9to5Mac noticed today that Apple has joined the Wireless Power Consortium, which controls the Qi standard, and promptly jumped to the conclusion that the next iPhone will feature wireless charging. We're not all that interested in iPhones around here -- at least, not to cover them -- but there may be both more and less here than meets the eye. The Apple Watch uses inductive … [Read more...]
Intel Quits Work on Wireless Power
Intel has stopped work on cordless charging, pulling its employees out of leadership positions in the Qualcomm-backed AirFuel Alliance, Forbes reports. It's been a very long time since Forbes was a reliable source of deep tech reporting, but this piece by Elise Ackerman is a remarkable exception. Ackerman gets very geeky not only about the considerable politics around … [Read more...]
Two of the Three Wireless Power Standards Merge
The wireless charging standard groups A4WP and PMA have consummated their merger into the far friendlier-sounding AirFuel Alliance. It competes with the Wireless Power Consortium, which promotes the popular Qi standard, used by (among others) the current Samsung Galaxy and Note product lines, as well as IKEA's charging pad. AirFuel and WPC are not compatible, even though … [Read more...]
MWC Day 0: Wireless Charging in Samsung Galaxy S6 May Have an Impact on Wearables
Just a couple of hours after the announcement, there are already a zillion places where you can read about Samsung's new Galaxy S6 phone. We can affirm that it's a nice piece of gear. But what's important for wearables is not the phone itself but one of its features: wireless charging. The S6 supports wireless charging with the two major standards: WPC (the Qi specification) … [Read more...]
MWC: IKEA Embraces Wireless Charging
We don't know if you'll have to put it together yourself, but IKEA -- the Swedish furniture giant -- will be building Qi-standard wireless charging spots into bedside tables, lamps, and desks starting in April. The company will make the Wireless Charging collection, part of its Home Smart initiative, will be first be available in Europe and North America, and will roll out … [Read more...]
Spire Breath Monitor Opens for Pre-Orders
The Spire breath monitor is a belt-clip or bra-clip device that claims to not just track steps and movement, but breath and breathing patterns. Early sales have started. Any yoga devotee can tell you that the quality of your breathing is both a good indicator of your state of mind and your health -- and has a direct affect on them. Whether you believe that or not, it's an … [Read more...]