Will USB 3.0 kill short-range wireless development?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:29:44 -0800

Industry publications are agog at today's press release announcing the availability of the USB 3.0 specification and the exciting prospect of fastest USB spec yet. And once again, the red-headed stepchild of USB, FireWire, appears to be getting passed over for a newer, faster technology.

Wired notes that the new USB 3.0 spec will most likely kill FireWire, something Apple may have anticipated when it dropped the technology from its laptop line. It's also likely that wireless USB (WUSB) and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) may lag in development as well. UWB's speed, around 100 Mbps, can't compare to the promised 500 Mbps transfer rates of USB 3.0, making it useful for minor devices, but not fast enough for use in the latest high-tech peripherals.

MCCI was one of the first companies to announce planned development of USB 3.0 products, in partnership with Synopsis, estimating that initial products should hit the market in 2009, with additional products arriving in 2010. In an interview with LinuxDevices, MCCI CEO Terry Moore notes that USB 3.0 will be focused more on the PC market, while UWB may be "suitable for a lot of mobile product applications."