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As we get ready to put 2009 in our rear view mirror, so too will we look back at power cords as a thing of the past. Or at least that's how Eric Blier, CEO of WiTricity, predicts the near future. According to Glier, laptops, phones, and other electronic devices will start operating without a power cord within a year, and be mainstream not long afterward.
"Five years from now, this will seem completely normal," Glier said.
We've already seen wireless pads and other similar de-tethering contraptions, but Glier, whose company is a spin-off of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research group, is hard at work on a technology called "magnetically coupled resonance." Put simply, this technology sends a magnetic field through the air at a specific frequency, which is then received by a compatible phone or other electronic device and turned back into electricity.
Glier says the technology won't significantly impact the price of MP3 players and other affordable gadgets, and the environmental benefits are pretty straightforward. But what health risks might be involved are yet to be seen.
Image Credit: pastdeadline.com
Links:
[1] http://www.maximumpc.com/user/paul_lilly
[2] http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/02/wireless.electricity/index.html
[3] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/duracell%E2%80%99s_familiarlooking_mygrid_charges_devices_wirelessly
[4] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/wireless_usb_hubs_a_fools_dream
[5] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/Wireless-Power
[6] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/technology
[7] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/wireless
[8] http://www.maximumpc.com/articles/news
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