With the Wi-Fi Alliance having started certifying WiFi Direct products, digital media aficionados can expect these widgetry to hit the market soon.

What Does Wi-Fi Direct Do
Wi-Fi Direct certified products do not require the Internet or traditional networks, not even the Wi-Fi, to connect.

The way the specification has been written devices can make a one-to-one connection or a group of several devices can make  simultaneous connections.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is tooting the horn that it’s designed Wi-Fi Direct to support a variety of applications such as sharing content, synching data, socializing, playing games, playing audio and video – stuff that users do with their Wi-Fi devices today, only supposedly easier in future since there’s no worrying about finding an Internet connection.

Connections based on the specification are said to work at typical Wi-Fi speeds and range, protected by WPA2-certified security protocols.

The first bunch of devices to be designated Wi-Fi Certified Wi-Fi Direct are:

* Atheros XSPAN Dual-band 802.11n PCIe Mini Card (AR928x)
* Broadcom BCM43224 Dual-Band 802.11n 2×2 MIMO PCIe Half Mini Card
* Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200
* Ralink MIMObility 802.11n 2×2 PCIe Half Mini Card
* Realtek RTL8192CE-VA4 HM92C00 PCIe mini card

Wi-Fi Direct devices can also connect with older Wi-Fi devices.