I saw this in PopSci last night, but they won't let me to a web version of
their write up, so here's one at
c|net, which is a better write up anyway,
and they have a video!
What is it? It's a way to
power small electronic devices wirelessly, via RF energy.
Quote:
Powercast isn't just a replacement for a universal charger. Instead, it's meant to either continuously charge a battery or replace the need for them altogether.
It works like this: a transmitter can be placed anywhere--in a lamp, for example, that is plugged into the wall and sits on a table. The transmitter in the lamp sends out a continuous, low RF signal. Anything with either AA or AAA batteries set within its range--and equipped with a Powercast receiver, which is the size of your fingernail--will be continuously charged.
"Our solution is, if talk time (on a cell phone) is 5 1/2 hours, by trickle-charging (it) at work, now talk time is 10 hours because the battery never gets to dead," John Shearer, CEO of Powercast, said in an interview.
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Here's a link to
Powercast's site for those who want more details.