Larry Magid: Intel To Eliminate PC Cables By 2016

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— If the back of your computer looks like a bird's nest you'll be happy with Intel's announcement this week. The chip maker is aiming to eliminate all those pesky PC cables by 2016.

They intend on doing this by literally eliminating all the cables, including the power cord, which blows me away. They will use magnetic resonance, a technology that can be used for charging where you might have a charger under a table and your computer  on top can be charged through up to two-inches of wood. The system is also reported to be able to charge multiple devices at once.

We've already done this on some levels. At my house, my printer is connected through a wifi connection; we have Bluetooth keyboards and things like that. But to get the power cord replaced is pretty major.

There's also the technology that will allow us to connect the monitor and other peripherals like drives to PCs without wires.

Anytime we talk about wireless technology we have to wonder about hacking and security risks. I think there is the possibility of somebody tapping into any wireless connection. There's even the possibility of errant signals going in the wrong direction.

For the most part, I think the power will be short range, but additionally I don't think there's any data associated with power, so I don't see this being a big issue.