A4WP Cuts the Cords, Brings Wireless Charging to Laptops, Tablets and More

Alliance for Wireless Power - Wireless Charging

When wireless charging made its way to smartphones a couple of years ago, the world sighed in relief at the thought that at last we’re getting rid of at least one cord.

The Alliance for Wireless Power, which includes such big players as Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Logitech and Panasonic, claims that the resonance charging model it has been working on has now 50 W of power. This is enough for charging laptops, tablets, and other devices that are not extremely power hungry. The jump from smartphones to laptops is quite noticeable, and we hope that Rezence, the wireless charging brand of this alliance, will get its products on the market in the not so distant future.

Peter Hortensius, chief technology officer, Lenovo, stated: “The ability to easily wirelessly charge a laptop, smartphone, or accessory marks a powerful shift, untangling us from the wires that have become a part of our everyday lives. In evaluating the different wireless charging technologies, we determined that the A4WP system operating at 6.78 MHz best meets our customers’ needs because it delivers the power and convenience necessary to easily charge all your devices.”

Marcel Stolk, senior vice president, Logitech, detailed the advantages of a universal charging solution from the perspective of a manufacturer of various types of hardware: “Logitech makes consumer electronics that span the power gamut, including computer and mobile accessories, gaming and music products. Having a universal wireless charging solution that is both flexible and scalable is important as consumers buy more devices that require charging. Rezence is the logical fit to enable us to deliver a superior customer experience.”

Kamil Grajski, President, Alliance for Wireless Power, concluded that “As highlighted by A4WP member companies at Computex, wireless power is about more than charging a phone on a pad. Flexibility, in both power and placement, are key to expanding wireless charging beyond a niche. A4WP member companies are driving the expansion of the Rezence specification to enable new usage models. Extending Rezence to include laptops, tablets and peripherals is a necessary step towards a wire-free and universal charging experience for everyone.”

I must admit that I like the idea of living in a world without wires, and I hope that Rezence’s solutions will be available soon. If the price is right, we might get to say goodbye to laptop and tablet chargers forever.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the thingCHARGER wireless charger and the Vodafone Power Pocket.

Alliance for Wireless Power shows off its spec’s spatial freedom

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The Alliance for Wireless Power's (A4WP) board approved its spec on January 2, 2013 -- the spec itself was approved back in October -- and we're already seeing them showing off some of the capabilities we'll benefit form as consumers. One of the key differences in the A4WP spec is being touted as spatial freedom which will see greater flexibility in how the wireless power is integrated into devices and even surfaces. Multiple devices can be charged at once even if they each have different power requirements and the devices don't even need to physically touch the surface -- so feel free to stack your tablets and phones one on top of each other. We're all for convenient charging as long as our furniture still looks pretty and isn't at risk of catching on fire. PR is after the break if you're inspired to give it a read.

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Alliance for Wireless Power approves its specification, edges closer to truly cable-free charging

Alliance for Wireless Power

Design by committee might not be the death knell for technology after all. Over four months after the Alliance for Wireless Power was founded in earnest, the coalition has already greenlit a specification for its partners to work from. The guideline lets device makers start building devices that charge through a magnetic resonance technology more forgiving of distance and material than Qi while simplifying the process through short-range wireless formats like Bluetooth 4.0. While the A4WP group hasn't made all the details public, it's holding meetings this week to speed up the commercialization process -- it's here that we'll learn whether the corporate bureaucracy is just as quick at getting wireless charging hardware into our hands as it is handshaking on standards.

Continue reading Alliance for Wireless Power approves its specification, edges closer to truly cable-free charging

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Alliance for Wireless Power approves its specification, edges closer to truly cable-free charging originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 01:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung, Qualcomm start up Alliance for Wireless Power to take on Qi

Alliance for Wireless Power

Wireless power has until now been closely associated with the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard. There's now a second proposed common ground in the Alliance for Wireless Power, or A4WP. Samsung and Qualcomm, along with some help from Powermat, SK Telecom, Ever Win Industries, Gill Industries and Peiker Acustic, are making an alternative that allows for "spatial freedom" between your gadget and the charging source, although whether or not that's better than the 1.6-inch distance of the updated Qi spec is left to the imagination. The strategy doesn't just let your device avoid French kissing the charger: it lets you power up through a material besides a metal plate, and it reduces the cost by eliminating repeaters. A4WP should power everything from low-power headsets through to smartphones and tablets, although with partnership talk just getting started at CTIA Wireless 2012, we wouldn't hold off on buying wired-power gadgets in the near future.

Continue reading Samsung, Qualcomm start up Alliance for Wireless Power to take on Qi

Samsung, Qualcomm start up Alliance for Wireless Power to take on Qi originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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