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Intel: Rezence wireless charging will be in next year's devices
As we heard from Intel at its Computex keynote, the merger between A4WP (Alliance for Wireless Power) and PMA (Power Matters Alliance) is finally a signed deal as of today, which is a big step toward delivering the next generation of wireless power -- one that can transmit farther while also covering a wider range of wattage -- to consumers. Intel's SVP Kirk Skaugen, the very same man who's been pushing for the totally wireless PC since last year's Computex (the photo sort of explains why), added that we'll be seeing this magnetic resonance technology, aka Rezence, being integrated into next year's laptops, keyboard, mice and other devices. For those who can't wait, the exec also expects to see Rezence-enabled add-ons for mobile devices during the transitional period. "This will be a journey just like Centrino: We didn't invent wireless notebooks; we just made wireless ubiquitous."
Five questions for the man making contactless wireless power a reality
With wireless power demos and proposals going as far back as 2006, what's taking so long? And, most importantly, is it safe? At Engadget Expand, we'll be addressing these questions with WiTricity CEO Alex Gruzen, who will also share his thoughts on the industry.
Intel joins Alliance for Wireless Power's Board of Directors
The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), a consortium working to establish a new wireless charging standard, hasn't been around for terribly long -- Samsung and Qualcomm joined forces to create the organization just over a year ago -- but it's planning to make waves as quickly as possible. One of the most effective ways to do exactly that, then, would be to persuade large players in the mobile industry to join along, and Intel certainly meets that qualification. The company announced this afternoon that it has officially joined the A4WP's Board of Directors. This move doesn't guarantee that we'll be soon seeing Intel-powered devices with built-in wireless charging capabilities, but it's at least a solid indication that the folks in Santa Clara are mindful of (and intrigued by) the potential that near-field magnetic resonance tech holds.
Alliance for Wireless Power approves its specification, edges closer to truly cable-free charging
Design by committee might not be the death knell for technology after all. Over four months after the Alliance for Wireless Power was founded in earnest, the coalition has already greenlit a specification for its partners to work from. The guideline lets device makers start building devices that charge through a magnetic resonance technology more forgiving of distance and material than Qi while simplifying the process through short-range wireless formats like Bluetooth 4.0. While the A4WP group hasn't made all the details public, it's holding meetings this week to speed up the commercialization process -- it's here that we'll learn whether the corporate bureaucracy is just as quick at getting wireless charging hardware into our hands as it is handshaking on standards.
Intel's mind reading computer could bring thought controlled interfaces to a whole new, frightening level
Thought controlled devices are pretty primitive at this point. Sure, everyone from Honda to the U.S. Army (of course) is conducting research, but at this point we don't have much to show for it all besides an evening of experimental music in Prague. If the kids at Intel have their way, computers will soon be able to look at a person's brain activity and determine actual words that they're thinking. The idea here is that the activity generated in the average person by individual words can be mapped and stored in a database, to be matched against that of someone using the thought control interface. So far, results have been promising -- an early prototype exists that can differentiate between words like screwdriver, house, and barn, by using a magnetic resonance scanner that measures something like 20,000 points in the brain. Anything more effective than that, such as dictating letters or searching Google with your mind alone is probably years in the future -- though when it does come to pass we expect to see a marked increase in expletive-filled liveblogs.
Nagano Japan shows off yet another contactless charging system
It's been little over a month since Showa Aircraft demonstrated a contactless charging system that boasts 90% efficiency over a distance of 60 centimeters -- and now what is this? Nagano Japan Radio Co Ltd. is touting a similar system that works up to one meter, with a pretty incredible 95% efficiency at a distance of 40 centimeters. According to Tech-On, the company is currently hard at work trying to ramp the output up from "several tens" of watts to several kilowatts. As opposed to Showa's recent outing (which relies on electromagnetic induction), this system uses magnetic resonance to achieve its effect. However, as this method "drastically lowers" its efficiency when the position of the sending and receiving units are displaced, the team designed a system that automatically detects coil displacement and reorients itself accordingly. The company hopes to someday charge electronic vehicles with the thing, although we'd be happy if it merely enabled us to stow our WildCharge pads out of sight. They seriously clash with the decor here at Engadget HQ.
Video: WiTricity is back, promises wireless power within 18 months
What started out as an MIT project two years ago has now progressed into a full-fledged company -- ladies and gentlemen, meet WiTricity Corp. Auntie Beeb (that's the BBC for you Yanks) has grabbed the firm's CEO Eric Giler to discuss some pretty aggressive plans for bringing wireless power to the masses. Yes, we're talking actual through-the-air wireless as opposed to something like Palm's Touchstone, which requires physical contact between charger and chargee. Based on magnetic induction, the magical technology is apparently mature enough to be deployed in the relatively near future, and if all goes to plan, "near future" could translate into "18 months from now." Also of note, Intel is hard at work developing the original concept, and if the parallel engineering of the same idea by two companies isn't enough to get your skepticism dialed down and your browser to the video past the break, what is?
