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EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

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Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#931

Post by shapefrog »

solarkraft wrote: post #657
robonerd wrote: post #637

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see why "What about innovation?" is taken seriously as an argument anyway. USB-C is more than adequate, we could coast with it for the next hundred years. Nobody is kept up at night by the lack of innovation in AC power plugs, the standards countries have settled on today, while not all equivalent, are all generally satisfactory in practice. Problem solved; stop fixing that which ain't broke and move on to ot…

> Nobody is kept up at night by the lack of innovation in AC power plugs Mandatory Tom Scott video about bri'ish power plugs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEfP1OKKz_Q :-)

We had to leave to EU to get those much safer 3 pin plugs we had since 1911.

https://inews.co.uk/video/lbc-caller-three-pin-plugs-236449

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#932

Post by thesmok »

r00fus wrote: post #577
throw0101a wrote: post #563

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In all my years, I haven't had a single Lightning connector fail on me. The solid metal where the contacts reside is just too robust to wear out or get damaged (unless you somehow step on it the right way or let it corrode). I'm on my second phone where the Lightning connector barely works anymore. 'Thankfully' this one support Qi so I can charge wireless, but if I want to do a wired backup or upgrade I have to jig…

I just had a Lighting port fail on me (partial thankfully - there's one single cable in my house that still works to charge the thing) - but it's a 2014 device, a good 7-8 years old.

I've had a Lightning port fail on my original SE last year. Replaced it with the part taken from a donor SE. That was a bit scarier job than replacing the battery, but still doable.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#933

Post by pfortuny »

filoleg wrote: post #469
pfortuny wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Europe, and this is well known, companies must comply with the intent of the law, especially on something related to customers and compatibility. This is very very different from the US legal system, which can be tricked “ad nauseam”. Apple may well do what they please but there will be fines, and even prohibition of sales. Because the EU “knows” that it can be done without much burden and “sees” it as a benefit f…

This is a nice fantasy and all, but how did that whole "In Europe [...] companies must comply with the intent of the law" work out for GDPR? As far as I am aware, all the big tech companies that were used as the primary reason for creating GDPR are still doing the exact same things (that people were upset about) they were doing back then (just in a legally compliant™ way now according to "the intent of the law"). Not…

Well, ok. I specify: in hardware matters.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#934

Post by troad »

krzyk wrote: post #898
troad wrote: post #805

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is just not true. Denmark and Italy use their own plugs; Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus use the British plug; and the heart of the EU is divided between French-style and Schuko plugs. (Switzerland, though outside the EU, also uses its own plugs.) As I understand it, EU moves to standardise plugs failed in the 90s.

Oh, right I forgot about Malta (basically UK mini) and Cyprus. But Italy has the "normal" (schuko or French) plug. The old one (three holes in line) are in older houses mostly. My previous data was based on my travel in EU. Now I'm corrected. But there is a standardized plug that fits both schuko and French style sockets. That was probably why I didn't notice it earlier.

> But Italy has the "normal" (schuko or French) plug. The old one (three holes in line) are in older houses mostly.

That's a bit of an oversimplification. I was in Italy on Thursday and also early in May. My very modern hotel rooms mostly had Italian three-hole sockets, with a single token 'standard' euro socket provided at the table, that nevertheless didn't always accept my (French-style) laptop cable because the prongs were too thick.

Also, flashy modern hotels aside, I'd say most houses in Italy are "older houses". The three-hole socket is definitely extremely common in Italy in my experience. In fact, there's two incompatible three-hole Italian sockets - a larger one for most appliances, and a smaller one for lights.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#935

Post by ubermonkey »

DannyBee wrote: post #678
ubermonkey wrote: post #395

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm really not away of a lot of Apple people complaining about Lightning. I mean, I am one, and lightning doesn't bother me at all and never has. I don't see a consumer win here, basically. I see overreach.

They did complain, greatly, when apple first did it.

People will always complain about a change, but Lightning was materially better than the Dock Connector in a whole bunch of ways so I think folks got won over pretty quickly.

It's faster, it handles power better, it's more durable, and it's symmetrical. Hell, that last one alone probably won over a bunch of folks.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#936

Post by ubermonkey »

dhzhzjsbevs wrote: post #864
ubermonkey wrote: post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

HN loves to describe Apple as a monopoly, but it really only shows that HN readers don't know the definition of "monopoly."

I said monopolistic not monopoly. To say apple is a monopoly would be incorrect. To describe their behavior with service, repair, the app store, and lightening cable fees as anything other than monopolistic would be intellectually dishonest.

LOL. That's only the case if you don't care about the definition of "monopolistic."

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#937

Post by kanetw »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #894
kanetw wrote: post #856

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A compliant USB-C source will not provide more than 5V/3A without PD negotiation period, and is only guaranteed to provide default USB power. So if you can potentially draw more, you need to check whether it's allowed.

You need a chip in the power supply for that, but you already have a chip in the power supply because switching supplies are massively cheaper. You don't need a marker chip in the cable unless you intend to go over 20V/3A.

I'm just talking about end devices here (source/sink).

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#938

Post by raffraffraff »

throwaway92394 wrote: post #310
seu wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Will EU block innovation? Innovation is overrated. And standardising is not blocking. What we need more urgently than innovation is to stop creating so much waste, extracting so much stuff from the earth, and in general reduce consumption. Standardisation accomplishes at least some of that.

> Innovation is overrated. And standardising is not blocking. Hard disagree? Both lightning and USB C were massive improvements in durability compared to Micro USB - I'd argue lightning is still better in that regard, because there's no thin piece inside the phone that can break (did phone repair, and 99% of the time a "broken" iphone port was just stuck lint). USB C is not universally better then then Micro, namely…

I've read that USB-C is a durability improvement over micro USB. This surprised me because I've never had the USB port on a phone fail on me until I got a USB-C phone.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#940

Post by _ea1k »

dfox wrote: post #672
_ea1k wrote: post #391

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Tesla's connector is nicer (you can call that subjective but it isn't) I like the Tesla connector in the US, but in Europe, I'd argue that CCS2 is objectively superior. They need 3-phase power support and the Tesla connector doesn't support that. They also use a different CCS connector from the US. The CCS2 connector uses a latching mechanism that is similar to the proprietary Tesla one. Its simple and very reliabl…

I would say that the IEC 62196-2 used by Tesla in Europe is the most sane EV charging connector design there is. It is standard (albeit in the fast charge mode it is apparently only used by Tesla), the connector is not ridiculously large and the whole mechanical design is derived from industrial power connector that can be used to power entire typical European household.

Yeah, that one seems really practical to me. I think CCS2 is only slightly worse, with the additional dedicated DC charging pins.
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