Intel announces that USB 3.0  might be doing its rounds in the first half of 2008.  Basically it will bring doom’s day for Fireware, until something new for firewire comes out. It surpasses Fireware with speeds beyond 4Gbps (300MBps) . Essentially it increased transfer speeds beyond USB 2.0’s 480 Mbps is because of a second fiber-optic channel in addition to the standard copper channel. It will remain backward compatible with USB 2.0 specs due to the copper channel. Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, NEC, NXP and Texas Instruments are helping define the new spec which will be put up for a design review at a two-day event in San Jose in November.

On wireless side, the new Wireless USB 1.1 has a targeted bandwidth of around 1Gbps. Well 1Gbps is far from practical at present 480Mbps Wireless USB can only receive a 40Mbps in use. Fireware isn’t receiving any favors as big names in the consumer electronics like Sony putting USB in their camcorders, eSATA rapidly coming to external disks and not to mention the evil alliance of Intel and Apple. Looks like Fireware will be in the history books in near future.

Via EETimes