Wi-Fi Device-to-Device Connectivity on the Way

It looks like Wi-Fi may be butting heads with Bluetooth for phone transfers in the near future. Third parties have been able to generate hotspots in accessories or even inside the phones themselves, but networking connectivity over Wi-Fi will no longer be dependent on an active network or hub. The Wi-Fi Alliance is working on device-to-device Wi-Fi, which will enable tasks like synchronizing, multimedia sharing, multiplayer gaming, and other forms gadget chatter. This is very cool, and should provide some big, mean data pipes that Bluetooth simply can’t handle. Mobile TV and video is getting more and more popular, and this could really bring some new and interesting interconnectivity with smartphones in the home. The feature should be ready for 2010, so keep your eyes peeled.