WiTricity is working on a wireless power solution that can send power over short distances, thereby reducing the need for wires and cables. The system uses resonant magnetic coupling – essentially a form of radio trasnmission – that can send enough power to charge cellphones or run a television. The actual technology is still a ways of – near field charging will probably appear before this does – but it’s nice to know someone is trying.
According to the LA Times tech blog:
The company showed how a transmitting unit, which could be placed in a wall, could power a television set several feet away. The chief executive of the company, Eric Giler, also showed how the system could wirelessly charge a G1 cellphone equipped with an antenna unit so small it could fit inside the phone case.
The company was founded by an MIT physicist and is attempting to productize the system for mass consumption.