USB 3.0 Coming in 1H 2008, Adding Fiber Optics and Improved Speeds

The USB 3.0 Promoters Group, which includes Intel, Microsoft, HP, TI, NEC and NXP among others, are planning to release a USB 3.0 spec in the first half of 2008. It will increase transfer speeds beyond USB 2.0’s 480 Mbps by using a second fiber-optic channel in addition to the standard copper channel. The copper will still be there to offer backwards compatibility with USB 2.0, but overall the new spec should reach—according to Crave—could up to ten times faster at 4.8 Gbps. We just want to know whether the new spec will offer enough current to power the next generation of weird ass USB 3.0 gadgets, which won’t actually be out until later. [Crave]