Technical specification brings wireless power one step closer to reality

A consortium, which includes members such as Samsung, Sanyo, Olympus, Philips and Texas Instruments, is finalizing a standard that could one day see the proliferation of mobile devices and gadgets being charged without the need for wires. Called "Qi"--which is derived from a Chinese word and hence pronounced "chee"--the technology uses electromagnetic induction to delivery up to 5 watts of power wirelessly. This is similar to how the Palm Pre's Touchstone works.

What is exciting about a finalized specification is that it will allow the design and production of the relevant chips and components that will allow for the proliferation of this technology. I don't know about you, but I'm certainly keeping an eye on this.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at eWeekEurope

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