Patent
This is stuff worth patenting, not rounded corners (although if spooks invented it first, wouldn't that invalidate the patent?).
Engineering boffins in the States have announced details of a new method of wireless power transmission which can reach inside a human body to power tiny implanted devices, so removing the need for repeated surgery in order to change batteries - or movie-style options such as the chest-socket "arc reactor" or hand-carried car …
You can't keep something secret and then jump up years later and say, "I invented that, so you can't patent it."
An invention has to be published (to make it prior art) or patented (to give it patent protection) to prevent a later developer from claiming patent rights. Any spooks have obviously done neither of those things.
Sometimes it's not in the spooks interest to patent things.
GPG-style 2 key encryption was developed by spooks in the late 50's/early 60s. The last thing they wanted was for it to become public domain any sooner than possible.
As for rectennas, they were in use as far back as the 1950s. The breakthrough here is making 'em small.
There were rumours of ultrasound power-transmission systems on submarines decades ago (to avoid pressure hull breaches) but those were only confirmed recently.
Next you'll tell us they will make a larger version and call it the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (B.E.T.) and get some specialized military personnel guarding it. Which of course fails and the BET will get captured by a "ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world".
And before you know it G.I. Joe the movie (wikipedia link) suddenly isn't so much science fiction after all!
I've always wondered why medical implants can't be recharged by simple mains-frequency inductive coupling. An iron-cored coil connected to a rectifier inside the patient (sealed in appropriate non-metallic bio-compatible material). To recharge, strap a bigger mains-activated coil on the outside of the body.
Ancient technology, but it's how my electric toothbrush is recharged. Why haven't medical devices used it for decades?
Back in me younger days I looked into sending power and data through optical means, as skin is fairly transparent at 850nm.
The main issue is that it loses a lot of power in the transfer, however if a VCSEL array was used and the new multi junction solar cells as the receiver it should work.
Shouldn't be much if any damage to the skin and the solar cells work just fine at 37C.
Kickstarter anyone?
AC/DC but mailto anarchy2012
We did the 8xx nm near infrared power transmission to meet the medical transformer limits in a bio appliance in 1975. Wasn't worth patenting. Worked great even with the poor LEDs of the day.
Certainly energy could be coupled inductively but this is exactly the kinds of magnetic fields, things like pacemakers and their leads do not want to see.
The guys and girls at Stanford seem to have missed the biggest point. I know all you inventors in the Reg audience get it. Sure you do....