SPONSORED BY:

Power From a Distance

 

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

Separate multiple addresses with commas

SPONSORED BY
 

The prospect presents a difficult choice between convenience and energy efficiency. The greater the distance between the power source and the gadget, the more power is typically lost in the transfer. Replacing power outlets with coils in the wall, for instance, may come at a big cost to efficiency—as much as 50 percent or more, depending on the distance from the outlet to the appliance. The trade-off would surely be worthwhile in a pacemaker or other medical device, but probably not in a toaster or a television. How about a plug-in electric car that didn't have to be plugged in? That might pass muster. Sometimes convenience makes all the difference between a worthy product's success and failure.

© 2008

Label

Newsweek Top Stories
Visions of a Decade
Visions of a Decade

From 2000-2009, one photo per month.

The Failure of Copenhagen
The Failure of Copenhagen

Why there could be a silver lining in a failed climate treaty.

Sex Scandals of the 2000s
Sex Scandals of the 2000s

From John Edwards to Mark Sanford, the decade's memorable affairs.

118 Days in Hell
118 Days in Hell

A NEWSWEEK journalist recounts his captivity in Iran.

Discuss

Sponsored by

My Take

Customize the NEWSWEEK homepage
to feature your favorite columnists.

Customize Now