We live in a world where batteries need recharging and our desks are covered in cables, but Intel hopes to change that with its offer of a wireless charging system that will keep your laptop’s battery replenished.
Scheduled to hit the shelves in 2016, the system is rumored to handle up to 20 watts of power, which is the equivalent of four wireless charging mats readily available on the market.
Demonstrations already amazed the audience on September 2, 2015 at the IFA trade show in Berlin, where the company presented the wireless charging unit that users can attach under their desks and have power sent to the devices on it.
Intel demonstrated how two smartphones were both charged simultaneously by the wireless system; after moving them out of the charging zone, the invention could also power a convertible PC.
The charging station is capable of sending energy through materials as thick as 5 centimeters and power devices located in an area of roughly 20 centimeters in diameter. Finding the charging spot didn’t prove to be difficult, although some devices still needed a slight impulse to start charging. But then again, this is still only a prototype.
Intel announced the technology is already under heavy development with equipment makers, and customers should expect to see a series of rollouts throughout 2016.
Because of a lack in compatibility between competing technologies, the industry of wireless charging technology for smartphones has yet to fully emerge, but two competing standards are finally becoming more prominent.
Based on the merged technology of two former competitors, the Power Matters Alliance and the Alliance for Wireless Power, Intel’s device uses a magnetic resonance system to generate power. The second standard is offered by their competitor, the Qi alliance.
WiGig is another wireless technology that focuses on charging, and it was also demonstrated at the IFA trade show. Currently supported by devices from HP and Dell, the wireless gigabit standard can provide a gigabit-speed wireless data connection between a computer and the hub.
Also wirelessly linked to the hub are peripherals, such as keyboards, monitors, and hard disks. What’s important is that demonstrations showed the WiGig link was still strong even at 5 meters away, so customers are still offered mobility inside a home or office.
In spite of Intel’s hopes that combining the two systems will result in the much-awaited wireless desk, experts agree that cables will be part of the picture for a long time still. Most people have yet to move on from the paperless office, after all.
Image Source: IQ Intel
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