Bringing (wireless) power to the people As any design-obsessed human can tell you, nothing ruins the look of a modern, minimalist room quite like a power cable haphazardly snaking its way from socket to tabletop. Until recently, unsightly cords were a necessary evil of the digital age. But all that?s about to change.
Wireless device charging is already being rolled out in the next generation of technologically tricked out furniture, with more and more phones and tablets featuring compatible charging technology. Last year, Swedish furniture giant Ikea planted a flag in the realm of wireless-charging furniture with the launch of a collection embedded with the technology, but now dozens of smaller players are joining the fight with designs of their own. We talked with Grant Reig, Product Manager at the MIT-born wireless energy company WiTricity, to find out everything you need to know about this brave new world of cord-free, device-charging goods.

How does wireless charging work"
Wireless charging works by transmitting energy through an electromagnetic field. "If you have a Sonicare toothbrush, it?s powered by basic induction," Reig explains. The process requires two devices?a base and a receiver?each containing a loop of wire known as an induction coil. Running electrical current through the wire in the base creates a magnetic field. When you place the receiver?s coil in that field, the opposite happens: Energy is converted back into electricity withou...