This weekend, the Wireless Power Consortium finalized specification for a low-power wireless charging standard. The new specifications will allow you to charge gadgets that draw up to 5 watts of power sans cords; most devices that charge over USB use 2.5 watts of power. The standard also calls for a third-party certification process that will allow gadget manufactures to brandish their device with the Qi logo. The purpose of this is simple: Qi logo bearing devices will work with other Qi logo bearing devices. Hit up the read link for all the nerdy details.

[Via ArsTechnica]Read

The Wireless Power Consortium took a big step forward this past week with the confirmation that its precocious Qi interoperability standard has been finalized. Composed of three documents setting out the interface, performance and compliance requirements, the new dictum has set itself the not inconsiderable challenge of making wireless charging universal, so that any Qi-approved phone can soak up juice from any Qi-verified base station, dock or omnitool. This first spec is limited to devices requiring no more than 5 Watts, an appropriately humble early goal, though cauldrons are already bubbling with ideas for laptops and the like. We just hope the impressive list of big time companies on the Consortium will succeed in taking Qi into the mainstream -- who here hasn't dreamt of their phone being compatible with the Touchstone?

[Thanks, MrStringTheorist]

Qi wireless power standard finalized, universal contactless chargers look closer to reality than ever originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our man Nicholas Negroponte was certainly excited about pushing the state of the art forward with future versions of the OLPC when we hosted him on The Engadget Show earlier this month, and now he's got one more tool to help make that happen: the OLPC Foundation and Pixel Qi just signed a permanent and free cross-license on a slew of next-generation screen technology patents, including Pixel Qi's sweet dual-mode displays. If you're recall, Pixel Qi's Mary Lou Jepson actually developed part of the 3Qi screen tech while at OLPC, so there was some mild confusion over who owned what -- but the two organizations have solved that problem by cross-licensing all future and current IP covering multi-mode screens. See, it's easy for two tech companies to get along... especially when one is actually a charity that's not at all concerned with profits. Super simple. So -- let's get working on that OLPC XO-3, shall we?

Pixel Qi and OLPC to share all current and future screen tech originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The stranglehold E-Ink has had on the e-book market is slipping. We've seen the tantalizing promises of Pixel Qi, mixing a color LCD with a low-power reflective display, but in the here and now we've got a new LCD-based e-reader from Aluratek. Extensively dubbed the "Libre eBook Reader PRO," the unit uses an unnamed 5-inch monochrome reflective LCD panel, with 24 hours of continuous use off a battery charge. Not as great as E-Ink, but it should be plenty for most people, and the resultant $179 price is hard to knock. The Libre is ePUB and PDF compatible, and comes with a 2GB SD card -- just the right sort of barebones-yet-functional we appreciate. We'll have to see how well that LCD performs in person before we pull the trigger, but for people looking for an alternative to the premium devices out there (or something with a faster page refresh rate), it might just fit the bill.

Aluratek Libre eBook Reader PRO sports monochrome reflective LCD, $179 pricetag originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you're confused by the pronunciation of Pixel Qi (it's Pixel chee, by the way). But really, does that matter? We're just stoked to learn that its hybrid displays are hitting the assembly lines this month as the company ramps production in Q1. CEO, Mary Lou Jepsen, says that the first units will arrive in "specialized tablet devices with multi-touch," the first of which will be on display at CES from what looks like multiple "customers." They'll also be available to DIYers sometime in the future. Jepsen, you'll recall, was the original Chief Technology Officer on the OLPC project, but left to commercialize these 10-inch color 3qi LCD displays that are readable in either direct tropical sunlight or no light at all thanks to a switchable backlight. As such, Pixel Qi is set to carve out a nice middle-ground between epaper displays and traditional LCDs that could see the advent of the 40-hour netbook / tablet. No, really.

Pixel Qi ramping production lines, multitouch (40-hour?) tablets at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been far, far too long (read: four months) since we've heard a peep from the gentle souls over at Pixel Qi, but it looks like the long, heart-wrenching wait for the hybrid display that's bound to revolutionize Western civilization is nearing an end. According to the startup's CEO herself, Mary Lou Jepsen, the primetime-ready 3Qi display should make its glorious debut on an undisclosed tablet to be announced next month. For those out of the loop, this transflective display contains both e-ink and LCD properties, one for outdoor reading scenarios and the other for multimedia viewing. The amazing part is that toggling between the two is as simple as flipping a switch, which obviously means great things for battery life on whatever device it's shoved into. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more, but do us a favor and cross your fingers for good luck. Toes too, por favor.

[Thanks, Tom]

Filed under: Displays

Pixel Qi e-ink / LCD hybrid display to debut on tablet next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Wireless Power Consortium has already managed to attract some pretty big players in the industry (including Philips, Sanyo and Duracell), but it's now bolstered its roster with one of its biggest heavyweights yet by announcing that Nokia has signed on as a full member. Of course, Nokia isn't making any firm promises about incorporating the Consortium's Qi wireless power standard into its products just yet, but it does say that the technology "carries significant potential to enhance consumer experience of battery charging," and that it "aims to meet these consumer expectations." For its part, the Wireless Power Consortium is unsurprisingly thrilled to have Nokia on board, noting that the move "significantly expands the potential market traction of the Qi wireless charging standard."

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia plugs itself into the Wireless Power Consortium originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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