Startup Hopes to Recharge Batteries Without Wires

Wireless networking promises to free handhelds from being chained to the network by cables. However, that won't be enough for complete liberation; even handhelds with wireless networking will still need to be plugged in occasionally to recharge their batteries. A startup named MobileWise says it has developed a way to wirelessly recharge a handheld or laptop.

The company is being very closemouthed about how this works. All it will say is it "is a revolutionary surface that allows safe charging of any MobileWise compatible device placed atop the surface." The company seems to be envisioning a setup in which a handheld or other device is always being charged whenever it is lying on a desk.

MobileWise plans to make the devices themselves for other companies and licence the technology to handheld and peripheral makers by the fourth quarter of this year.

The company's chairman is Bill Maggs, the former chief technology officer at Palm Inc.

Article Comments

 (42 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Comments Closed Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.

Down View Full Comment Thread

Hope there's more to this

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 9:50:23 AM #
I don't get it. If you have to have the thing in contact with the charging surface, what's the point? It doesn't seem so different from charging in a cradle. If they mean that you don't need a power cable from the wall wart to the cradle, I've never had a problem with that.
RE: Hope there's more to this
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 9:54:11 AM #
Follow-up: Even if you can charge any compatible device, unless you're an ubergeek, you're not going to have enough devices to make this compelling. If you do have that many mobile devices, do you want to put them on your desk so you have to pick them all up when you leave your desk?
RE: Hope there's more to this
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 10:46:26 AM #
This technology has been available for my shaver for a long time.
My electric tooth brush does the same thing too, it ...
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 10:51:27 AM #
uses a cradle, but there are no exposed power contacts.
RE: Hope there's more to this
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 10:54:51 AM #
...and in my toothbrush! Though it would be cool to have something like this available for a laptop, or to have this surface installed in some public place where you can grab a quick charge while you're away from your desk without having to carry around a recharger.
RE: Hope there's more to this
ricktd @ 6/22/2002 11:37:56 AM #
Think of a universal cradle with multiple simultaneous access. Sounds pretty good to me! I hope it catches on.

Brain damage

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 10:47:08 AM #
After getting brain damage from cellphones signals.. you will now get it too from this product. jk
RE: Brain damage
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 11:03:11 AM #
LOL :>
RE: Brain damage
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 12:16:19 PM #
i know i have

Wireless power

PFloyd @ 6/22/2002 11:12:55 AM #
There is a wireless power standard that's been worked out. At least that's what I read somewhere. The hairy thing was that it used 2.4 GHz and could, perhaps, interfere with 802.11b/g. I can't find a reference to it right now though.

RE: Wireless power
abhinay @ 6/22/2002 11:51:23 AM #
Imagine a totally wireless computer..... the next mac perhaps :) wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, and wireless power... now... that would be great :D

RE: Wireless power
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 1:29:36 PM #
Actually wireless recharging is possible. Just put a fat inductor in your handheld and some sort of device that emits some major electro-magnetic radiation.
RE: Wireless power
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 3:02:26 PM #
Yes.. but dont get your hopes up. Remember what that poor fellow ( was he named Lambda? ) tried to do. He built one huge thing that would power an entire city wirelessly, atleast that was his plan... His failure let to his early death If I remember correctly.

And one other thing.. major eletro magnetic radiation would not just hit your induktor but also your brain etc... hua!!

These days when you even get cancer from potato chips I would think twice about using this! :]

RE: Wireless power
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 3:08:35 PM #
oh yeah. His name was Tesla.
RE: Wireless power
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 7:45:31 PM #
RE: Actually wireless recharging is possible. Just put a fat inductor in your handheld and some sort of device that emits some major electro-magnetic radiation.

So, when your PDA needs recharging, just microwave it for about 2 minutes and it's done !

RE: Wireless power
ahecht @ 6/23/2002 3:27:54 AM #
As the story goes, wheat fields a few miles away from the transmitting tower suddenly burst into flame. Plus, the corona discharge was so loud, it could be heard many miles away in Chicago.

RE: Wireless power
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/23/2002 12:08:25 PM #
Yes, Tesla had some spectacular failures, but he also had quite a few success with power through magnetic induction. One professor of mine told us there actually WERE some European villages that were completely powered by an enveloping magnetic field which switched polarities on a regular cycle. Just put the right inductor in the appliance and away you go. The biggest drawback to the process from the capitalist standpoint is that you can't figure out how much to charge the customers. Of course, the questions of whether it's *safe* to reside inside a powerful, constantly fluctuating magnetic field is another question entirely.
RE: abhinay
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/23/2002 4:47:36 PM #
The next airport rev will be 80211g, so that mac won't work

Is it the infrared?

Taqi @ 6/22/2002 1:15:05 PM #
You presumably could send power through Infra red, get the PDA to pick it up and divert it to the batteries...to TREKKIE or real I dunno but the basic physics says yes. Haven't done the calculcations though: Joules of infrared per second....

Maybe some bright Physics Spark can do the basic calcs... an interesting proposition. Perhaps Blue tooth could be used like wise, recharge in your pocket!

RE: Is it the infrared?
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 3:34:02 PM #
> You presumably could send power through Infra red

McDonalds already does that with your fries.

RE: Is it the infrared?
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 4:35:09 PM #
> McDonalds already does that with your fries.

Speak for yourself--I haven't set foot in a McDonalds for years!

RE: Is it the infrared?
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 7:48:20 PM #
>McDonalds already does that with your fries.

LOL!!

