Sony starts another standards war

Sony has kick-started another standards war, this time over wireless USB.

Although almost every large technology company has accepted the wireless USB standard, including Intel, Microsoft, HP and Samsung, Sony has developed its own TransferJet standard.

"TransferJet is an extremely simple wireless technology which eliminates the need for complex set-up and operation," said Sony.

"For example, just touching a TV with a digital camera enables photos to be instantly displayed on the screen. Alternatively, downloaded music content can be enjoyed by touching a mobile phone to a portable audio player."

TransferJet operates at an effective speed of 375Mbps, compared to 480Mbps for wireless USB. In addition TransferJet has a range of only 3cm, compared to 3-10 metres for wireless USB.

The move is just another in a long line of instances where Sony has bucked the market and used its own proprietary standards. Other examples include Betamax, Blu-ray and memory sticks.