Nokia want's to end cellphone charging as we know it. No more dead batteries, missed calls, lost charging cords and general subservience to the electrical feeding schedule of your mobile device.

How could this be possible? According to CNetNews.com (via the UK's Guardian newspaper) Nokia is working on a way for mobile devices to collect "energy from ambient radio waves emitted by antennas, TV masts, Wi-Fi transmitters, and the like."

Apparently, this is how RFID tags (used by retailers for tracking inventory, among other uses) are powered. According to CNET, "Like RFID tags, the Nokia phones would catch radio waves across a range of frequencies, harnessing them for power."

The main challenge now is developing a system that can capture 50 milliwatts of power, a significant increase over current prototypes that capture only about 5 milliwatss. Nokia says that at least 20 milliwatts are needed to keep a mobile phone running in standby mode.