Sony Wants Power-Stealing Vampire (or Highlander) Smartphones

According to a new patent that Sony filed last week, the company wants to turn your smartphone into a power-sucking vampire, leeching the life out of its smartphone friends via NFC charging until it’s the only one left standing. Or would a Highlander be a better reference?

Based on research by James Richard Milne, True Xiong, and Charles McCoy, the patent is more about finding ways to detect, select, and manage hotspots that will allow users to wireless share power. The idea of using NFC charging technology is exciting, but considering how little power NFC uses in its operation, it seems like there’s a way to go before it can provide enough juice to power a phone.

Of course, it’s common for a company to file a patent for a technology that doesn’t exist yet, and the prospect of Sony looking into this is very exciting indeed. Just remember, there can be only one.