New USB 3.0 to power PCs

Gadgets and Gizmos reports.

The USB Promoter Group revealed that the next-generation USB could deliver up to 100 watts of power though a single USB cable.

This means it can be used to power an LCD monitor, laptops, printers, and other bigger devices.

According to PC Mag, many conventional laptops use as little as 20 watts or so even while plugged in and running at full performance, meaning that conceivably devices like a laptop could be powered by a USB cable running from another computer.

“Building on the rapidly increasing industry momentum for using USB bus power to charge a broad range of mobile devices, the new USB Power Delivery specification extends USB's cable power delivery capabilities beyond simple battery charging,” says Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman, in a statement.

“For example, charging the battery of a notebook PC, or simply powering that notebook PC while actively using the USB data connection, would be possible. Conceivably, a notebook PC could rely solely on a USB connection for its source of power.”

Slashgear writes that the new standard, which boosts voltage and current values to cater to higher-draw devices, is intended to co-exist with the current v1.2 specification, rather than replace it. However, it also allows gadgets to negotiate both factors, so that low-power peripherals don't get overwhelmed by higher-rated ports.