The prospect of attaching all of our computer's peripherals wirelessly might seem like an obvious progression, but - just like modem technology in the late 90s, and high definition media today - a war between two rival ultra wide band standards is not helping adoption of these new systems. At present the systems require third party receivers and base stations, but soon these technologies will be embedded into machines similar to bluetooth and wireless networking.

Wireless also has something to say in powering our devices. By using frequencies very much unlike radio frequencies engineers are able to tackle the problems of containing energy to a single area and enabling our gadgets to power themselves wirelessly.

Far and away the most popular wireless technology is that of wireless networking, which can be used for immensely varied implementations. Wireless broadband, fed by satellite links, are helping get Naskapi tribes online in the arctic. Choosing wireless over dedicated wired links becomes more feasible considering the difficulties of reaching working in such remote areas.

On this IEEE Spectrum Radio feature about wireless technologies, learn how computer users' favorite standard, USB, is going wireless; the potential of wireless power; connecting remote rural communities using wireless networks; and the importance of wireless broadband when regular coverage goes down.

This program was originally broadcast on IEEE Spectrum Radio.