14 DAY TRIAL // Though WiFi and Bluetooth are, for now, the main two wireless connectivity capabilities among PCs and consumer electronics, the crowd has just gotten a bit larger with the addition of the Wireless USB 1.1 specification.
Though the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard will likely remain the main I/O standard of note for quite a while, it now has a correspondent on the wireless front.
The new specification that the Wireless USB Promoter Group completed is, simply put, the Wireless USB 1.1.
This specification can use frequencies of 6 GHz and above, has a lower power draw while idle and supports Near Field Communication (NFC).
What's more, the standard can cope with proximity-based association, a feature which, coupled with NFC, makes device installs easier.
The Wireless USB promoted group hopes that this new specification will encourage more customers to adopt wireless connectivity technologies.
"The Wireless USB 1.1 specification is the next step in Wireless USB technology," said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president and chairman.
"Consumers want a fast, easy-to-use solution to wirelessly transfer content from PCs to devices. Wireless USB 1.1 is the solution supporting robust, high-speed wireless connectivity among devices," he added.
Products with Wireless USB have been on sale since 2007, but they haven't exactly proven particularly popular because of all the alternatives.
With the release of the Wireless USB 1.1, however, the appeal of this technology is expected to rise, bot just because of the better speed but also battery life benefits.
Such companies as Netgear, Belkin and Alereon should develop electronics equipped with the new technology sooner or later.
Of course, it will take some time for any products equipped with it to emerge. Still, in the meantime, those interested in the release itself may download it from the USB-IF official website.
The exact download page can be accessed by following this link.