charges

Look, no wires. Nokia's new Lumia 920 smartphone can be charged wirelessly thanks to its own built-in technology.

Known as Qi (pronounced chee), the wireless charging standard lets you place your phone on any compatible charger whenever it needs a boost in power. Designed in cooperation with Wireless Power Consortium co-founder ConvenientPower, Energizer unveiled the first-generation Qi Inductive Charger in 2010.

The Qi standard is now supported by a collection of carriers, service providers, and other companies striving to use the same technology to charge any supported device no matter where you are. Any phone with the right built-in … Read more

Nokia is expected to unveil Windows Phone 8-based devices this week that will feature wireless charging.

The Lumia 820 and 920 handsets will use inductive charging in which contacts on the device will line up with contacts on a charging pad, sources tell The Verge. Earlier today, Twitter user "Evleaks" posted a photo of what is purportedly one of the new handsets on the charging pad.

The phones, which will reportedly support the Qi wireless power standard, are expected to be unveiled Wednesday at a press event in New York.

Images of what is purportedly the 4.5-inch … Read more

Intel is hoping that the relationship between your cell phone and a future Ultrabook will be nothing short of electric.

A post on the company blog today announced that Integrated Device Technology will develop and deliver the chipsets that will enable some future Ultrabooks to wirelessly charge certain devices. … Read more

An ambitious tinkerer has bestowed the power of wireless charging upon his iPhone 4S, with a modification that sees Apple's prized smartphone pulled apart and put back together with all new components.

Essex, England-based Tanveer Islam is the chap behind the creative hack. He uploaded a video explaining exactly how to modify your iPhone, which will gain the power to charge itself without being tethered to a boring old power cable.

Read more of "iPhone 4S gets wireless charging thanks to UK modder," and see the instructional video, at Crave UK. … Read more

Is it wrong of Orbitz to be pushing higher prices on Mac users? Of course not. The travel agency can do whatever it wants, and if it's found that Mac users spend more money on vacations, the agency's well within its rights to serve them more expensive trip results. And let's be honest, there are plenty of people who buy a Mac for all of the wrong reasons, ultimately overpaying on a machine that's only going to be browsing Facebook.

On the other hand, there's no denying that Apple products have earned a solid reputation in terms of build quality and reliability. This has trickled over into the buying psychology of customers. If people are convinced paying more will get them a product that they will be satisfied with, the same mentality can be applied to spending more on a vacation to ensure a better time. Don't hate Orbitz for figuring that out.… Read more

Apple has won a patent for a technology that could help iOS device owners more easily charge their phones and tablets.

Granted to Apple yesterday, Patent No. 8,207,906 is known simply as "Antenna insert" and would outfit a docking station with inductive charging circuits and a reradiating antenna.

The charging circuits would let users place their device on a docking station or other platform where it could be charged wirelessly.

As the patent states: "Devices currently require a physical connection to either a docking station, cable, or other device for battery charging and data transfer. … Read more

One possible solution to resurrect a dead phone resides in Sony's latest portable CycleEnergy USB charger with a built-in hand crank, due in Japan on June 20 for 8,000 yen ($100).

The modular charger (CP-A2LAKS) features a dual port unit capable of charging two USB-equipped devices and a built-in 4,000mAh battery chargeable via AC power.

A Sony press release states the large battery capacity within can deliver enough power to charge a smartphone about two times, with an additional reference noting it would take about two hours to give the Xperia Acro HD smartphone a full charge. … Read more

With more patients needing heart transplants than there are hearts available, a tiny heart pump called a ventricular assist device (VAD) can be a lifesaver. But the pump, which is inserted into the aorta via a catheter that helps blood flow, requires wiring leads that run out of the patient's body to a battery pack, and this setup can easily result in infection.

So a team of computer and electrical engineering students at Rice University have devised a method to power the VAD without wires breaking through the skin.

The team used a small coil and a battery inserted … Read more

Automakers have endorsed a connector to charge electric vehicles in as little as 15 to 20 minutes, a technology which promises to make public charging stations more compelling.

German and U.S. automakers Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche, and Volkswagen yesterday issued a statement saying they will support the same charging interface.

Called the Combined Charging System, the standard can charge electric vehicle batteries with alternating current from a home outlet, direct current from a home outlet, or "ultra-fast" direct current from public stations. The system will be demonstrated next week at the International Electric Vehicle … Read more