RCA announces device which converts WiFi signals into electricity

[Karim Ghantous]

<blockquote>

<p>A new technology being developed by RCA, initially as an emergency power supply, may promise just that — by sucking power from Wi-Fi signals and constantly recharging the device's battery.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>http://dvice.com/archives/2010/03/rca-supplies-po.php</p>

<p>It's actually not really new technology: think of radios which require no power except the signal to operate. Nothing new under the sun? :-P</p>

[starvy]

<p>I wonder if you need to be logged into the wifi network or just sensing the signal allows you to steal the power!</p>

[andylynn]

<p>This is going to create a ridiculous reaction from people thinking you're "stealing" their wifi, isn't it?</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Between the vaguely worded story and hilariously ill-informed reader comments, I'm wondering whether that was an early April Fools Day prank (first posted 3/26/10).</p>

<p>Gotta laugh at the concepts some folks have about how radio signals work - as if there's a finite amount, like water from a garden hose, and if too many people are using the latest magical overunity doodad, it'll reduce the signal to other WiFi users. Yup. That explains why KRLD on 1080 kHz doesn't come in clearly to my radio some days - too damned many other listeners are tuned in and hogging the signal.</p>

[Mike Howard]

<p>I really love the ones (mis)quoting Law of Conservation of Energy. Time to go back to high school, folks.</p>

[steve_renwick]

<p>Well, you know that the power companies will buy up the patent and lock it away to keep the secrets from the people. It will be just like the 1940s patent (from a secret German WWII research lab) for the carburetor that allowed a big car to run on water -- the one bought up and hidden by General Motors. I think they keep those secrets in the cavern where the Ark of the Covenant is. </p>

[walter_strong5]

<p>Lex, do you suppose this phenomenon is going to have an effect on my XM-Serius radio?</p>

[kelly_flanigan1]

<p>In the small town I grew up in in Indiana the local AM station was only a few blocks away.<br>

It was 1000 watts during the day; 250 at night. With a toy crystal radio that looked like a rocket; one could connect the cliplead to about anything and pick up the station.</p>

<p>A dumb coathanger laying on bed was plenty. With my 5000 ohm headset I got from Allied; one only needed a paperclip. Johnson Smith Co had this ancient crystal radio book I bought via mailorder; I built this radio with 2 coils; on tapped with many taps. It had one using a 500 uuF variable cap wheich nobody had; thus I used an old 365uuF from a 5 tube radio. With a good crystal contact one could pickup many stations; many more when the dumb am radio station signed off at midnight to 1am.</p>

<p>Thus when you are supposed to be asleep as a kid for school the next day; you really wait for the local AM station to sign off; to mess around with the radio. I had this long Belden copperweld wire from my 2nd story bedroom window across the yard to a pole at the alley. One could pickup of course all the AM band plus some AM hams on the 80 meter band too; ie about 3800 Khz.</p>

<p>During the day the local AM staion was so load that one could hear the darn station (faintly) with the headphones on a desk 6 feet away; as long one had a quiet room. This was with 3 best case things; great high imedance headphones; outside antenna 50 ft long; plus station only a few blocks away. You could place the radio back to the local stations setting on the vernier; and use it as an alarm clock if the headset was by the bed.</p>

[mark_satola1]

<p>Tesla, you are avenged! ;)</p>

[charles_wood]

<p>Kelly, your crystal set adventures sound very much like mine. It's easy to look back with nostalgia but the reality is that our curiosities about science and technologies of the time, as well as life in general, were responsible (at least in my case) for setting me on my path of life. The generation of today seems occupied with being entertained and creating social networks. I have to wonder if their imaginations are being stimulated or are they just content absorbers?</p>