Splashpower can't wirelessly recharge bank account, declares bankruptcy

We're never going to give up the dream of wireless charging, but it looks like the high costs of developing the technology plus the battle to build it into portable devices has claimed early wireless pioneer Splashpower. We've been following the company since 2004, but we never really saw any commercial-ready products emerge from its labs, while companies like WildCharge and eCoupled have managed to at least produce demo-quality gear. Here's hoping an interested investor picks up what's left of the R&D and runs with it.

[Thanks, John]

[djkissler @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:44PM]

Bank account.

[Aguiluz @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:46PM]

Yes... This is sad. :(

Maybe their funding money is in their backpacks and somebody stole them?

[mattcc42 @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:45PM]

*Bank

[Victoid @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:45PM]

Was their account with Back of America?

[ntw1103 @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:45PM]

I am assuming you mean "Bank" not "back" I am not sure what a Back account is. As cool as wireless charging would be, I would only want one if it could blend. just think... blended wireless power.

[monkfishbandana @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:17PM]

Sorry sir, the last train for using that phrase left about 7 weeks ago. If you want to catch the next 'lowest ranked' train, that should be pulling up to the station shortly.

[Bobs @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:28PM]

Way to be a dick, monk.

[monkfishbandana @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:52PM]

@ Bobs

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise that you got offended by jokes. If I though I was hurting someone's feelings, I would have apologised - just like you can see in my post history.

Lighten up, man.

[Kris S. @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:46PM]

Awe man, I was looking forward to their charging pads.

[DT @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:49PM]

Well it's obvious they have no dough...look at the cell phone and PDA they're still using!

[Cassini @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:50PM]

Back accounts?

Oh well... "back" to the drawing board!

[Chaj @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:52PM]

Isn't the Sonicare toothbrush already using technology which is similar? How hard can this be?....

[gb @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:56PM]

i think the toothbrush uses magnetic induction. google it.

[Dan Davis @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:13PM]

This is a shame. Maybe we will fondly remember them when this becomes a reality.

Or maybe not.

[chris @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:14PM]

You'd never need to consciously charge anything. It would just charge in the vicinity. Wouldn't this be like standby mode - very consuming? You could have wireless charging on the motorways for your Prius too. The possibilities are endless. hmmm?

[monkfishbandana @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:16PM]

Sorry sir, the last train for using that phrase left about 7 weeks ago. If you want to catch the next 'lowest ranked' train, that should be pulling up to the station shortly.

[monkfishbandana @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:20PM]

Stupid comment system! This was supposed to be a reply to someone at the top. It didn't work, I managed to get it work, but the comment just above this reply shows me to be stupid and displays a very good example of irony. That's if it gets lowest ranked. Which it will for double posting. If it doesn't, then this reply is making me look stupid.

I'm going to be quiet.

[Bobs @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:27PM]

Way to be a dick, monk.

[Tyler @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:36PM]

I think you meant WildCharge, not WildPower... :)

[Hugh Newmark @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:38PM]

@Bobs

Dick as it may be, it's true. I find every reference to blending or Doom to be almost as irritating as the word "dawg"

[CraigJ @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:53PM]

Already fixed...

[Leoedin @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:20PM]

This does too. I have a wireless mouse which uses magnetic induction as well. The whole "pad" thing is simply a lot of flat coils.

[Ian @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:27PM]

yea actually i was thinking the same thing.. i had one of those a while back and there was no connectors or anything just white plastic on white plastic. what gives?

[andres @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:46PM]

forget blending it, what you want is a wireless blender, for wireless blending power. that way you can drink smothies in order to distract you from posting doom comments

[andres @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:47PM]

ahh my god, edit comment, it was a reply, i dont want to be marked down for accidentally making a blend/doom comment

[andres @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:48PM]

twice in a row, this is hopeless

[KarlW @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:24PM]

These guys just didn't realise that wireless power isn't practical. Wireless data works, but not every cable can be replaced by induction.

The point of wireless is to replace _long_ wires, which can be annoying. Power cables generally aren't. And you can't do long-range wireless power: it has unknown health risks, and requires high power waves to be emitted, which has problems:
- Decays with distance squared. More power drawn by devices to charge. Environmental nightmare.
- Too much dependence on air pressure and humidity
- Very expensive

Think before you "innovate"

[diulei @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:36PM]

While I agree with you to a certain extent, I would gladly replace some of the short wires for power. Imagine just tossing your cellphone, bluetooth earpiece, and DAP on a pad the size of a CD case to recharge. That would be awesome. Getting rid of long cables would be the next (great) step.

[Andrew @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:53PM]

Yes and no. You can do long range wireless power, although it would be incredibly dangerous, its feasable. Use a pair of laser beams to ionize the air, and stick a cable in each beam with power. whatever those two lasers hit is going to be electrified. I just dont reccomend aiming it up (think of running a realllll long metal cable to the middle of a lightning storm, same effect)

And for short range, you can do what the sonicare toothbrush does yes.

With research comes efficiency. Yes, obviously it wont be as efficient (at least, at first, no one can predict the future), but neither is a 30yo woman driving a ford excursion around town, and we don't have any shortage of those.

[Patiwat @ Apr 4th 2008 12:00AM]

OMG I can recharge my Palm V on this thing! I gotta getit! ;)

[warrrennnnn @ Apr 4th 2008 12:41AM]

Bust. This would have been SO useful.

[nih @ Apr 4th 2008 6:02AM]

On the face of it, the promises Splashpower were making regarding efficiency seemed a bit optimistic.

Not a HALF as optimistic as some of Engadget's advertisers though:

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7250/engadget2ym2.jpg

I wouldn't want to be advertising on the same page as that kind of quackery.

[nih @ Apr 4th 2008 6:02AM]

While theoretically the idea is great, they're still trying to get a simple taser-like device working using this solution and they're hitting hurdles. It's unlikely to exist inside of the next decade.

[nih @ Apr 4th 2008 6:04AM]

That last comment was in response to Andrew and his ionised beams. -.-

[Qsat @ Apr 4th 2008 6:45AM]

that was a bad product, a thing like this would require every manufacturer to have standard receiver to make it worth.

[bjornt @ Apr 10th 2008 6:18PM]

What, like Bluetooth or Wifi or USB or any of those other "bad products" which require standardised modules? And you don't need to wait for every device to be enabled either ... all you need to get using it is one device and one charger that work together - which is no worse than the current situation and gives you wireless power. Beyond that, the universality aspect of going wireless really starts to pay dividends.

[bjornt @ Apr 10th 2008 6:21PM]

"we never really saw any commercial-ready products emerge from its labs, while companies like WildCharge and eCoupled have managed to at least produce demo-quality gear"

Splashpower has had demo-quality gear at numerous trade shows and it's clear that Splashpower's technology is being adopted by Alba for mp3 players and mobile phones and MWg for wirelessly powered smartphones. See:

http://www.splashpower.com/Press

With this commercial traction as well as the IP portfolio, I reckon it looks like a hot acquisition target.