Intel Demonstrates Cableless Computing Made Possible by Future Skylake Platform

At Computex in Taiwan this week, Intel demonstrated a variety of wireless accessories that will be enabled by the company's future Skylake processor platform, reports CNET. Reference designs for the Broadwell successor will include the possibility of eliminating all of the cables that currently connect to a personal computer, replacing both data and power cables with wireless options.

rezence-wireless-charging

Wireless Charging concept from Rezence

The demonstration by Kirk Skaugen, Intel's senior vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group, showcased a wireless display, as well as a computer with wireless docking and charging capabilities. Intel uses technology from A4WP's Rezence, which transfers power wirelessly using the principles of magnetic resonance, for its wireless charging solution.

The system can be installed under a table surface, with magnetic resonance capable of charging through 2 inches of wood. It can also charge any number of devices at the same time, unlike inductive charging technologies.

Skaugen demonstrated a table that charged a laptop, phone, headset and tablet all at once.

For docking and display purposes, Intel relies on Wi-Gig to govern the wireless data transfer. First outlined in 2010, Wi-Gig is an established wireless standard that uses unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum to provide data transfer rates up to 7 Gbps.

The technology is still in the early stages, with Intel's Skylake platform expected to debut in late 2015. Products natively supporting these wireless protocols will be available publicly sometime in 2016. Apple is not currently listed as a member of the extensive A4WP consortium, but the company is undoubtedly pursuing its own potential solutions and its use of Intel's chips in Macs means that it will be able to take advantage of the technologies packaged into the future Skylake platform.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

Mac-Mariachi Avatar
132 months ago
Skylake? we´re getting there Skynet, we´re getting there.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
e-dan Avatar
132 months ago
HA! 2 inches of wood.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
132 months ago
Intel is innovating, first the fanless design and now this.
great job Intel !
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yvonnemo Avatar
132 months ago
Apple makes a lot of money with their cables and power adapters. I'm sure they will take their time adopting this.

User experience is what they're after.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
132 months ago
Apple makes a lot of money with their cables and power adapters. I'm sure they will take their time adopting this.

I don't think Apple is going to implement anything that requires installing power mats or other accessories throughout your home. Your devices will charge each other off a desktop.



http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/11/excellent-apple-nails-future-wireless-charging-system.html

Powermats and the like are just the players in the industry releasing a bunch of "me too" products when witricity has been doing this for years. I feel Apple's implementation (and Samsung has a very similar vision) makes more sense.

----------

And if you spill a liquid on the table, will you have a shocking experience?

No, it's magnetic coupling.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThatGuyInLa Avatar
132 months ago
Apple makes a lot of money with their cables and power adapters. I'm sure they will take their time adopting this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)