RE: Is it the infrared?
Altema @ 6/24/2002 1:13:00 PM #
Does this mean we will have greasy palms?

toothbrush

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 1:22:08 PM #
They've been doing this with those lazy people electronic toothbrush for years, just place the tooth brush to the base station, then it'll charge.
RE: toothbrush
mtg101 @ 6/24/2002 5:29:23 AM #
Yep - I've got one of these too. maybe someone should make a PDA that has a standard electric toothbrush charge socket on it, as there are already millions of these around the world, rather than invest in new technology and infrastructure to recreate the wheel :)

---
russ@russb.fsnet.co.uk

Cardiac Pacemakers?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 1:48:11 PM #
Darnit! I knew someone would get to my idea first. :-( Why have a whole surgery to replace a battery? (Mine's coming up in 4 years) ;-) Isn't there SOME way to charge a battery through 4mm of skin?
RE: Cardiac Pacemakers?
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 2:44:53 PM #
They do, I've seen them. Maybe this'll be your last surgery.

Nothing New

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 2:54:05 PM #
Inductive recharging has been around since Tesla over a hundred years ago. In modern times, this is already in use with several military and industrical applications.

It is nice to see this technology marketed toward consumer. But please, it is far from revolutionary. If they are smart, a digital ID will be placed in the magnetic fields. This is a higher power version of technolog than many brands of "contactless pass cards" used to gain access to corporate buildings all over Silicon Valley.

You place the unit next to a base, the base has an magnetic field around it, the field powers a small microcontroller inside the card via induced eddy currents, the card sends out a digital signal (usually a 32 bit word for ID), that ID is compaired to a network's database to see if there is access for the proper time and place and opens the door if valid.

Here the difference is that unit is constantly next to the base, thus giving more time to recharge. If you can get the bandwidth up on the digital signal here, doing a HotSync this way could be cool.

RE: Nothing New
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 3:07:29 PM #

Ever heard of those watches that recharge their battery when you move your arm from walking?

This would be a truly useful mechanism for PDA's! a totally self sufficient device that need NOTHING..


RE: Nothing New
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 3:21:16 PM #
All you have to do is strap your Palm to your arm and you are all set!! :]
RE: Nothing New
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 3:43:00 PM #
I'm still waiting for my wind up handheld =)
RE: Nothing New
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 7:27:43 PM #
Good Evening-

My Panasonic electric razor has been doing this inductive recharging trick for well over a year now. The reason for its application on my humble beard-buster is obvious...electricity and water do not mix well. Who needs an open plug-in when this razor is sold to gentlemen who prefer shaving in the shower (including Your Truly). I do not think this "innovation", and I stutter as I say that word, is just an application of this "technology" (again, I stammer). Nor do I think they are taking the guts from my superb Seiko Kinetic (absolutely the finest time-pieces made at any price) and shoving them in a PDA. The power generated is incredibly small.

I do not know what this may be, but if I hear the term "micro-wave" any where in the press release, I'm moving back to me humble village on Eire. Yikes! Look out Mr. Pacemaker-User-Mate who posted above.

Cheers.
-J. in Florida

I read about this April 1st

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/22/2002 4:29:46 PM #
the Electricity over IP standard. The new protocol is called the Mostly Pointless Lamp Switching (MPLS), and describes how to tranmit Electricity over IP. Maybe they are getting it over WiFi?

Read about it here: ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc3251.txt

Why not try the solar cell

johnwong @ 6/22/2002 11:14:28 PM #
An inductor is bulky if charged in magnetic way.
Solar cells are very thin and used widely in calculator.

RE: Why not try the solar cell
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/23/2002 1:07:46 AM #
Solar cell probably doesn't generate enough power
at this time.

Maybe in a few years.

ted

Follow through with this people...

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/23/2002 12:36:41 AM #
If this device can charge any battery, or at least any battery that adheres to it's standard or protocol, and that battery becomes standard across devices, then this could be great!

Everyone could have one of these in their car to charge a battery while they drive. They would be standard equipment by the auto manufacturer's so there is no need to buy and use a 12 volt charger or multiple chargers. Every hotel room would have one so there would be no need to buy a travel charger. You would have one at your desk at home and at work. All your devices would stay charged all the time.

Sounds pretty good to me if it became a standard.

RE: Follow through with this people...
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/23/2002 11:59:56 AM #
Its more complicated than that.

But otherwise I think these people are about to license Teslas induction charging work out to companies. Maybe even try to copyright it.

I bet I know how it works

PIC mobile user @ 6/24/2002 4:20:50 PM #
The "surface" is a piece of metal. The device also has a piece of metal on it. When the two pieces of metal touch an electric current goes through the "surface" into the device and charges the battery. The same way bumper cars get their electricity. The"surface", in this case, is the same as the bumper cars building's roof. The "device" is like the bumper car. Doesn't seem so wireless now does it, huh. Its one of those technicaly-correct-but-not-what you-had-in-mind things.
RE: I bet I know how it works
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/24/2002 4:28:28 PM #
You have to have TWO (2) contacts to complete a circuit (ie for any current to flow). So your thought won't work.

A bumper cars other connection is the metal flooring (ground). That's why the ceiling is so high - so somebody doesn't reach up and BZZZZTTT!!!!

Isn't it related to radio?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/24/2002 8:02:06 PM #
I remember it is possible to make a radio receiver which uses no battery. The specific wave on air is detected and kind of collected to put through earphone. If we can collect that kind of small energy, wireless charging might be possible. Just my 2 cents.
Top View Full Comment Thread

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: