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Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

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Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#311

Post by EvanAnderson »

giovannibajo1 wrote: post #276
EvanAnderson wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the Apple Device Enrollment Program ( http://www.apple.com/business/dep/ ) and it allows enterprises to exercise "mobile device management" at the time of device activation. Apple says that once devices are enrolled they can't be removed (because, presumably, rows cannot be deleted from a database after being added... >sigh<).

It's not that easy. DEP is meant to also protect private property, so it piggy backs on activation lock to bind a device to a certain (company) Apple ID. Obviously, there must also be no way for any person to social engineer an Apple Care representative over the phone to get DEP lifted from a device, and this is why Apple Care can't do that, period. The only possible way to remove that is going through the private ke…

I was not aware that there was any mechanism, even for the rightful owner, to have DEP membership removed from a device once it's enrolled. I'll have to look into that.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#312

Post by digi_owl »

distantsounds wrote: post #37

I wish someone would do this for micro-usb2 cables. I've bought so many different ones and found that they don't carry enough current from the charger to properly charge my Nexus 6.

Well there you have multiple "issues".

One part is the wire gauge. You need something like 24awg (its the American system, don't ask me why) on the power pins (higher number, thinner wire, iirc). Most use 28 on both power and data pairs.

Then the charger has to actually follow the USB spec, not the very similar Apple one. This means either a microchip that can handle the USB handshake, or a resistor across the data pins at the charger end to signal that this is a charger (Apple has one resistor on each pin, with a slightly different resistance).

Now on top of that you have Qualcomm pushing their fast charge system that involves a chip at both ends, and higher voltage than the 5V that USB normally uses. The higher voltage allows for more watts without upping the ampere (V*A=W, iirc).

Note that the Qualcomm system is similar (but i don't think they are interchangeable) with the USB3 system (the latter can go all the way to 20V, but that requires beefy cables).

Frankly the more i think about it the more i expect to hear about someone getting electrocuted because they mistook their data cable for their dumb laptop charger.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#313

Post by mathewpeterson »

stygiansonic wrote: post #310
mathewpeterson wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just keep in mind that all these products are mass produced and are subject to imperfections. Really, the only thing that matters is how good their customer support is and Anker is probably better than most but they still have a long way to go. I say this because I had one of their USB power ports that my children use to charge their iPads (2x 4th gen) that overheated and burnt up[1]. I completed the contact form on…

Yikes, that is scary. I have read a few stories about USB chargers burning up like this. Was this one UL/CSA/ETL certified? Thanks for your story; hope you and your kids weren't hurt by the defective unit.

I'm not sure what certifications the device had but It was purchased less than 12 months ago.

Luckily both kids were not injured and were able to unplug the unit before it caused any major damage. Because there were no bodily damage, I didn't push the issue as hard as I could have.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#314

Post by jpindar »

chedabob wrote: post #228
SixSigma wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One problem I have with Amazon reviews is this type : "Just got the product, arrived really quick. It worked when I tried it a minute ago, 5 stars."

I have a feeling there's some kind of reward system in place for reviewing products and answering questions. There's so many answers to fairly simple questions that are along the lines of > will this HDMI cable connect my laptop to my tv? > i don't know but it sends a good signal from my xbox to tv They help nobody and just clutter up the actual helpful answers

You used to have the ability to downvote useless answers, but that seems to hav3ew gone away.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#315

Post by Turing_Machine »

vacri wrote: post #148
radiorental wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand the rationale, but isn't the current s.o.p. to ship a good cable with the product? "if the market is littered with bad cables USB-C will have a bad image which will be bad for the products he worked on." I don't buy this tail wagging the dog argument. Sorry.

People frequently buy multiple cables for various reasons. For example, I have three microUSB cables for my phone, which only came with one - for charging at my home computer, work computer, and in my laptop bag.

