While technically there is still a cable involved, which connects the wireless charging pad (dubbed the Energy Stand) to a power source, the iPad 2 itself is not connected by any cable at all, which means there shouldn’t be an occasion where tripping over the cable will cause your iPad 2 to come crashing down with it.
According to Maxell, a full charge will take about 3 hours, which is apparently as long as it takes to charge the iPad 2 the conventional way via AC adapter. If you want to check out the Maxell “Air Voltage” in action, here’s a video for it, or if you prefer reading, Murata (who made the wireless power transmission modules in the Air Voltage) has set up a website in English that details the device further. It is expected to go on sale 25th November in Japan for $196.