Sony Wireless Power System Runs TV From 80cm Away

With wireless HDMI now offering 1080p without the cable, wall-mounting an HDTV can leave you with just a single connection to worry about hiding: the power cable.  That might change, though, thanks to Sony Japan, who have developed a wireless power system that can beam 60W over a distance of 50cm.  The company's prototype is a 22-inch LCD, but the setup could also be used to wirelessly rejuice a laptop.

Unlike previous attempts at wireless power, Sony's is apparently 80-percent efficient; that means only 20-percent of the power is "lost" in the transmission process.  The company uses a magnetic-resonance system, and when a "repeater" is placed in-between the power transmitter and the receiving device, the range can be extended to around 80cm.

The company is now looking to commercialize the technology, though there's no timetable for when we might see it arrive in production products.  Until then, our advice to would-be wire-hiders is to paint your walls black; that way, not only will the power cable blend in perfectly, but you get to sing Rolling Stones songs while you watch TV.

[via CrunchGear]