Intel took the stage at this week's Computex trade show in Taiwan to talk up a cable-free future for PCs.
The chipmaker aims to eliminate all cords from home computers, allowing wireless display, docking, and charging features to roam free as part of its next-gen Skylake platform.
As reported by CNET, Intel would use the WiGig standard to create docking technology that would connect to devices within range. WiGig has been in the works for years, but the complexities of wireless tech have stalled efforts to truly cut the cord. Recent advances, however, now make it more feasible, CNET pointed out, and we could be saying goodbye to cords by 2016.
Intel did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment. But at Computex, Intel showed off a Rezence-equipped table that can wirelessly charge several devices at once. Rezence, which launched in December, is the official consumer brand name for technology from the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), of which Intel is a member. Rezence can charge various devices, each with different power requirements, on the same surface.
Wireless charging in its current form is often limited to smartphones, but that could soon expand to PCs. The A4WP this week announced a Rezence expansion, boosting its standard to 50 watts, and increasing the range of compatible devices to include laptops, tablets, and other consumers electronics.
"The ability to easily wirelessly charge a laptop, smartphone, or accessory marks a powerful shift, untangling us from the wires that have become a part of our everyday lives," Peter Hortensius, Lenovo's CTO, said in a statement.
"Wireless power is about more than charging a phone on a pad. Flexibility, in both power and placement, are key to expanding wireless charging beyond a niche," said Kamil Grajski, president of the Alliance for Wireless Power. "Extending Rezence to include laptops, tablets and peripherals is a necessary step towards a wire-free and universal charging experience for everyone."
Earlier this year, the A4WP joined forces with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) to streamline wireless charging, each adopting the other's specifications and collaborating on an open network API.
Learn more about the A4WP and Rezence in the video below.