Wireless Electricity

By San Jose Mercury News, Calif.

Apr. 20–Optical power beam: PowerBeam uses a powerful laser with a built-in safety system to transfer power by shining the laser on a solar cell attached to a laptop or other gadget. See more info at www.powerbeam.biz.

Induction: Start-ups such as Splashpower and WildCharge have been using a method dubbed “electromagnetic induction” to create pads that can charge batteries, even if they are only sitting on top of the pads and aren’t plugged in by wires.

Electromagnetic resonance: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology exploit resonance, which occurs when electromagnetic frequencies are applied to certain kinds of objects.

Radios: Powercast of Pennsylvania is using a radio technology to transfer power. More info at www.powercast.com.

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Copyright (c) 2007, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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