Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Wireless Power Now A Reality

Posted by Zonk on from the just-think-of-the-possibilities dept.

SlashRating© 35 slashdottit! tm CSMastermind writes "CNN is reporting on a breakthrough technology. A startup called Powercast has developed and patented a device, the size of a dime and costing 5$ to make, which allows power to be transmitted wirelessly. The device has already gained FCC approval and the company has inked deals with the likes of Phillips. From the article: 'Powercast says it has signed nondisclosure agreements to develop products with more than 100 companies, including major manufacturers of cell phones, MP3 players, automotive parts, temperature sensors, hearing aids, and medical implants. The last of those alone could be a multibillion-dollar market: Pacemakers, defibrillators, and the like require surgery to replace dead batteries. But with a built-in Powercast receiver, those batteries could last a lifetime. '"

9 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. dupe? by Mr.+Capris · · Score: 5, Insightful

    IIRC, there was something like this last year....

    Although i could be thinking of the "wireless extension cords" on ThinkGeek...

    --
    Have you seen the arrow?
    1. Re:dupe? by evilviper · · Score: 2, Insightful

      but is VERY inefficient

      It would certainly be idiotic for things like cellphones. However, I could see the technology being incredibly popular for medical implants.

      Instead of a $50,000 surgery to replace a battery, you put a little charged coil against your body for a few hours every few months to charge the battery.
      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  2. See you Monday by mh101 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Well, no point in me returning to Slashdot until Monday... hopefully nothing truly interesting and non-April-Fool's related gets posted until then.

    --
    Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
  3. Mod me up by killa62 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Thanks!

  4. Dupe by splodger75 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Dupe.

    OMG Wireless Extension Cords!!!! LOL!!!!"

  5. Re:OMG Ponies! by jibjibjib · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No.

  6. Old science, new engineering. by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "If you had asked me seven months ago if this was possible, I would have said, 'Are you dreaming? Have you been smoking something?'" says Govi Rao

    I thought this was common knowledge 10 years ago, just not the engineering side.

    --
    God spoke to me.
  7. Energy waster by FridayBob · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Up to 70% efficient means at least a 30% energy loss; when recharging millions of little devices, that all adds up to a lot of waste. In virtually all cases, recharging the old fashioned way is likely to be better for the environment. However, it looks set to become so popular, that I wonder if we'll be given the choice. I hate wires too, and the convenience of this invention is obvious, but it also has a down side.

  8. This should not be patented by kurt555gs · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is an example of how broken our patent system is. Prior art goes back to Tesla, where over 100 years ago he transmitted 100 Watts of AC power 100 miles and recovered 97 Watts of energy. Secondly all RFID chips use this to power themselves. There is NOTHING innovative or novel in this device and it never ever should have been granted a patent.

    I really wonder how far our world could have advanced in the last 200 years if patents either didn't exist or were structured in such a way that they were much more limited in scope.

    Another bad day for us for 17 years.

    Cheers

    --
    * Carthago Delenda Est *