I thought type-c was supposed to be the end-all compatibility design. You buy any type-c and it works to spec.
What gives?
Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
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Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#32I'm trying to find info about SurjTech with no luck. Does this company even exist?
I've noticed that a lot of "brands" on Amazon, especially for cheap electronics, seem to only exist on Amazon. I assume people are buying things in bulk from Alibaba or similar and sticking their label on it.
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#33I thought type-c was supposed to be the end-all compatibility design. You buy any type-c and it works to spec. What gives?
What gives is that this was not actually a type C cable, but an evil, broken cable mislabeled as a USB-C cable.
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
He might have a case. It was sold as an USB cable but clearly it is not actually an USB cable. False advertisement if not anything else.
Establishing liability seems easy. Winning a judgment in small claims court ought to be straightforward. Actually collecting on that judgment could be a challenge depending on where the company is located and how they do business.
I agree. That is really what I was wondering. Will he be able to see any money from this.
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#35I'm trying to find info about SurjTech with no luck. Does this company even exist?
I've noticed that a lot of "brands" on Amazon, especially for cheap electronics, seem to only exist on Amazon. I assume people are buying things in bulk from Alibaba or similar and sticking their label on it.
Not necessarily. Here’s a fascinating story about one Amazon retailer: http://www.fastcompany.com/3021229/chaim-pikarski-the-amazon...
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#36I wonder if he will be able to recover any of his losses from this company? I know he is reviewing these cables, so hes taking a certain amount of risk, but imagine if someone bought this cable for their new device. I would be pretty pissed if I bought a new device and a new USB cord to charge it and poof out goes the magical smoke and my USB didn't work anymore.
He might have a case. It was sold as an USB cable but clearly it is not actually an USB cable. False advertisement if not anything else.
The company has "surj" in the name, maybe it's truth in advertising after all :)
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#37I find my micro USB type-B connectors all eventually fail, and I've been combing through Amazon to find a reliable cable manufacturer, any suggestions?
Anker.
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#38I thought type-c was supposed to be the end-all compatibility design. You buy any type-c and it works to spec. What gives?
The issue here is that some of the type-c cables Amazon is selling are not to spec, they are miswired. The warning here it to stick to reputable type-c manufacturers because miswired cables can damage devices.
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#39I thought type-c was supposed to be the end-all compatibility design. You buy any type-c and it works to spec. What gives?
The spec is fine but they mis-wired the cable in the factory, badly.
Re: Google engineer finds USB Type-C cable that’s so bad it fried his Chromebook
#40Does anyone else find it concerning that our new and best technology is so fragile that even the slightest fezz-up in what should be a passive signal-cable can cause our otherwise state of the art equipment to fry itself? Is reliability, durability and robustness nowhere to be found in any single spec for our new standards?
It was not a slight fezz-up. It was miswiring in a power cable. It's like electrician wiring the live pin into ground pin and then wondering why one gets electrocuted by so many devices. No specification can defend against a hostile, or sufficiently incompetent, implementer.
Is that really true? (I have no idea just asking). Is there nothing you could put in the device to prevent bad inputs from damaging the internals? (for some definition of bad)
Is it a question of impossibility? Or cost? Or bulk? or something else?