81–90 of 128 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not that hard to simply swap all the pins in hardware if the connector is reversed. You don't need to able to reassign every single pin to make that possible. Lightning is overdesigned which makes it expensive.
It's over designed right now but its software adaptability makes it essentially future-proof. In 10-15 years it will still be useful.
I still wish they would have standardized on 2.5mm jacks for usb. You can plug it in any direction, and you can pull a cable out of a tangle of wires without snagging due to the round shape. It is a superior connector.
that would be far too easy to short out/catch fire/damage circuitry/blow a fuse.
Never use this style of connector/jack for supplying power. The cable tip will make contact with both the jack ring and sleeve in most jacks, and the cable ring will make contact with the jack sleeve. No matter how you wire the cable/jack, you always have the high probably of short on insertion/removal.
Can Micro-USB support USB 3.0 speeds?
Basically, a "USB 3" connector has two completely distinct signaling environments. It's basically two cables in a single bundle. This is in fact literally true for hubs: a "USB 3 hub" is actually implemented as two distinct electronic devices: one working on the old lines and one on the new.
That said, there is an extension on the Micro B port that allows the extra SuperSpeed pins to be connected in such a way that the port remains compatible with old connectors. I've never seen one in the wild.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, let's just limit ourselves to standardized connectors, innovations sucks and we are tired of change. Now please get off my lawn. /sarcasm Just let the free market decide things like this, it is extremely efficient at that. Right now, Apple still sells loads of iPhones without using a standard connector. And frankly, I think my wife's iPhone 5 plugs in a much better way than my more standard Nokia 925 does.
It is efficient at generating the best outcome for the company in isolation, but that may not be an optimal outcome for society as a whole - externalities are typically not priced into the product. For example, consider the 51,000 tonnes of redundant chargers that were estimated by the GSMA to have been distributed in 2008 prior to the common charger initiative[1]. One can argue that the costs of landfill, carbon imp…
Surely many of us have drawers full of these bits and only really need one or two to keep all our devices topped up.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Actually, if you're in the US the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act covers you in the case of customizations [1]. Under this law, manufacturers are only able to claim your warranty as void if the modifications are what caused your warranty claim. I doubt they would be able to claim that your custom ROM caused your hardware failure on the USB port, so legally they had to fix it. More info on this FTC law [2]. [1] http://www.…
I'm in Europe, but it may well be that a similar law is in effect here. However, a lot of consumers (me included) wouldn't know about that, and companies try to get out of repairs that they are legally required to perform. Take a look at Apple's warranty: they claim to provide only 1 year of warranty, while European law requires them to provide two years. They will repair your device in the second year (it's the law!…
Problem is, the FTC requires you to have a lawyer file a lawsuit and coordinate your legal costs and representation with the FTC, generally requiring a lawyer specifically dealing in lemon law cases. I've been down this path with a defective cell phone (HTC Touch Pro) and trying to get my carrier to replace it, and it's impossible to find a lemon law lawyer that deals in anything besides used car sales.
As always, the law is well intentioned but enforcement is next to impossible, just like you said.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard. Lightning is just Apple's marketing term for Intel's Thunderbolt interface. The standard is available from Intel, and if it were not it would be more appropriate to direct your anger at Intel.
Thunderbolt is Intel's external, hotswappable PCI-e interface found on many Apple laptops. Lightning is Apple's proprietary interface found on iOS devices. Aside from being named after different aspects of the same natural phenomenon, they have nothing in common.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is a good innovation indeed. That being said, I'd rather deal with the minor annoyance of having to figure out which way to plug my USB cable than having to carry two sets of cables/adapters to accommodate all my devices.
On proper USB cables, it's always logo-side up, isn't it?
I only ever had one mini USB cord go bad, and that was a minor pain. But I have had the micro USB port on a cell phone become unreliable, which is insanely frustrating. The post holding the contacts no longer wants to push them against the cord, so it frequently loses the connection. I can solve the problem temporarily by pushing the post back with a small screw driver, but "temporarily" here is measured in minutes o…
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=37107 http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=75920
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard. Lightning is just Apple's marketing term for Intel's Thunderbolt interface. The standard is available from Intel, and if it were not it would be more appropriate to direct your anger at Intel.
Thunderbolt is Intel's external, hotswappable PCI-e interface found on many Apple laptops. Lightning is Apple's proprietary interface found on iOS devices. Aside from being named after different aspects of the same natural phenomenon, they have nothing in common.