Faster Wireless Data-Transfer

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular not enough for you? How about adding wireless USB? Here's the skinny: WUSB is moving toward actual adoption, with an initial specification already sorted out and the backing of companies like Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung. Speeds are expected to be comparable to wired USB 2.0, with a bandwidth target around 480Mbps at 10 feet and 110Mbps at 30 feet. The technology will also be backward compatible with its earlier wired incarnations through the use of external adapters.

Pretty much any device that currently uses wired USB is a candidate for WUSB. Imagine having your printer setup on the other side of the room or transferring photos from a digital camera without plugging in a media card reader. Early adopters will need to equip their computers with a WUSB adapter to take advantage. The speed and familiarity of WUSB could position it as Bluetooth's competition--at least in the desktop environment, where wirelessly transferring large amounts of data can be on the slow side. Expect devices with WUSB to reach the market by year's end. For the latest update, visit the USB Implementers Forum.

This article was originally published in the October 2005 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Cable-Free USB.