New Wi-Fi Direct to Connect Gadgets Without Routers

Illustration for article titled New Wi-Fi Direct to Connect Gadgets Without Routers

Coming mid-2010 there will be a new Wi-Fi standard that will allow any Wi-Fi gadget to connect wirelessly with each other without having to go through a wireless router. The best thing: It will only require a software update.


The new standard is called Wi-Fi Direct and—unlike Bluetooth—the technology will enjoy exactly the same speed and range as Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Alliance—which includes Intel, Microsoft, and Apple—says that it will automatically detect and hitch any device equipped with Wi-Fi within a 300 range, from computers to cameras to TVs to printers to anything in between. All peer-to-peer.

The Wi-Fi Alliance and everyone else—including myself—are pretty excited about this. So excited that they are planning a big advertising campaign to make people move to it. And since it will only require a downloadable software patch, you can expect the technology to become ubiquitous pretty fast.

Farewell, Bluetooth. It was not a pleasure to meet you. [Wi-Fi Alliance]


Maybe I'm missing something (I usually do), but why is this any better than just using the good ol' wireless router that anyone with an internet connection and a wireless device already has?

To me, it just makes sense for all your devices to connect through a router, rather than a mess of things all connecting to each other independently. It just sounds chaotic and messy. Doesn't this seem like a step backward to anyone else?