Journal 7, June 14

http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/22764/

Nokia is currently researching a way to harness electromagnetic signals in cell phones to keep them recharged. The potential would be huge for the mainstream technology market. Currently, only niche markets such as RFID use a remote recharging technology to keep electronics energized.
Nokia is currently working on a way to apply this new “stay-charged” technology to cell phones. If Nokia can successfully pull it off, it would mean that cell phones wouldn’t need to be re-charged ever again. The implications of this are vast and this technology could also be applied to portable mp3 players and other small, portable electronic devices that typically are in a lower power mode and could be created to use the electromagnetic recharging technology.
Nokia plans to use electromagnetic radiation to re-charge cell phones. This type of radiation can be harnessed from various Wi-Fi sources including radio antenna, satellite and other transmissions. Nokia aims at creating a prototype that can harvest up to 50 miliwatts which researchers predict will be enough energy to charge and keep a cell phone topped out. Nokia, a world leader in mobile services and communication technology has been building on this prototype at its Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge U.K.
To collect as much power as possible, Nokia wants to construct the technology as so it operates like a broadband receiver. Therefore, it could collect energy waves on a variety of signals and could extract energy from various radio waves. This technology would be amazing although it would absolutely dead the mobile phone charger market. Presumably, the cell phone companies would have to find another way to sell accessories to customers or maybe even charge extra if a phone has the new re-chargeable technology. It would be great however, to not have to worry about re-charging my cell phone or frustrated because I don’t have a car charger and I’m on a really important phone call and my phone’s about to die. Nokia’s Research Centre, which mainly focuses on nanotechnology and nanoscience would be doing the world a favor if they can successfully implement a new never –charge –me –again” cell phone.


Sources:
http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia

http://research.nokia.com/research/labs/nrc_cambridge_uk_laboratory