Industry News
New Wi-Fi Direct protocol to offer Bluetooth-like connectivity between devices
The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced it is close to finalizing a new wireless standard that will let devices discover and connect to one another without the need for a router. Dubbed Wi-Fi Direct, the technology seems to compete directly with Bluetooth by allowing peer-to-peer connections between wireless devices but at higher speeds and greater distances than the latter.
Many existing devices embedded with Wi-Fi will reportedly be able to upgrade through software. In other words, this means you could send documents to a printer without routing data through a home network, or back up data to an external hard drive wirelessly. You could even connect a keyboard or mouse to a computer and easily move images and video from a smartphone or camera straight to a TV set with wireless capabilities.
The technology will support standard Wi-Fi data rates and devices will reportedly be able to connect to one another within 100 meters of each other. It also includes WPA2 security and management features for enterprise environments. The Wi-Fi Alliance says it plans to publish the specification as soon as it is finalized and will begin certifying devices for Wi-Fi Direct in 2010.
Many existing devices embedded with Wi-Fi will reportedly be able to upgrade through software. In other words, this means you could send documents to a printer without routing data through a home network, or back up data to an external hard drive wirelessly. You could even connect a keyboard or mouse to a computer and easily move images and video from a smartphone or camera straight to a TV set with wireless capabilities.
The technology will support standard Wi-Fi data rates and devices will reportedly be able to connect to one another within 100 meters of each other. It also includes WPA2 security and management features for enterprise environments. The Wi-Fi Alliance says it plans to publish the specification as soon as it is finalized and will begin certifying devices for Wi-Fi Direct in 2010.
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User Comments (2)
Post a comment| Guest on October 14, 2009 9:19 PM | Why bother? Surely this will only benefit people without a wireless home router. When I'm at home I can send photos to my wireless TV from my wireless cellphone because they're both connected to my wireless router. Similarly if I go to a friend's house. That gives just two uses: People away from home that don't want to use Bluetooth People who have a wireless TV but don't have a wireless router. Neither seems particularly compelling |
| kidder on October 15, 2009 5:10 AM | There is a third use. That of giving unscrupulous types a new way of gaining access to your precious communication device. |
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