As workers are bound to want to bring the smartphones, tablets, and phablets they receive for Christmas into the office with them – and that means more power cords, charging docks, and micro USB cables cluttering up workspaces.
But if the consortium created by Qualcomm and Samsung has its way, by the time Christmas of 2014 rolls around at least some of those gadgets will be able to be charged wirelessly. Lucas Mearian of Computerworld reports that the consortium known as Alliance for Wireless Power has unveiled its consumer brand for compatible products: Rezence. The brand comes with a clearly laid out certification process to follow for product manufacturers to meet their charging specifications. That means that a range of mobile devices could potentially be charged with magnetic resonance technology.
Of course wireless charing mat products have already come to market, but Rezence describes its technology as next-generation with several advantages:
- Superior charging range, even reaching through books and clothing.
- Multi-device charging even if they have different power requirements.
- Will not be negatively impacted by presence of metallic objects.
- Bluetooth Smart technology that is already used as standard in mobile devices.
Rezence will be able to charge devices from 3.5 watts to 16 watts and will be able to provide a charge as quickly as a wired device.
The consortium developing the standard now includes 70 members, including leading technology manufacturers and chipset makers. If the momentum continues and the group is successful at creating a wide-reaching standard then it could not only solve the problem of effective wireless charging of devices, but just a standard way to charge various electronics. Instead of fumbling for the right cable in that drawer of tangled wires reminiscent of the Gordion Knot, workers could simply drop their device on a central office charging station to get juiced.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, Rezence will showcase its charges and some compatible mobile products.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVFxXScCEkk