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Apple is developing charging tech that works from a distance
Apple wants you to be able to charge your iPhones and iPads even from afar, and it's developing the wireless technology to make that a reality, according to Bloomberg. Cupertino is reportedly working with partners both in the US and in Asia to conjure up a way to beam power to its devices from "further away than the charging mats used with current smartphones." Apple's charging dock can power its smartwatch even when it's millimeters away, but we're guessing the company's aiming for something that works from a greater distance.
Dell's most interesting CES debut might be this wireless monitor
You'd think that, after winning a Best of CES award last year in the tablet category (and being named a finalist for the XPS 13), Dell would be back in 2016 with even more showstopping products. Apparently not. The company has indeed returned to CES, but all the stuff it's showing this year seems to be for business users, and the most interesting items aren't even PCs. The standouts, in our humble opinion, are a pair of wireless displays, which come in 23- and 23.8-inch sizes.
Energous has a solution for wirelessly charging wearables
Energous' wireless charging tech WattUp made a splash at CES 2015, promising to charge your devices from 15 feet away with an "energy router." After winning two Best of CES awards, though, it dropped off the radar. And as is so often the case with CES innovations, a year has passed and there's nothing with the tech inside on the shelves. This year, it's back at the trade show explaining why that's happened, and how things will change in 2016.
Recommended Reading: Jony Ive tells the story of the Apple Pencil
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Jony Ive Interview: The Story of the Apple Pencil The Telegraph The initial wave of iPad Pro reviews arrived this week, and with them the first impressions from folks using the new Apple Pencil for an extended period of time. The Telegraph spoke with Apple's design guru Sir Jony Ive to get the backstory on the accessory and why habits like sketching don't have to become obsolete.
Wireless charging's smaller players unite as the AirFuel Alliance
The wireless charging world can usually be reduced to two factions: the Qi standard... and then everyone else. However, those frequently neglected alternatives are now rallying around a common banner. Meet the AirFuel Alliance, the new name for the recent union between the Alliance for Wireless Power and the Power Matters Alliance. The name is a bit silly (fuel isn't exactly electric, folks), but it'll give Intel, Samsung and the 193 other member companies a clearer way to represent their "inclusive" approach to wire-free power.
Engadget giveaway: win a trio of Qi chargers courtesy of Fonesalesman!
It's a subtle pleasure, but not needing to plug cables in to charge your phone is a beautiful thing. If you have a smartphone that supports the Qi wireless standard (or an adapter), you can simply plop it down at work, near your bed or wherever you have a charger handy without thinking about cables. To promote this state of technological zen, UK-based Fonesalesman has been providing a variety of Qi charging solutions, from its eco-minded WoodPuck model to its portable and powerful QiStone+ version. Right now, the company is also running an Indiegogo for its newest product, the FurniQi table. It offers a minimalist design and a Qi charging zone embedded in the water-sealed bamboo tabletop. This week, two lucky readers will win the whole set including the table and two individual chargers. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for this wireless charging package from Fonesalesman. Winners: Congratulations to Chad Z. of Mukilteo, WA and Madison D. of Lebanon, NH!
Parrot's Zik 3 headphones have 'wireless everything'
Parrot's high-tech headphone series just got another notable upgrade. The Zik 3 brings the same noise cancellation and touch panel controls of the last model, but adds wireless charging to the already-wireless headphones. There's also a completely different look, that Parrot's calling "a touch of couture" (the company is French so we're giving them a pass), which includes four options in croc texture, "overstitch" detailed cans in black and ivory, and a black leather grain option. The redesigned earpieces are more slender than the Zik 2, and while there's even more tech inside the sequel, the Zik 3s weigh exactly the same.
Samsung's fast wireless charger is available for pre-order, sort of
When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+, it also revealed a fast wireless charging pad that takes advantage of the smartphones' new, speedier Qi charging spec. Well, you can now pre-order that charging pad... in a manner of speaking. The $70 peripheral is available to purchase on Samsung's website as I write, but dropping it in your cart reveals that it's back-ordered and doesn't have an estimated ship date. You'll be waiting an unspecified number of weeks before this is sitting on your desk, then. If you can afford to wait, however, it could be a good complement to Samsung's latest supersized devices -- you won't have to wait ages to top up your phone just because you hate cables.
This super-thin OLED desk lamp will also charge your phone
Do you take your desk lighting seriously? Really seriously? You'll want to look at Aerelight's just-shipped A1 desk lamp, then. The eye-catching design uses an OLED panel to illuminate your room, which both makes it wafer-thin and produces a natural-looking, energy-efficient glow that should last as long as the lamp itself. You shouldn't have to touch anything but the controls for the next 20 years, according to Aerelight. And did we mention that it'll wirelessly charge your phone? In a seeming bid to one-up IKEA, the A1 can top up mobile devices using either the Qi or PMA charging standards.
UK to trial under-road wireless charging for EVs this year
Plug-in charging infrastructure like Tesla's Supercharger network are currently helping drive the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), but the UK government is already looking towards a future where charging is also possible on the move. Highways England today announced its plan to start off-road testing of wireless charging tech that could allow EVs and hybrids to travel much longer distances on the UK's major roads without needing to refuel. Trials are expected to start before the end of the year, just as soon as the right vehicle and under-road tech "to replicate motorway conditions" has been sourced. These should run for around 18 months, after which the hope is to progress to testing the wireless charging infrastructure on real roads.
