anyone know the power output of USB?
 

If a usb cable can power a device, how much power is in the line? And which of the 4 lines are the power, and which ones are the data?

I guess I could look this up on google, but I'm banking on someone here knowing more than a search.

Arnt they cheap enough to just take one apart for the fuck of it and use a voltage tester?

It's a holiday. I'll never find a voltage meter at this hour. And I'm not so concerned with the device itself as I would be creating that. I was just wondering how much power I was working with. I assume it's less than 12... just curious as to how much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB

Power
The USB specification provides a 5 V (volts) supply on a single wire from which connected USB devices may draw power. The specification provides for no more than 5.25 V and no less than 4.75 V (5 V±5%) between the positive and negative bus power lines.[10] Initially, a device is only allowed to draw 100 mA. It may request more current from the upstream device in units of 2 mA up to a maximum of 500 mA.

If a bus-powered hub is used, the devices downstream may only use a total of four units — 400 mA (i.e. 2 watts) — of current. This limits compliant bus-powered hubs to 4 ports. The host operating system typically keeps track of the power requirements of the USB network and may warn the computer's operator when a given segment requires more power than is available.

On-The-Go and Battery Charging Specification both add new powering modes to the USB specification. The latter specification allows USB devices to draw up to 1.5 A from hubs and hosts that follow the Battery Charging Specification.

As of June 14, 2007, all new mobile phones applying for license in China are required to adopt the USB port as a power port.[11]

In September, 2007 the Open Mobile Terminal Platform --a forum dominated by operators but including manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG--announced that its members had agreed on micro-USB as the future common connector for mobile devices. [12][13]

Since you make some nifty shit and I may want one.

Here you go, all you need to know about USB.
http://www.hardwarebook.info/Universal_Serial_Bus_(USB)