Apple is set to introduce a new “high-speed connection technology” possibly Light Peak, very soon, according to CNET sources.
“Apple is expected to adopt this Intel technology in the near future–but likely use a name other than Light Peak, a source familiar with this aspect of Apple’s plans said. Intel has said in the past that the first products using Light Peak should appear in the first half of 2011.”
“Thunderbolt” is one rumored name.
Light Peak was first previewed by Intel in 2009 and is based on fiber optic technology, but instead of using light-based technology, it uses copper lines.
Light Peak may be the reason Apple has not updated its Macs with USB 3.0, as yet.
Net rumors are that the next update to MacBook Pros may feature Light Peak interfaces.
Light Peak is a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect your electronic devices to each other. Light Peak delivers high bandwidth starting at 10Gb/s with the potential ability to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade. At 10Gb/s, you could transfer a full-length Blu-Ray movie in less than 30 seconds. Optical technology also allows for smaller connectors and longer, thinner, and more flexible cables than currently possible. Light Peak also has the ability to run multiple protocols simultaneously over a single cable, enabling the technology to connect devices such as peripherals, displays, disk drives, docking stations, and more.
More info: http://techresearch.intel.com/ProjectDetails.aspx?Id=143
