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Mobility is going to be a big trend at the giant Consumer Electronics Show in Las
Vegas next week. In addition to the many new notebooks and smart phones, startup WildCharge is slated to preview its unique charging technology.
WildCharge, based in Scottsdale,
AZ, said it has the first true full-power, wire-free electricity for mobile
consumer electronics devices.
WildCharger is a flat, thin and flexible charging pad the company said is capable of
delivering up to 90 watts of power, enough to simultaneously charge
and power most laptop computers and an assortment of small devices placed
anywhere on its surface.
A second product, the WildCharger Mini, delivers up to 15 watts of power, and is capable of simultaneously powering and charging three or four small devices such as cellular phones, portable music players, digital cameras and other products.
However, the charging pad needs its own power source, either a battery
or an electric cord. Also, the devices need a small adaptor to receive the
charge, just as Wi-Fi-enabled devices need an adaptor to receive a wireless
signal. As an add on, the adaptors will cost in the $8-$10 range, according
to WildCharge president Izhar Matzkvich.
“We’re also working with multiple companies, laptop and cellular players
and various industries to have the solution embedded in their products,”
Matzkvich told internetnews.com.
Both products are on track to be available in the first half of this
year, perhaps as soon as later this quarter. “What we’ll show at CES is
close to the finished product,” said Matzkvich.
Analyst Roger Kay said he is always leery of any new battery or charging
technology until he sees it. “This is an area that evolves slowly, there’s
no silver bullet,” said Kay, analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates.
“I would like to see how this work to understand where it could be useful.”
That said, Kay conceded if it works, “anything that gets you less cords
and cables is cool.”
Matzkvich declined to get into much detail about the technology behind
WildCharge. He did say that testing by several unnamed potential partner
companies under non-disclosure, confirmed the technology is safe and that
there are no interference issues with other sources of power or electricity.
“It’s based on very simple science, a brilliant use of EE 101 and
geometry,” said Matzkvich, who also said the firm recently received approval
of a patent on its core technology and has others pending.
This article was first published on InternetNews.com. To read the full article, click here.
