We've seen a number of wireless power systems come and go, but for all the hype-filled bombast and occasional working demo, the tech just hasn't gone anywhere -- but even with that background, Intel's demo of a wireless power system that can broadcast 60 watts of power up to three feet at IDF with 75 percent efficiency has us giddy with excitement. The system works using essentially the same magnetic induction principle as all the others, but Intel's seems the furthest along, and the company hopes to one day be able to charge laptops with it. Yeah, we'll take three.

Read - NYT article
Read - Pictures from the presentation

We've seen quite a few induction-based "wireless power" systems make the scene, and while the idea is interesting both in theory and prototype, actually getting it to market has proven to be quite difficult, with some casualties along the way. That's why we're a little wary of new claims by Israel's Powermat, Ltd. that it's ready to go with tech that'll turn "any surface" into a power source. Well, that, and the PR image they sent us has the iPod charging screen Photoshopped onto every device pictured, including a first-gen RAZR and an N95. Oh, and they claim that embedding PowerMat in sheetrock eliminates the need for outlets entirely, but we're not at all sure how that's supposed to work -- do you have to hold your devices against the wall all night? Add to that the interesting claims that Powermat's tech delivers energy in "real time," and that it "completely eliminates the potential for electrical fires," and we're in full put-up-or-shut-up mode over here. Think you can top the wireless hamburger, Powermat?

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]

With MIT's recent breakthrough in wireless electricity, we've been pretty hyped up on cutting the final cord that keeps our gadgets tethered to the wall and one another, so our ears certainly perked up when we learned that WildCharge's WildCharger powerpad is set to go up for pre-order. First revealed late last year, the multi-device induction charging surface is finally poised to begin taking orders come July 7th -- or 07/07/07, if you're into the whole numerology thing. Curiously there's no word yet on how much these things will set you back, but as usual, we're willing to pay through the nose to be the hippest kids on the block.

While it's taken Wireless USB quite awhile to gain its footing, we're hoping wireless charging will follow suit – and soon. While we've seen snippets of charging solutions using wind, bicycles, sunlight, and other oddities, charge-by-contact pads have a real shot at practicality. Aside from Splashpower's often overlooked offerings, and DoCoMo's "contactless" recharger, we haven't seen too much action on the wire-free charging front in quite some time. Thankfully, WildCharge is apparently stepping to the plate, and hopes to show off its WildCharger pad at CES; the device requires a single AC power cord, and then can reportedly recharge any device you lay atop its surface, be it cellphones, PDAs, or awkwardly-shaped headphones. While we presume a special module will need to be installed on each battery that hopes to receive its share of electromagnetic induction, we're still down with the idea. With "initial reports" suggesting that pricing will be somewhere in the $40 to $100 range, this may not be too bad a deal if it'll rejuvinate our Dell M2010 as well.

[Via Textually]