Google has just been awarded a patent for a wireless charging coil that is embedded within a computer keyboard, as reported last week by numerous online news sites.  The coil in this ‘inductive charging keyboard’ could act as both receiver and transmitter and is small enough to fit within a single key, making it easy to replace or repair.

The keyboard would most likely be integrated into a laptop, meaning a user could charge their smartphone (or other device such as a smart watch) by placing the device on top of their laptop keyboard.  Google has not yet announced any plans to build this into its Chromebook model range, but this seems the most likely next step.

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