RCA Airnergy charges via WiFi, even on password-protected hotspots

January 12, 2010 4 Comments

Finally, some one figured out a way to use WiFi as a power source! RCA has this nifty device called the Airnergy that can convert WiFi signals into power for charging your devices. It’s been tested on a RIM BlackBerry and charged it from 30% to 100% in 1.5 hours.

While the unit displayed only shows a miniUSB connector, I’m pretty sure they’ll wise up and include a miniUSB port rather than a plug so you can charge other devices. The amazing thing is even locked networks can provide power as long as it’s transmitting. Maybe even those hidden SSID ones.

RCA has mentioned that they are planning to develop batteries with this technology. Think about it, if this keeps up, we can power netbooks all day by just hanging around Starbucks or McDonald’s. There’s some qualms about it literally sucking up and interfering with hotspots so I hope they sort out the kinks before this goes to market.

It’s going to be available this summer for the low, low price of $40.

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  • Tobbe

    Considering the size of the device, this one is snake oil and utter BULLSHIT! You’d be lucky to even get a few microwatts out of it even in a highly wifi infested area, because that is all which will be available for harness out of the ether.

    They simply hope that people will plug it into their laptop for charging often enough, and not noticing that the wifi hotspots aren’t the actual power source.

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  • Poirier4

    If this is valid and works, it wont be long until power lines and power cords are obsolete. We'll have nuclear reactors in satellites orbiting the earth, sending down radio signals, and our devices will convert them into power.


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