What is USB 3?

[Saku]

Hey I am not much into computers but i know the USB interface for my Computer & mobile phone is USB 2.
I read somewhere that the usb 3 is the latest technology.
Really have no Idea what it is & if its the next step of USB 2 then what are the features?

Thanks in advance.

[Giovanni]

USB 3.0 is the next logical step for the PC's most popular wired connectivity," said Jeff Ravencraft, technology strategist with Intel and president of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). "The digital era requires high-speed performance and reliable connectivity to move the enormous amounts of digital content now present in everyday life. USB 3.0 will meet this challenge while maintaining the ease-of-use experience that users have come to love and expect from any USB technology."

According to them it gives 10 times faster transfer.
USB 3.0 will also enjoy greater levels of energy efficiency than its predecessor and the technology is likely to be initially available in discrete silicon products.

[Olga]

You can refer to the previous thread on USB 3 when it was announced.
With speeds of 4.8 Gbit/s (600 MB/s), and a powering system which intelligently cuts the juice when you're not using a device.
Firewire 400 is still faster than USB 2.0, regardless of what it is "capable" of. We performed a rather lengthy study comparing the two at my university and USB 2.0 didn't come close to the speeds of Firewire (this before FW800 came out). Couple that with being able to daisy-chain multiple devices and anyone can see FW kicks USB's butt in the storage department.
Don't get me wrong, USB is great for other things where speed isn't too much of an issue, like connecting devices, but when it comes to raw speed... Can't wait to see how USB 3.0 actually performs!

[Happy Trees]

SuperSpeed USB 3.0's 5Gbps data rate (compared with Hi-Speed USB 2.0's 480Mbps) should help--and with very clear real-world advantages. For example: A 25GB HD movie will take 13.9 min to transfer with USB 2.0, and 70 seconds with USB 3.0, says Ravencraft.

Practically speaking, the implications are tremendous. Imagine not having to wait hours on end for your full-drive data backup to complete, or not having a lengthy delay when off-loading 32GB flash memory cards from your digital camera.