EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard • Hacker News Board

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#231

Post by eigen » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 3:50 AM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #189

alt_f4 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time you are buying a charger, wired headphones or any other iPhone accessory, Apple collects a hefty license fee and you, indirectly, are paying it. Originally, the lightning port was a big improvement over existing tech. Currently though, the only reason the lightning port still exists is because it is a good way for Apple to use their market dominant position to milk consumers. It is not good for consumers,…

How “hefty” can the license fee be when you can buy a pack of five lightning cables for $14? https://www.amazon.com/Charger-AYNGWRNB-Certified-Lightning-... But if Apple is being “abusive” by having proprietary hardware, does that mean they should also force Nintendo to use standard media for the Switch? Should they also force Apple to allow iPhones to run a more standard operating system?

for comparison, the same company offers a 5 pack of USB-C cables for $12.99.

https://www.amazon.com/Braided-Charger-Charging-Compatible-S...

Also, the lightening cables now show $9.99 for me.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#232

Post by FireBeyond » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 3:51 AM UTC

qeqeqeqe wrote: post #169

bonzini wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could have proposed a USB connector which worked in either orientation to the USB implementers forum back in 2012, couldn't they?

And then wait 20 years for everyone to agree?

That is an order of magnitude exaggeration.

Lightning appeared in 2012. USB-C appeared in 2014.

20 years means we'd apparently still be waiting for another 12 years for USB-C. Hardly helps your argument.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#233

Post by FireBeyond » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 3:55 AM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #189

alt_f4 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time you are buying a charger, wired headphones or any other iPhone accessory, Apple collects a hefty license fee and you, indirectly, are paying it. Originally, the lightning port was a big improvement over existing tech. Currently though, the only reason the lightning port still exists is because it is a good way for Apple to use their market dominant position to milk consumers. It is not good for consumers,…

How “hefty” can the license fee be when you can buy a pack of five lightning cables for $14? https://www.amazon.com/Charger-AYNGWRNB-Certified-Lightning-... But if Apple is being “abusive” by having proprietary hardware, does that mean they should also force Nintendo to use standard media for the Switch? Should they also force Apple to allow iPhones to run a more standard operating system?

I guarantee you that those cables are faking the MFi authentication chip. Counterfeit cables aren't really an apt comparison.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#234

Post by FireBeyond » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 4:02 AM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #209

akersten wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Occam's razor would indicate that those too-good-to-be-true cables by a no-name Amazon seller are probably not genuine.

I’ve ordered them, they work.

Counterfeit [lots of things] work, that doesn't negate the point.

"If Rolex's cost $6,000+, how come I can buy one in the Bronx for $20?" "It's probably not real." "I bought it, it works."

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#235

Post by epicgiga » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 4:03 AM UTC

This isn't that unexpected.

The EU has tended to this kind of thing for a long time now, overriding its opinions of how things should be "standardised" over the top of liberty. Makes sense if you think about it: given its nature as an institution, its modus operandi is to "standardize" and "make uniform", as a core expression of its sovereignty over what is a highly heterogeneous territory.

Fortunately though, Apple will be around much longer than it will.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#236

Post by FireBeyond » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 4:05 AM UTC

mrep wrote: post #199

nickserv wrote: post #29

Good news, and I hope it passes the commission. With USB-C there's no real reason to have other standards for charging a cell phone. And with that out of the way, manufacturers can focus on developing a universal wireless charging protocol.

> With USB-C there's no real reason to have other standards for charging a cell phone. I'll take lightning over usb-c anyday. I currently have a pixel 3 and it does not connect half the time and yes, I clean out the stupid port with a toothpick even though I never had to do that with an iphone. Android auto is especially annoying as a slight bump can cause it to disconnect and then it takes like 20 seconds to get it…

Buy high quality cables. I have Philips USB-C cables and I -cannot- move them in my MBP. Either horizontally or vertically. Not a wiggle. Nothing.

Cheaper lesser quality cables are the issue. Buy a 99c gas station Lightning cable and see how well it works for you.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#237

Post by KerrickStaley » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 4:09 AM UTC

Agustus wrote: post #201

A great way to stifle innovation. Apple has been trying out cables and transfer types over the years (thunderbolt, CD-ROM, USB, wireless) and they do it on the backs of the luxury users, not too far off from what the luxury car makers in testing what to propagate downstream. Apple has set a standard to use their cable format, which works. If you go through the litany of USB-B there were power issues, transfer rates,…

What is "USB-B" here? I don't think that's a thing. There is USB type B, but I don't think that's what you're referring to.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#238

Post by npo9 » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 4:12 AM UTC

cosmodisk wrote: post #223

Agustus wrote: post #201

A great way to stifle innovation. Apple has been trying out cables and transfer types over the years (thunderbolt, CD-ROM, USB, wireless) and they do it on the backs of the luxury users, not too far off from what the luxury car makers in testing what to propagate downstream. Apple has set a standard to use their cable format, which works. If you go through the litany of USB-B there were power issues, transfer rates,…

It is absolutely not,in any way or form.Charger is only second to a power plug.My TV, router, washing machine and hair dryer use the same type of plug to get electricity from a socket. It's 2020 and yet we argue how it's beneficial to have x types of phones with z types of connections...Come on!

Electrical plugs also haven’t had any real innovations since the ground wire. I hope to see innovations in power/data cables to cellphones more frequently than that!

Edit: even if the innovations is just faster data transfer and more power.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#239

Post by Rexxar » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 4:19 AM UTC

Agustus wrote: post #201

A great way to stifle innovation. Apple has been trying out cables and transfer types over the years (thunderbolt, CD-ROM, USB, wireless) and they do it on the backs of the luxury users, not too far off from what the luxury car makers in testing what to propagate downstream. Apple has set a standard to use their cable format, which works. If you go through the litany of USB-B there were power issues, transfer rates,…

  > A great way to stifle innovation.

This need an explanation. Why do you think this ?

This law doesn't forbid any innovative technology, it just mandate there is at least one way to charge phones with a standard charger. It can be an adapter, a second port or whatever solution they find.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#240

Post by fiter » Sat, Feb 01, 2020, 4:19 AM UTC

mofosyne wrote: post #221

fiter wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it doesn't matter to most people anymore, but these ports are for more than charging. This regulation could stifle using this port for other features. That said, it's pretty obvious where everything is going (wireless), so it's not clear to me that this regulation will matter too much either way.

If the phone manufacturers care enough, they can always pay the fine per device

I believe it is the customer who will pay the fine. The manufacturers may have a different number of sales due to the higher price that the customer will have to pay.