Abbreviated USB. A standard from Intel and Microsoft for a high-speed peripheral bus designed to remove the need for almost all the connectors on the back of a personal computer.
USB defines the ports and bus characteristics with data transfer rates of up to 12Mbps over a single cable of up to 5 meters (16 feet). USB is capable of supporting a maximum of 63 devices such as external CD-ROM drives, printers, external modems, mice, and the keyboard and also supplies power to some devices so there is no need for separate power cords or batteries. Most personal computers will have two USB ports.
See also 1394.