Oh sure, Wireless USB products are out there, but they're pretty far out there. We're talking deep back shelf type stuff. NEC Electronics is hoping to get the cord-free version of the well known peripheral standard into more and more gizmos by cranking out the uPD720171 Wireless USB host controller. The unit was designed with the PCI Express bus interface in mind, and it can also provide laptops with connectivity via the ExpressCard slot. The company claims that the $10 device can handle transfers up to 480Mbps within a range of three meters, but you'll be waiting a little while yet before testing out said claim in a finalized product.

[Via SlashGear]

Look out, cable pundits, your next must-have gadget has arrived. Kensington's Wireless USB Docking Station is pretty straightforward -- you simply plug in up to five USB devices along with your external monitor in order to access all of those gizmos sans cabling from your Wireless USB-enabled machine. Sure, the range is capped at 15-feet, but never having to plug in that printer / scanner / external HDD / USB-powered fan again when setting up your work lappie at home will be a huge relief. Look for this one to ship soon for $229.99.

[Via Electronista]

It doesn't take a whole lot of empirical observation to figure out that Sony just loves to go proprietary, even in the face of wide industry acceptance of an alternative standard. While the company has recently flexed on things like audio codecs, other stalwarts include Sony's Memory Stick, and naturally Blu-ray isn't going anywhere. This time Sony is charging after W-USB and Bluetooth 3.0 with its recently-announced TransferJet technology. There are certainly some differences between the technologies, and advantages on both sides. W-USB and Bluetooth 3.0 are based on WiMedia wireless tech, and have theoretical speeds of 480Mbps, with a range of about three meters. Compare that to TransferJet, which has a range of three centimeters, but a theoretical max 560Mbps. The reason behind the close proximity is the induction field coupler tech used -- which may or may not mean Sony's tech can charge the device as well -- but Sony's also playing it as a usability thing: unless devices are specifically registered and told not to, they'll automatically swap files when placed next to each other, requiring no further user complications. We're going to need more info out of Sony and other manufacturers to see how exactly this new tech will play out in the industry at large, but at the moment it looks like another proprietary standard that'll confuse consumers and segment the market -- let's hope Sony proves us wrong.

[Via Slashdot]

Read - Ars Technica
Read - Sony PR

Now that you've already shelled out for Gefen's wireless USB hub, how's about another gizmo from the company to tempt your USB-lovin' soul? The Wireless USB 2.0 Extender requires no drivers, works with Windows, Linux, and OS X-based systems and promises to transmit up to four USB 2.0 signals one hundred-feet through the air. Gefen stated that you'll recognize USB speeds "up to 54Mbps," and while we're all about ridding our work area of unnecessary wires, the $399 asking price still seems a bit steep.

[Via SlashGear]

IOGEAR has launched its new Wireless USB (W-USB) hub and adapter kit, a combination of a receiving / transmitting base, and dongles which allow USB devices to communicate with the hub. Although we've seen a slew of these devices before (Belkin and Gefen's entries spring to mind), this is the first that we know of to be certified by the USB-IF, or USB Implementers Forum, which is basically the MPAA of USB devices... er, without the ratings. Regardless, the little package can get your USB devices to suddenly start rocking cable-free transfers at 480Mbps from 30-feet away, which should appeal to those of us looking for less clutter, USB-IF-blessed or not. The kit, which contains the base, antenna, power supply, and one adapter is available now for $199.99.

Hot on the heels of several other wireless USB hubs, D-Link is making sure it joins the party with time to spare as it unveils the DUB-9240 kit. The two-piece assemblage consists of the DUB-1210 wireless USB adapter and the DUB-2240 four-port wireless USB hub, and together they enable your machine to connect to USB peripherals sans wires. The unit promises to function within a 30-foot range, and operates on a frequency range of 3.4GHz to 4.5GHz in order to not interfere with any surrounding WiFi signals. Additionally, up to three more DUB-2240s can be connected to the first for a wireless USB overload blowout, and you'll have plenty of time to dream up such a setup while waiting for these to ship in Q4 for $119.99 apiece, or $219.99 for the pair.

[Thanks, Allen]