New Wi-Fi technology allows gadgets connect directly

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The Wi-Fi Alliance, a multinational industry group specilized in wireless connection technology, Wednesday said it had nearly finished working on a specification that enables electronic devices to connect each other directly.

Wi-Fi Direct, a set of technical rules, will let cameras, smart phones or PCs connect to printers, digital photo frames, sensors, TVs or projectors without joining a traditional network in the vicinity.

Wi-Fi Direct devices can broadcast their availability and seek out other Wi-Fi Direct devices. They will connect each other at existing Wi-Fi speeds -- up to 250 mbps.

The devices can connect in pairs or in groups with Wi-Fi, and only one of the devices needs to be compliant with Wi-Fi Direct to establish a peer-to-peer connection.

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the devices with the new technology are expected to be on the market by mid-2010.

By then, Wi-Fi Direct will be an alternative to Bluetooth and other short range networking technologies. Compared with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth uses less power but has much shorter range and a lower transfer speed.