Breakthrough gadget for producing electricity developed at Duke?

[roywhite]

New device harvests electricity

Engineers at Duke University have designed a breakthrough gadget that 'harvests' background microwave radiation and converts it into electricity, with the same efficiency as solar panels.

The development, unveiled on Thursday, raises exciting possibilities such as recharging a phone wirelessly and providing power to remote locations that can't access conventional electricity.

And the researchers say that their inexpensive invention is remarkably versatile. It could be used to capture 'lost' energy from a range of sources such as satellite transmissions, sound signals or Wi-Fi.

[BD80]

New device harvests electricity

A new source of global warming?

Next, focused energy transmission.

[PensDevil]

A new source of global warming?

Next, focused energy transmission.

I used this in Sim City many years ago. It did not end well.

[TruBlu]

Flux Capacitor?

[alteran]

New device harvests electricity

Very interesting.

But is this really a breakthrough? People have been powering small devices with EM transmissions for years-- this is how many of those pernicious RFID chips get their juice. Not being a naysayer, I don't know the answer-- maybe this invention is an order of magnitude more efficient or something?