Sci. & Tech.
Intel announces plans to launch 3rd generation USB technology

San Francisco (US), Sept. 22 (PTI): World's biggest chipmaker Intel Corp has announced plans to come out with an advanced version of Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology that will enable faster transfer of content from printers, digital cameras and other peripheral devices to personal computers.

"As the market evolves to support customer demands for storing and moving larger amounts of digital content, we look forward to developing the third generation of USB technology that leverages the current Universal Serial Bus interface and optimise it to meet these demands," Intel's Senior Vice- President and General Manager, Digital Enterprise Group, Patrick Gelsinger, said at the 10th Intel Developer Forum.

The USB 3.0 technology would be at least 10 times faster than the speed of today's connection. It is being developed by Intel and a number of other leading players such as world's largest software maker Microsoft, biggest PC maker Hewlett Packard and NEC Corporation among others.

The technology would draw from the same architecture of wired USB, Gelsinger said, adding the USB 3.0 specification would be optimised for low power and improved protocol efficiency.

"A complete USB 3.0 specification is expected by the first half of 2008 and it will initially be in the form of discrete silicon," he said, adding the technology would be created with the same ease-of-use and plug and play capabilities of previous USB technologies.

"The technology will target fast sync-and-go transfer applications in the PC, consumer and mobile segments that are necessary as digital media become ubiquitous and file sizes increase up to and beyond 25 gigabytes, he said.

Sci. & Tech.

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