OK, so we know very little for certain about when the Palm Pre will be released. But we do know the company plans to integrate wireless charging into the new product. Palm plans to release Touchstone, a charging pad for the Pre. Palm says it wants to be the industry leader in wireless charging.

So how does it work? A coil in the pad produces a magnetic field that gives the battery a charge. Similar technology, for example, has been used in battery-powered bathroom accessories for years.

Palm expects to make the Touchstone available for products beyond the Pre in the near future. An analyst told the San Francisco Chronicle over the weekend that “the potential for wireless charging is tremendous.” He says almost any surface has the potential of being transformed into a charging pad.