I do the exact same thing. Keeping one at home, one at work, and one in the bag means one less thing to worry about leaving behind/not having when you need it.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#316

Post by gleenn »

phkahler wrote: post #202
bkmartin wrote: post #17

The average consumer has no idea if one of these cables will actually do what they proclaim. The only way to really know is when other customers review the product, which we know is barely useful most of the time due to fraudulent reviews. Great job on the part of this Google engineer for writing such clear and technical reviews of the products. Now that an expert has called some of these cables out as not adhering t…

>> The average consumer has no idea if one of these cables will actually do what they proclaim. Isn't that what standards compliance is supposed to be for? Shouldn't the product have to be tested against the standard in order to get labeled USB X.Y ?? Or doesn't USB have such a requirement?

Having worked at a company shipping a USB cable with our product, I know we explicitly couldn't use the USB logo on the cable without additional (expensive) testing. So our cable just didn't have the logo.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#317

Post by Turing_Machine »

bkmartin wrote: post #303
ColinDabritz wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's $5 for the cable, but you could potentially damage the USB C port on a laptop, and some rather expensive fruit branded laptops now charge solely via the USB C port, which you could argue destroyed the value of the laptop. That sounds like it might make a small-claims-court case sensible to me. (I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice.)

I was thinking the same thing. And some of these guys would not be able to capably defend very many small claims suits at one time. I always wondered what would happen in that case.

Very likely they're not even going to be around under that name by the time you file your suit, but instead operating under a different name. Good luck finding them in Shenzhen in order to collect.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#318

Post by Dylan16807 »

giovannibajo1 wrote: post #276
EvanAnderson wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the Apple Device Enrollment Program ( http://www.apple.com/business/dep/ ) and it allows enterprises to exercise "mobile device management" at the time of device activation. Apple says that once devices are enrolled they can't be removed (because, presumably, rows cannot be deleted from a database after being added... >sigh<).

It's not that easy. DEP is meant to also protect private property, so it piggy backs on activation lock to bind a device to a certain (company) Apple ID. Obviously, there must also be no way for any person to social engineer an Apple Care representative over the phone to get DEP lifted from a device, and this is why Apple Care can't do that, period. The only possible way to remove that is going through the private ke…

>Obviously, there must also be no way for any person to social engineer an Apple Care representative over the phone to get DEP lifted from a device, and this is why Apple Care can't do that, period.

That's not obvious to me. Those same people can be social engineered into giving someone access to your data, which is an order of magnitude worse than a device wrongfully moving accounts.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#319

Post by gleenn »

x0x0 wrote: post #194
eloisant wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually this post explains why he's doing that: https://plus.google.com/+BensonLeung/posts/LH4PPgVrKVN It kind of makes sense: he worked on products that use USB-C (Pixel laptops), but if the market is littered with bad cables USB-C will have a bad image which will be bad for the products he worked on. So what he's doing is in the interest in his employer, and for the benefit of the products he worked on. He's not d…

If only there were some way for google to get high quality usb-c cables to customers! Like not charging $13 plus shipping for a 1m cable (a ridiculous profit margin), and keeping them in stock. Or hell, throwing 5 of them in with everything they sell that uses usb-c. I mean, that would have to cost dollars. Whole dollars , on a $500 phone! https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_to_usb_standard_...

Manufacturers got to lengths to squeeze pennies out of the Bill of Materials (BOM) in products like these. I remember listening to some conversations and being blown away at the tiny savings here and there, and our product was over $100.

Re: Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

#320

Post by Dylan16807 »

fixermark wrote: post #216
x0x0 wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If only there were some way for google to get high quality usb-c cables to customers! Like not charging $13 plus shipping for a 1m cable (a ridiculous profit margin), and keeping them in stock. Or hell, throwing 5 of them in with everything they sell that uses usb-c. I mean, that would have to cost dollars. Whole dollars , on a $500 phone! https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_to_usb_standard_...

The fact that the market is full of low-cost USB-C cables that aren't reliable may suggest that the cables cost $13 because it's actually a $13 problem to get it right. ;)

Nah, it just suggests that nobody cares.
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