Recharge without wires--sort of
Imagine being able to recharge your laptop by placing it on a pad. The people at WildCharge hope you can. In fact, they're betting that you're also sick of buying different power cords for every gadget you own--cell phone, smart phone, MP3 player, etc.
The WildCharger from Arizona-based WildCharge is the latest attempt to bring wireless power mainstream. The device works using a small flexible pad, approximately 6 inches by 15 inches on which gadgets or laptops are placed. The pad does have a wire and plugs into the wall. A receiver either integrated into a phone or laptop or attached as a battery pack.
It's been done before, but it didn't exactly take off. WildCharge says this time will be different.
In the future, WildCharge's goal is to have the receivers integrated into a variety of devices and the pads would be hotspots for recharging, either at a desk or in a house, or even in airports, cafes, or hotels.
The WildCharger, which is being shown off at CES, will go on sale this summer. No word on pricing yet.
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica. 
