http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/ Engadget Comments for WiPower touts breakthrough in wireless power http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 6:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 25th 2007 8:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
This is definitely not a technology a person wants to be an early adopter on in my opinion]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 9:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3ff_AXVlo9U

These can produce polyphonic sounds:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VX5V_9s0Gfw]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 3:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 6:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 9:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 11:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Just wait til the public media catches word of this and starts it's witch hunt.]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
But I would love to see this teck come to home use.
Come home drop the Cell phone / PDA / MP3 Players / Headsets on the table for the night, and in the morning they're fully charged & ready to go again.

At work, have it built into the desk, set the laptop down & be running without cords. It also be nice for the other devices on the desk, Picture frames, Printers, LCD monitors ect.
]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
Wireless TVs, Wireless Sweepers, Wireless Power to Speakers, Wireless Alarm clocks, Wireless Lights, etc. ]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/They have to sit on the base and the base has a cord on it that you plug in. It's not wireless like a cellphone, it just sits on the base and doesn't have to be connected just touching]]>Sep 24th 2007 9:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 10:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
This technology is really only practical for LOW power transfer. Not running your refrigerator or charging your hybrid car!!!]]>Sep 25th 2007 10:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
That is incredible.

Or bullshit. I'm leaning toward bullshit.]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
It's called inductance. Any electric toothbrush uses the exact same principle to charge, so you don't electricute yourself when you plug that baby in, hands soaking wet.

Tesla's system was not that efficient. As far as I remember, he shut the whole town of CSprings down when he ran his experiments.]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
What I am commenting on is that it's ridiculous to show a usb device being charged by this thing. In order for that to work you would need to plug a converter into the ipod shuffle that can recieve electricity from the pad, convert it to the proper voltage and amperage and charge the shuffle. Or, you would have to redesign the shuffle to work with this specific technology.

The bullshit is not wireless power, its picturing devices that was not designed for wireless power magically charging without any adapters. You would either need adapters or all new gadgets designed to work with this technology. I am guessing though that they are trying to play down the idea that you you would have to plug adpaters into your existing gadgets before you can use then with this.

Is there an original article to read? I didn't see a link.]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 3:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
- Arthur C. Clarke]]>Sep 24th 2007 6:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 3:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
test it in lightning/tornado alley in TX+OK. i'd hate to be struck by lightning just for the sake of convenience =P]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.wildcharge.com/]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
So you need a different attachment for every portable device, it makes the sexy looking iconin design look like a piece of dog turd, that they want you to leave on all the time....making it twice as big.

This technology will only catch on once one of the players gets a design-in win with a big mobile phone player, and for that they need some one else big to commit to providing charging stations every where. Otherwise you got to carry your charging pad with you when you go away, or you take teh standard wall wart with you... oops well there is the elephant in the corner!]]>Oct 11th 2007 8:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.splashpower.com/]]>Sep 24th 2007 4:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
Anyways see, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_power. Maybe if they called it a "wireless transformer" or "super transformer", people would be less likely to shoot it down. Come on... you know what a transformer is. It's that block you attach to your laptop that gets to 200 degrees every time you use it. Which then becomes useless when the 10c plastic plug on the end breaks and no longer works on your laptop. Have no fear, you can buy a whole new cable for $100 from your local e-tailor.

Wait, maybe thats why wireless power is still "new" sounding instead of the most utilized technology on the planet.]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.wildcharge.com/ ?

Engadget ran numerous stories on this & it went nowhere...

In fact, I emailed them months ago for an update & got "recipient's inbox is full.." never a good sign.]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 4:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
I guess there's not a wire, per se, but physical contact is required. It's a little like calling a USB thumbdrive "wireless USB storage".

I love the technology, I've been waiting for it for a long time, but it still faces the same problems as all technology: standardization. All your devices could use the same charger if they'd all just agree on one standard. I can't imagine manufacturers bending over backward to support a 3rd party charger.]]>Sep 24th 2007 3:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
Can you imagine how much fun that would be...]]>Sep 24th 2007 4:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=pain+gun]]>Sep 24th 2007 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/]]>Sep 24th 2007 4:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 4:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/You are right! This "inductive power transfer" technology exists in many products today. I work for an electronic shelf label(ESL) company out of Dayton, OH. We engineer, manufacture, sell and install ESL systems in grocery stores across the country. Our Shelf tags contain NO BATTERY! they are powered by a patented for of this technology call inductive coupling.

The Greatest part of this technology is that it is not only good for power but you can also communicate with it. In addition, there are not metal connections to be corroded or shorted out.

check out:

www.tagnetics.com]]>Sep 24th 2007 4:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 10:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
But seriously this is the solution to my charging my problem. Tell me, who forgets to charge their phone, ipod or what ever device at night because you tell yourself that you'll plug it in later because the cord fell behind the dresser where its plugged into the wall? Or you simply cant find the cord end because its tangled with every other charger cord. ITS MADNESS!!


cool stuff.]]>Sep 24th 2007 4:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/ median efficiency of 58% found in many corded
> power supplies today

Hmm, so the mains goes right into their thing does it? I bet not; they'll have a 75% (maybe 85%) efficient wall-wart too. They need to compare their efficiency not with a "corded power supply", but with a "corded connector".

Frankly I see this as part of the environmentally-unfriendly equilibrium. We make gadgets more power efficient, so someone finds a way to offset that by making them charge less efficiently.]]>Sep 24th 2007 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 7:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
Anyway, this kind of thing would integrate well into something like Microsoft Surface, but right now it's pretty much a solution to a problem that nobody has. "Gee, wouldn't it be great if, instead of plugging my cell phone into an outlet, I could use an expensive placemat that plugs into an outlet?"]]>Sep 24th 2007 8:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
Faslane

There I said it!]]>Sep 24th 2007 7:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 24th 2007 10:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Sep 25th 2007 5:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
The standard wall wart, a good one can be upto 80% efficient, you'll need one of these to power the pad plus some circuitry to create the AC signal to drive the primary.

It's a good idea, but with the drive for 80plus efficiencies, and the need to incorporate the receiver in the portable device, (that has low metal content, minimal iron/steel to heat through induction) will be a tough nut to crack, got to keep those LiIon cells cool otherwise they fry!

Splashpower has been promising a solution since 2003, now reporting latter part of 2008 (Boston Post articla on ecoupled, another wireless player), these guys should talk to each other... develop a standard, and align the technology via a multisource agreement and then maybe they will get some traction. Still need to be mor honest about the true, overall system efficiency though otherwise this will be a target for those striving for higher efficiency, which I think will start to become legislation/mandatory in the near future....]]>Oct 8th 2007 3:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/Oct 8th 2007 4:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/24/wipower-touts-breakthrough-in-wireless-power/
So wall wart plus electronics to create primary drive, plus secondary coil, rectifier, regulator, and charge control = poor efficiency. Sorry Guys but the environmentally-unfriendly equilibrium is right here, worse efficiency, usinge even more planet resource on yet another charging non standard platform is bad. Yes it may look cool, but just think about what it is and what it took to produce.

Best way for this to work is through an agreement with other companies working on this technology, better still get into bed with Murata/Epson/Seiko, and quick... ]]>Oct 5th 2007 5:20PM