back to article RIM joins queue for Qi

Research in Motion and Energizer are the latest to sign up to the Wireless Power Consortium and endorsed its Qi standard. That puts membership of the Consortium up to 21, including Nokia and Duracell. Handset manufacturers tend to be full members; able to influence the standard, while Duracell and Energizer just stumped up €10 …

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  1. Bilgepipe
    Gates Horns

    Don't care

    I don't care about wireless power, just make everything use the same charger/power supply. Is it really that difficult?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    hmm

    I am not sure that I agree with the kneejerk editorialising here. Jo average will easily understand the use case for this stuff, and would probably prefer wireless charging, and not having to search for wall warts any more.

    It would seem like a pretty bald and silly assertion, just like describing wireless data transmission as pointless.

  3. Paul 25
    Thumb Down

    I just don't get wireless power

    At least not this really close range stuff.

    If it worked over several feet then that could be quite cool, but these inductive chargers just seem pointless.

    If I plug in a device, at least I can move it around within the range of the cable while it's charging. With an inductive system it has to sit on the pad all the time.

    And is it really that much of a hassle to take a matter of seconds to plug a device in?

    The only advantage to this seems to be that it is a going to be a single standard, so at least you can use one pad for everything. But switching all devices to micro-usb would solve the same problem.

  4. Tzael

    Power to the people

    I'm still curious what the effect of wireless transmission of power will do to the thought processes of people in the vicinity. The brain's a complex thing and doesn't take kindly to excess electrical charges. I need to learn more... First thing to find out, is electricity being transmitted directly or is the technology reliant on an oscillation power source and therefore the transmitted power is in fact a harmless radio wave? Ah well, time to find out!

  5. Baldychap
    Pint

    USB?

    As has been said before, wireless charging is not what is needed, just a standard connector. I thought we were at last getting that way with most modern phones using the USB connection for charging.

    Please don't go changing it just 'cos it looks funky!

  6. Mage Silver badge
    Flame

    Pointless

    They claim it saves money, less cables.

    Nonsense. The charger STILL needs a cable and this is less efficient, slower charging, more cost, less reliable and creates interference.

    It's a gimmick.

    Nor (unlike a cable) does the device charge when in your hand in use.

  7. George B
    Pint

    In a word: standardized rechargeable batteries

    We have triple-A's and double-A's and horrid 9V's. But look at modern mobile gear - laptops, cell phones, video cameras, etc. - and you'll find a dog's breakfast of batteries. If just about anything electronic could be powered by one of a half dozen standard rechargeable battery configurations...that's wireless power.

    And yes, make all the damn battery chargers use international standard connectors.

    So then we end up with a battery charging station fed by AC and capable of recharging all of the standard battery types.

    Virtually wireless.

    - G

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    (untitled)

    Gosh; what does Stephen Fry think of that?

  9. ShaggyDoggy

    Bunny

    It's the Duracell bunny not Energiser can't you lot get anything right

  10. ShaggyDoggy

    Pad

    Oh and if it has to sit on the pad, what's the point, might as well be plugged in ... FAIL

  11. Alastair 7

    @ShaggyDoggy

    Believe it or not, you're both right:

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energizer_Bunny

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duracell_Bunny

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