Starbucks, Google, AT&T back wireless power standard
updated 05:08 pm EDT, Mon October 29, 2012
Power Matters Alliance gains three new members
AT&T, Google, and Starbucks all announced today that they would be joining the Power Matters Alliance, a consortium of device manufacturers, carriers, and physical establishments committed to the creation of a real-world ecosystem of wireless power. Starbucks will be adding wireless power stations to 17 locations in the Boston area for a limited time in-store trial, while AT&T has begun selling PMA-compatible wireless power cases and charging surfaces in select markets. Google, meanwhile, sees the standard as a means of "doing for power what the Internet did for data."
Google in particular may be in a position to benefit from the adoption of a wider wireless charging standard. The search giant's just-announced Nexus 4 smartphone features wireless charging capability, though the product page for the new device doesn't detail whether it would be compatible with the PMA standard. Google's Vint Cerf is the Honorary Chairman of the PMA.
The PMA also counts Delta Airlines, Duracell, GM, Madison Square Garden, Westfield, and Jay Z's 40/40 club among its members and participants.
