Wireless gadgets are built on a big lie. Smartphones, game consoles, laptops and tablets are fast making homes hotspots where Wi-fi rules, and within a generation virtually every appliance could be networked and exchanging data, but all these gadgets and gear still need power.
While a world devoid of cables could take decades to realise, the first products are already on sale.
Wireless electricity transfer, in which power is beamed around a house to gadgets and appliances, is being developed by scientists with the goal of cutting short more than just domestic electrical wiring. Although it's unlikely to bring down pylons any time soon (although beaming electricity using lasers via satellites is technically possible), wirelessly transferring power to electric cars will soon be possible.
The flag-bearer for wireless power so far is the all-in-one charging mat. Several are already on sale for as little as HK$350, but have yet to catch on largely because they still need to be plugged into a wall socket. Developed specifically for mobile gadgets and using magnetic induction charging technology, the mats charge gadgets without the need for individual cables, though the devices have to be fitted with a receiver and adaptors for mini and micro USB, and other proprietary tips for smartphone brands. Up to four devices can use these mats at the same time, but it's hardly a fuss-free use of wireless energy.
Duracell Powermat, a clubbing together of two companies offering charging mats, has developed a wireless charging card that slips in behind a gadget's battery and instantly makes it compatible with wireless charging. Whether it becomes popular depends on smartphone manufacturers building it into their devices.
'The wireless revolution of recent years has highlighted the need for a new approach to power,' Ran Poliakine, CEO at Powermat, which formed a joint venture with Duracell, is quoted by Business Wire as saying. 'The only thing stopping us enjoying the freedom of a truly wireless world is the power cord.'
Duracell president Stassi Anastassov is convinced that wireless energy shouldn't just be about novelty, but an improvement on the batteries in all mobile gadgets. 'Our smartphones are becoming both smarter and more power hungry than ever. A charge that used to last a week, today barely gets us through the afternoon ... continued advances in electronics, therefore, are dependent on a fundamental rethinking of how devices are powered.'