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Powerful new invention
This is my kind of invention. A team of scientists at MIT have demonstrated their, still in its infancy, new technology which has been called WiTricity. The basic principle is that electrical appliances and objects may be powered without cables.

As far as I can see from the article in the Independent online, is that it works on resonance. Resonance can cause an object to vibrate when energy of a certain frequency is applied to it. I suppose it must be about the same idea as when a soprano, singing a high note at a certain volume, can shatter a drinking glass.

So two resonant objects talk to each other on the same frequency and by doing this they are able to exchange energy efficiently. One object would be a sender and be attached to energy, and the other one a receiver.

Of course my first though was, what if the human body is resonant with this same energy, we could all be walking around with spiked up hair all the time. But apparently it only resonates with similar frequencies. That's a bit of a relief.

Recently we moved house. I had to pack the extension and power cables into two large boxes. That is what is required to power up the equipment and hardware used in an average household now. It's no longer just a matter of plugging in the kettle. Power is required for the computer, the router, the mobile phone charger - which are not the same for different models, iPod charger etc etc.

Traveling is proving to be just as challenging. One travels with a mobile phone, camera, video camera, computer, iPod and yes the ever faithful hair drier. That one is still around! All of the above travel equipment requires power to charge batteries. Each one of those battery requiring gadgets will need a power cable. The power cable needs to find a socket that is compatible to the electrical plug system of the country one travels to.

The last trip I took, I actually took a lumpy extension cable with a four plug section. It was the only way I could handle all the power up I needed. The advantage being that one needs one converter plug to the different power outlet systems other countries have. One carry bag alone had all the electrical and battery charging gadgets I would need. Wouldn't it be so nice to be able to dispense with all of the cables and converter plugs at home and during travels.

Learn more about this author, Anja Merret.
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