This has been talked about so much these last few years, that is the idea to eliminate proprietary charging adapters, but has not really gone anywhere more than the look we can do this better stage. Just to have the idea ignored and a new standard for charging e-crap instead. The issue I see is running out of USB ports, especially 3.0 ports which are finally being used as the only port not as a bonus 2 + 2 system which is pretty useless. Why cant they just replace the charging adapter with a USB wall adapter that can then be reused with the next phone. Because face it, even if everything can charge by USB not everyone will want to, thus forcing them to ship with that a wall charger AND a USB charger... Which is how it already works. It's almost like a perpetual motion machine, but the only thing being perpetuated is FAIL...
As for powering other devices that are going to need a computer to work, like an external hard drive, that I see as being a good thing. Theres no way in hell I'm powering my monitor off my tower, thats just stupid, plugged in to the power bar is where it belongs. Because where does that 100 watts come from? Well the power supply, which are barely adequate in most computers leaving the factory as it is. I can just see someone plugging in their monitor, multiple phones, hard drives, ect, and then the power supply goes.