Engadget UK giveaway: win wireless charging furniture courtesy of IKEA
Wireless charging has become an increasingly popular feature among high-end smartphones, but it's not particularly useful when you leave your lone charging plate at the office. IKEA recognises that for wireless charging to be truly convenient, it needs to be widely accessible, which is why the company's created a range of homeware with Qi-compatible wireless charging plates subtly integrated into their design. And thanks to our friends at IKEA, we've got a collection of these high-tech furnishings to give away to readers this week, so they might make their homes a little more wireless charging friendly. We've got no less than four SELJE bedside tables and four RIGGAD desk lamps to be won, so whether you prefer working or sleeping, there's something for everyone. As always, you can submit your entries via the Rafflecopter widget below, but give the rules a quick scan beforehand, if you wouldn't mind.
Qualcomm's wireless charging tech now works on metal phones
Until now, you've had a choice: a smartphone with a sleek metal chassis, or one that played nice with wireless charging standards. Those days may be over. Qualcomm just announced that its WiPower charging technology can now power smartphones, tablets and other devices with metal cases. The updated standard is already available to device manufactures and licensees, the company says. Everything else about WiPower seems to be the same: it still charges at the same rate and still meets Rezence standards -- it's just doing the same job better now. Good enough.
Samsung's latest monitors wirelessly charge your phone
It's not coated in gold, but Samsung's newest screen -- a monitor this time -- packs wireless charging for mobile phones and other Qi-compatible gadgets. (Yes, functionality you'd actually want in your office monitor... if you have a wirelessly charging phone.) The full-HD 24-inch S24E370DL and 27-inch S27E370DS displays come with AMD's anti-flicker gaming tech as well as 178-degree viewing angles. Samsung's not offered a date or country for release, but we'd expect it to appear (somewhere!) by the end of the year. Expect a steady trickle of new products from the company: it's gearing up for Europe's biggest electronics show, IFA, which kicks off in September. Samsung fridges! Washing machines! Conceptual laptops! And possibly a new Galaxy smartphone. If you're good.
Latest Qi spec promises fast wireless charging for your phone
Before long, you won't have to choose between charging your phone quickly and plunking it on a convenient wireless charger. The Wireless Power Consortium has rolled out a new version of the Qi standard that supports 15W fast wireless charging, much like the sort we saw late last year. The organization isn't making any performance claims at the moment, and it'll be a while before phone makers have compatible devices on store shelves. However, it's safe to say that this will save you some agonizing wait times -- you could return home from work, drop your phone on a pad and expect to have a meaningful amount of energy when you head out for the evening. [Image credit: Aaron Yoo, Flickr]
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."
Daimler and Qualcomm team up on connected car tech
Car companies aren't usually good at wireless tech, and wireless companies aren't great with cars -- if you want to make wireless-savvy vehicles, you'll probably need some teamwork. Accordingly, Daimler and Qualcomm have forged a partnership that should improve connected cars. The first phase of this collaboration will focus on bringing cellular data and wireless electric car charging to your ride. They're not saying when they expect to bring their combined efforts to market, or what comes next. With that said, it won't be shocking if you're one day driving an electric Mercedes that's always online and never needs to plug in.
Nikola Labs' case uses stray radio waves to charge your iPhone
To hear Nikola Labs co-founder Dr. Rob Lee tell the tale, some 97 percent of the energy a smartphone expends to forge data and voice connections using radio frequencies is lost to the ether. Rather than let it all go to waste, this Ohio-based startup claims to have cooked up a way to harness that power and redirect it using a a humble-looking, $99 iPhone case. Unlike more involved solutions like the ultrasound power transmission system that uBeam has raised over $13 million to help build, there aren't any transmitters you need to stand in range of. The end result? A case that silently, slowly captures your iPhone's wasted power and uses it for recharging.
IKEA's wireless charging collection heads to the US this spring
If you're looking to install some wireless charging tech at home, and you fancy IKEA's home furnishing aesthetics, you'll soon be in luck. The Scandinavian company will begin selling its wireless charging collection that's already on shelves in Europe here in the US by "late spring." This means you'll soon be able to purchase nightstands, lamps and standalone pads that can juice up your device just by laying it down -- if it's compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard, of course. If not, IKEA has compatible cases for iPhone (4, 5, 5s, and 6) and Samsung Galaxy (S3, S4 and S5) phones, too. When you stop in to purchase that new lamp, table or pad, be sure to nab the accessory for an additional $15-$25, depending on the model of your phone.
Starbucks adding wireless charging points to UK stores, starting with London
Starbucks is best known for its freshly brewed coffee, but today the company's announced it's going to begin serving customers an entirely different kind of perk. Just as McDonald's is adding wireless charging points to its fast-food spots, Starbucks is doing the same, so you can recharge your phone while also re-energising your brain. Starbucks has already outfitted various stateside locations with Powermat's PMA wireless charging points, and the partnership between the two companies is extending to the UK. It's no secret that competitive wireless charging standard Qi is the more popular of the two, so if your high-end handset has wireless charging functionality, chances are it won't work with Starbucks' plates. That's why every location with the complimentary points will also have plenty of little dongles for customers to plug into their phones and tablets to make them compatible.
McDonald's to offer wireless charging in more than 50 UK restaurants
A small bleep echoes from your smartphone as the battery indicator turns red. Not headed to the office and no portable battery to hand? It's going to be a long day. Just as public Wi-Fi has become the norm, McDonald's is hoping Qi wireless charging will tempt more customers through its golden arches. After a small pilot in some of its UK stores, the fast food giant has signed a deal with Aircharge to bring 600 chargers into more than 50 of its restaurants.
