Everything seems to be shifting to higher gear, from processor speeds to broadband bandwidths.

Not wanting to be left behind, Engadget reported of Intel’s plans to upgrade the now common USB 2.0 to 3.0 which seeks to provide 4Gbps transfer rates making it a lethal contender against the currently superior FireWire.

According to Intel’s Jeff Ravencraft, who is in charge of this initiative, Intel doesn’t want to be the one causing a bottleneck in the system. While it will remain backwards compatible, according to a senior NEC engineering manager, new cables laced with an optical link will be required to take advantage of the new neck-breaking speeds. A target date of early 2009 is set for the public release of systems carrying this new interface.

Another project in the works at the Intel labs is the wireless USB 1.1. Though the prospects of wireless USB sounds enticing, the low bandwidth is a bit discouraging and with new technology like USB ports working hand-in-hand with Wifi, the idea of a wireless USB 1.1 might need some rethinking.