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.

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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

There is a third use. That of giving unscrupulous types a new way of gaining access to your precious communication device.