A wireless recharging pad

This sounds almost too good to be true: a wireless technology that can be used to charge all devices simultaneously, regardless of type or brand. Yet that's what a company called WildCharge claims to do with its new product.

All you need to do is lay your cell phone, PDA or other device on or near its "WildCharger," a flexible roll-up pad with a power adapter attached to one edge. The devices, which can even include laptops, then absorb their electrical charge wirelessly, the company says.

Pricing for the WildCharger, which is slated for debut at CES in January, has not been released (though early reports put it somewhere between $40 and $100). The company refers to it as "wire-free," but the WildCharger needs a cord that connects to a power source. Still, we can live with one wire if this product works as billed.