefecture University, the Japanese electronics giant announced a major step in developing a wireless recharging technology that can work simultaneously with multiple portable devices. Read More
Over the last couple of years there have been a number of wireless chargers hitting the market, such as the Powermat and the WildCharge. These are designed to keep mobile devices charged and ready without dealing with the hassle of cords and connections. The technology has also been proposed as a way to recharge vehicles while they are parked without having to plug them in, while some companies are looking at charging cars while they are moving from electrical conductors embedded in the road. Now, a group of students in Germany has taken that idea and run with it by building an electric vehicle called the E-Quickie that runs on wireless power transmission. Read More
Evatran has unveiled its Plugless Power induction charging solution for electric vehicles. Instead of having to worry about bothersome cables and plug/power compatibility, EV owners using the system will just need to pull up in front of a control tower and the charging process will kick in automatically. And you needn't concern yourself with perfect parking either, the floor-mounted current delivery block is said to take care of all the alignment issues. Read More
