The final specifications for version 1.1 of wireless USB have been published and in it is support for NFC to pair devices. Chances are you’ve yet to use a wireless USB device, and you can thank Intel for that. Since roughly 7 out of every 10 computers that ship, and I do mean every computer, including Macs, use Intel motherboards and processors, if Intel doesn’t choose to adopt a certain standard then that standard may as well never have been created. With wireless USB 1.0 there were political problems, licensing and all that jazz, holding the standard back from mass adoption, but now that Intel has announced that they’re going to purchase Infineon and acquire all those genius wireless engineers, there’s a strong chance that your next computer may have wireless USB built in.
With wireless USB 1.1 the act of pairing can be aided by NFC or Near Field Communication, the standard that will eventually be built into all mobile phones and let us do things such as exchange contact information by performing a simple tapping gesture, or paying for things using a swipe of our phones like they already do in Japan. But what happens if you put wireless USB on PC peripherals or even televisions? Tap on a keyboard, mouse, and high definition screen, and you’ve just paired 3 devices that can be use in tandem for a full PC-like experience. Tap on advertisements or posters, and get information transfered to you at break neck speeds.
Bluetooth supports all of the scenarios I’ve outlined above, but NFC pairing isn’t built into the standard. Could wireless USB 1.1 spell the death for Bluetooth? Too early to tell, but you try teaching someone how to pair a device by entering a 4 digit code, and then showing them that a simple clonk on whatever gadget they just picke up form the store and boom, everything is working hunky dory.
[Via: NFC World]