Wireless Charging Is Getting Closer To Finalization

It looks like we're getting closer to having that wire-free life we've all been longing for, you know, for as long as we've been plugging in stuff. We've already seen the Touchstone from Palm, that utilized inductive charging to give the Palm Pre some new life, but it's something sacrifices speed for convenience. So we've all been hoping for something that fits the standard, and not so much the exception. According to the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), we're getting there.

The WPC announced today that they are getting closer to a final release, as they let loose their 0.95 specification for its standard. This particular step forward doesn't mean much for consumers directly at the moment. What it does do, is allow for members of the WPC to test interoperability between devices. We have yet to see any kinds of tests, but one is scheduled to appear in Eindhoven, The Netherlands at the WPCs next meeting, which has yet to be officially scheduled.

This technology is mainly intended for charging devices without the use of a power cable, but for smaller objects like handheld phones, portable media devices, and cameras. The range is meant for 5W or less at this point. So far, the standard method of charging objects in this way is to set the item down on a conducive plate, which will send power through an induction-friendly portion of the device. In the case of the Palm Pre, the phone itself needed a different back cover, than the one that came stock with the phone. We're pretty excited about this, because we hate cables as much as the next guy. And if the WPC can find a way to charge wirelessly, just as fast as being connected directly to the wall, we pretty much see that as being Heaven on Earth.

[via PC Mag]