131–140 of 1001 posts
LET'S GO EU! These headlines make me proud. Let's reach a global standard for charging stuff. I wish everything that had to be charged sometimes had a USB-C plug. But also I hope that the USB standard gets less messy in the future.
What if a device doesn't need all the extra pins in the USB-C connector? What if it only uses VBUS/D+/D-/GND?
This is an awesome move in my opinion. While it's pretty much defactor making it universal and legally required will be with the cutter and waste that is created by often requiring a special charger or a different charge for a device.
How about all the waste when over a billion iPhone users throw out Lightning accessories?
Can't replace old diesel trucks with green fuel trucks because the act of replacing them causes some pollution.
I wonder what the EU thinks of Tesla's charging port? Will all electric cars in the EU eventually be regulated into using J1772 ports without an adapter?
I'm pretty sure if I remember a technology connections video right, that EU Tesla's already ship with either the standard port or an adapter, none of the US supercharger plug mess.
Currently Apple sells new iPhone 12s, a 3 year old "design". Starting 2024, they'll have to only sell phones with USB-C in the EU. Assuming the iPhone 15 has USB-C, where does that leave the previous generations that they keep selling for new? Do they: 1. Stop selling anything but the 15 in the EU? 2. Make a change to all new iPhones, even 13, 14, SE to: 2.1 Take out the port completely and leave it portless, with Ma…
> With respect to charging by means other than wired charging, divergent solutions may be developed in the future, which may have negative impacts on interoperability, consumer convenience and the environment. Whilst it is premature to impose specific requirements on such solutions at this stage, the Commission should be able to take action towards harmonising them in the future, if fragmentation on the internal market is observed.
So they left the door open to regulate also Magsafe etc.
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Electronics companies decide what's best for them. Competition in the smart phone market is done, so consumers no longer have a say. These kinds of interoperability standards are great and would love to see more of them internationally.
Consumers still don't have a say. Now instead of companies choosing what hardware & features are best for their product, and you then choosing products based on your preferences, EU regulators are now forcing companies (and therefore you) to use whatever they think is best. I think in the case of USB-C it's not too bad just because USB-C is widely agreed to be a good connector that's already widely adopted, but there…
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There is no reason the EU can't upgrade to a new standard, or the USB consortium can't create a backward compatible upgrade. My USB 1.0 keyboard from long ago still works, BTW. Meanwhile, I have a box full of chargers for all kinds of old stuff. Replacing them all with 1 standard is great. And USB is doing just that, not only for cell phones but for all kinds of gadgets. Even if I only require an USB micro and an USB…
> This kind of process is quite normal for technology decisions in europe, BTW. Europe is technologically backwards. They got destroyed by Shenzhen and Silicon Valley because their bureaucrats keep rolling in with this sort of idiocy. They feel a need to bring this backseat design process because their local companies aren't up to the challenge of competing with more-nimble American megacorporations. Their phone comp…
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Is there something in this regulation that says it can never be changed to something else in the future? Why do you assume USB-C will remain the standard for all future? Seems likely if something else pops up in 2030 that is way better, there is nothing to suggest a new regulation couldn't be made.
How will they figure out that there is a better standard in the future? Certainly not with a study in the EU. They're going to have to send investigators to more advanced foreign countries to figure out what charger to use.
And yet, we managed to also adopt USB-C after that.
Fuck off! Barrel plugs are great.
This gives me some cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, having a common connector will reduce waste and be much more convenient (eg "Hey have you got an iPhone charger?") and make losing a charger a cheaper mistake. On the other hand I'm not sure I like the idea of government mandating electrical connectors on devices, which could stifle innovation, or be very shortsighted in the typical government-rules-on-tech wa…
Depends on the device.
Standards for EV fast charging are a very good thing. North America has two different plugs and protocols for DC fast charging (three if you count CHAdeMO) and it's a mess. The EU has standardized on CCS Type 2 Combo so any brand of CCS charging car can charge on any brand of CCS charging network. That's good common sense and it benefits everyone.
Incompatible charging infrastructure doesn't benefit any EV owner. It's a drag on the EV market. Closed networks like Tesla's and Rivian's are continuing to be part of the problem.
Tesla is (very) slowly changing in North America:
https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/28/22596337/tesla-supercharg...
Rivian still hasn't got the memo. Rivian's chargers are at least CCS but because they're brand exclusive they don't see much use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbvW0nK38j8
Those chargers could be earning more revenue right now instead of sitting idle. All they have to do is unlock the software.
Forced usb-c charger for laptops is concerning. 1) it is additional attack vector, what if maid in my hotel enhanced my charging brick with rubber ducky? 2) mag safe is very convenient
Also, who cares about magsafe? Only Apple laptops have it.
I think the move to USB-C is a smart one, it can even reach 100W. Speeds are insane too.