Wi-Fi Direct.

In October 2009, the Wi-Fi alliance announced a new specification change that will support direct Wi-Fi connections between devices. The new Wi-Fi Direct specification will allow Wi-Fi Direct certified devices to connect to each other without having to go through a router or hotspot.

Technically, many Wi-Fi devices already have the ability to establish a peer-to-peer connectivity by creating an ad-hoc network. Creating ad-hoc networks can be a complex process though, and through the use of Wi-Fi Direct the Wi-Fi alliance is hoping to make this process much easier.

Wi-Fi Direct Press Release

As one might imagine, this new technology overlaps directly with Bluetooth for creating a personal area network (PAN). Some have even gone so far as to state that Wi-Fi direct will signal the death of Bluetooth, but with the recent modifications to the Bluetooth specification (3.0 for higher speeds and 4.0 for lower power), it looks like Bluetooth will still be around for a long time.

Bluetooth SIG Press Release regarding Wi-Fi Direct

Regardless of how this all plays out in the coming years, Symmetry Electronics and SemiconductorStore.com will remain commited to bringing its customers the latest and greatest in wireless technology.