USB 3.0 Specifications To Be Finalized In June, Speed Up To 5000Mbps
 

USB 3.0 will, together with SATA 6Gbps take our storage medias to the next generation and even if the SATA interface gets a nice boost it is nothing compared to what the third generation of USB promises. USB 2.0 has a maximal transfer rate at 480Mbps, the USB 3.0 specifications sports a theoretical transfer rate of a whopping 5000Mbps. In other words almost as fast as the new internal Serial ATA interface. It has now been stated that the test specification of USB 3.0 will be ready for June, 2009.

This means that manufacturers will be able to test their USB 3.0 products in final mode and the first commercial products are expected to surface at the start of 2010.

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,8912.html

So this means USB SSD drives? :D

Probably not, unless in a powered enclosure? High-performance SSDs draw more power than notebook drives.

we don't know the power rating of USB 3.0 yet? or is that published somewhere?

Looks like available power is increased from 500mA to 900mA... Your right, should be enough for a X25 I believe.

that would also make other 2.5" and maybe 3.5" external storage powered over USB , less cable mess

Using a SSD through USB doesn't make much sense to me. The USB... er, bus, introduces additional latency and if you've noticed even modest transfers of 30Mb/s (~240MB/s) require quite a few CPU cycles, somewhere around 20% on my 2Ghz T7200. Running 250Mb/s through the same (or very much the same) protocol will be kinda CPU hog, I suspect. Unless they've changed something radically, which I don't believe given the backward compatibility.

was more thinking about uber fast USB SSD based sticks ;)