The tech that promised to kill USB cables 20 years ago (and why it died)

The tech that promised to kill USB cables 20 years ago (and why it died) Credit: Ilham Firdaus Yusuf/Shutterstock.com By  Sydney Butler Published May 31, 2026, 1:30 PM EDT Sydney Butler is a technology writer with over 20 years of experience as a freelance PC technician and system builder and over a decade as a professional writer. He's worked for more than a decade in user education. On How-To Geek, he writes commerce content, guides, opinions, and specializes in editing hardware and cutting edge technology articles. Sydney started working as a freelance computer technician around the age of 13, before which he was in charge of running the computer center for his school. (He also ran LAN gaming tournaments when the teachers weren't looking!) His interests include VR, PC, Mac, gaming, 3D printing, consumer electronics, the web, and privacy. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Research Psychology with a minor in media and technology studies. His masters dissertation examined the potential for social media to spread misinformation. Outside of How-To Geek, he hosts the Online Tech Tips YouTube Channel , and writes for Online Tech Tips , Switching to Mac , and Helpdesk Geek . Sydney also writes for Expert Reviews UK . He also has bylines at 9to5Mac , 9to5Google , 9to5Toys , Tom's Hardware , MakeTechEasier , and Laptop Mag . Sign in to your How-To Geek account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap The picture above is of a wireless USB dongle, and if you've used proprietary 2.4Ghz USB mice, keyboards, or game controllers, you know that your computer doesn't know the difference between those devices and wired USB versions of them. Technically, that's a sort of "wireless" USB, but for a short while there was almost an honest-to-goodness wireless USB standard. The dream: USB without the cable