Overview
Power chords may soon be going the way of floppy discs and VHS, with Intel unveiling a new wireless phone charger that can be built right into your wooden desk. The concept, which was revealed by the company at the Computex conference in Taipei, could mark a big step in wireless charging, with Intel hoping to have the tech ready for consumers within the next 12 months. Looks like IKEA has a wireless charging competitor.
Intel's new concept charges your devices through magnetic resonance, according to Gizmodo. This is opposed to previous examples of wireless charging technology which pass a current directly through a surface, creating the unwanted side effect of heating up other objects that happen to be placed near the charging plate.
Although the technology currently only generates enough power to charge a phone, Intel is working on advancements that would allow you to charge other devices such as tablets and laptop computers all at the same time.
Wireless phone charging has been around on certain devices for some time now (and IKEA's new range of wireless charging furniture caused quite the buzz), but has previously been hindered by rival companies being unwilling to agree on a universal standard — meaning that you need different chargers for each of your devices. Once this problem is solved the technology could easily become ubiquitous, with the potential for public charging stations in airports, hotels, and cafes, as well as basically anywhere else where you’re likely to find a horizontal surface.
Via Gizmodo.
Images: Dollar Photo Club and AFR.