The fallacy of wireless power
They're back -- wireless chargers, that is. If you believe the hype in the product blogs and from some consulting firms, by 2016 you'll have them nearly everywhere: hotel rooms, conference rooms, airports, lobbies, cafés, and on your desks and entryway tables. I'm not so sure.
Despite years of vendor attempts, the fairly old technology underneath wireless charging -- inductive charging -- has simply failed to take root in computing devices.
Perhaps the most obvious strike against wireless charging is that it is not in fact wireless. You run a wire from your power source (wall outlet or USB port) to the charger. Then you need to have physical contact between that charger and the flagging device. It's the contact method that changes in inductive charging, a switch from a plugged-in cable to overlapping charging surfaces.
