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News USB Type-C to be slimmer and reversible

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Meanmotion, 4 Dec 2013.

  1. Meanmotion

    Meanmotion bleh Moderator

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  2. GeorgeK

    GeorgeK Swinging the banhammer Super Moderator

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    Reversible plugs would be a godsend - does anyone else try the following with USB:

    Try plug, doesn't fit - turn plug upside-down, still doesn't fit, try plug back in first orientation, suddenly fits!

    EVERY GODDAMN TIME AAARGH
     
  3. Guinevere

    Guinevere Mega Mom

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    Apple change functional but nasty 30pin connector to slim, strong reversible lighting connector and the internets has a massive group hissy fit as adaptors are needed for older device compatibility.

    USB makes the same sort of decision with their connector and it too will need adaptors for older device compatibility and the internets loves it and applauds the move.

    Ahh, how we love the internets.

    I don't see what's wrong with the current system. I mean I only need to use six different USB connectors. Six? What's wrong with there being six different connectors? (Sarcasm)
     
  4. law99

    law99 Custom User Title

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    EVERY ****ING TIME MOTHER ****ER!!!! THIS IS THE BEST THING SINCE HOME SLICED ETHERNET CABLE!!!!!
     
    GeorgeK likes this.
  5. Lance

    Lance Ender of discussions.

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    Having started to use the Apple lightning connector, I really like it, its so much better compared with the old version so I am looking forward to it.

    What I don't like is that my old docks/speakers are essentially useless now.
     
  6. KidMod-Southpaw

    KidMod-Southpaw Super Spamming Saiyan

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    No more USB ports breaking the 4th wall? NOOOOO!
     
  7. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    when this is fully implemented and widespread it will be great but getting there is still going to be a pain. Legacy devices not working or no adapters when you need one etc
     
  8. GeorgeK

    GeorgeK Swinging the banhammer Super Moderator

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    I didn't realise that Apple's lightning connector was reversible - rather cynically I just thought they changed it so that they could make more money from selling new accessories as your old ones wouldn't work any more...

    Ahahahahaha - exactly what I was going to type but I chickened out :D +rep good sir :thumb:

    Edit:

    [​IMG]
     
    law99 likes this.
  9. Guinevere

    Guinevere Mega Mom

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    You have four options:

    1. Use a 3.5mm cable. Your dock has one of those right?

    2. Use an Apple 30pin/lightning adaptor.

    3. Use a third party 30pin/lightning adaptor.

    4. Spend £10 for a 30pin bluetooth adaptor and convert your dock to use bluetooth (This is what I'd do)

    Note: I initially mistyped the 'o' in dock and it came out with the adjacent vowel. Now converting that to bluetooth would be an achievement!
     
  10. Tangster

    Tangster Butt-kicking for goodness!

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    Probably because USB cables are like £1.50 each but a lightning cable is £15 each.
     
  11. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    I had a GIF, but file size limit...:(

    This is a welcome change, and it doesn't bother me much. Phone chargers are the new coat hanger. I just need to open my electronic stuff drawer in a few months, and I'll have six new ones.
     
    Last edited: 4 Dec 2013
  12. Guinevere

    Guinevere Mega Mom

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    Ebay will sell you a lightning cable in any number of colours for 99p. It'll charge up your iOS 7 device just fine, which is all most people need with wi-fi sync. It 'probably' won't blow up your device, and if it does it's sure to only do it once.

    Amazon will sell you a 3m audiquest carbon USB cable for £199. Yes, it works exactly the same as the two dozen generic ones you have stuffed in a draw somewhere.

    What does this prove? That's Apple's cables are good quality but they sure make lots of profit for Apple, and Audiquest / Monster Et Al will try and get money from really gullible fools. At least

    I love the lightning cable. Yeah it's annoying that six of my devices run 30pin connections compared to the two newer ones, but that's progress. We suffered too many years with silly little round power connectors that came in a dozen different sizes and then different polarities.

    When it came to data cables everyone did their own thing. But Apple created a standard they kept for blooming' ages. Now they have a new standard and it's better than the old one and still backwardly compatible.

    Just wish they'd add USB 3.0 to lightning. I know the flash drives can write at a faster rate than their interface will sync at.
     
  13. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    Well I guess thats apple users for you. :lol:
     
  14. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    The bitching is because Apple chose to create their own proprietary connector rather than finally switch to micro-USB like every other phone manufacturer on the planet, and that they managed to lose not only much of the functionality of the 30-pin dock (simultaneous access to line-out, HDMI out, USB, etc), but worse functionality than micro-USB!
    For example: Apple's solution to video-out on the Lightning connector is to encode everything to lossy 720p, stream it to a ARM chip at the end of the cable, which then decodes the stream and upscales it to the desired output resolution. Micro-USB? Both Slimport and MHD output standard HDMI, with no upscaling or re-encoding.
     
  15. Beasteh

    Beasteh What's a Dremel?

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    Reminded me of this SMBC comic.

    Does this mean the connectors on my shiny new case are obsolete?
     
  16. Maki role

    Maki role Dale you're on a roll... Lover of bit-tech

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    Hmm. The only thing I liked about USB is that newer generations still worked with older ones without any adapter mess (albeit at reduced capacities). This will be fine after a few years when everybody's stuff fits, but until then it will be nice and annoying. Simply put, if it's not adopted everywhere quickly, it won't work, but if it is adopted, it's annoying for a while.

    Same deal as with the lightning cable, when it was released, damn it was annoying having to use adapters/get new cables. But now it's filtered across all my devices so I'm happy as once more they're back to a single connector. It just means there's going to be the inevitable teething issues, only I suspect this USB one may be more annoying as Apple can make a switch immediately, which prompts a swift response. A gradual change will just take longer and be more difficult in the long run.
     
  17. Yslen

    Yslen Lord of the Twenty-Seventh Circle

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    As the great Tom Francis once said, "If mankind could harness the technology that allows a USB connector to only work the third way around you try it, we'd be unstoppable."
     
  18. SexyHyde

    SexyHyde Minimodder

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    I remember the big fuss when we changed from miniUSB to microUSB. Massive it was. Oh wait no it wasn't. And as the new cables will be USB to USB Type-C (what we going to be calling it? nanoUSB?) most stuff will just work and we don't have expensive docks and appliances that need additional adapters.

    The Apple cables are shockingly poor. I have loads at work and they last about as long as the worst generic cables i have used.
     
  19. Skill3d

    Skill3d Minimodder

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    Try plug, doesn't fit; turns plug, fits but isn't working at all, try plug back in first orientation, fits as well.... Made my own reversible (nonfunctional now) usb -_-
     
  20. SpAceman

    SpAceman What's a Dremel?

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    This might clear things up for you:
    [​IMG]


    This is of course a brilliant idea. I just hope phone manufacturers ship new phones that use the type-C standard with micro-B to micro-C adapters.
     
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