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I’m not quite sure what the complaint here is? USB is a standard, and the problem was that we didn’t have the standard installed. The fact you’ve got a slightly different version of the standard is a simple problem to solve by owning a cheap cable.
In fact it’s literally the same as having USB-C on both ends, since it’s still only the one cable. A to C, or C to C, it makes no difference
USB A to C is pretty standard
Still better having new universal standards come out over time (as requirements exceed the capabilities of the previous standards) than having a different one for each company or device.
I remember buying a Nokia phone and finding out that used a different cable to my earlier Nokia phone.
I have a piece of furniture with a snap in power station and it probably has USB 1.0 ports on it. I don’t care how cool the tech is, if you’re trying to incorporate it into a long lasting product like furniture, it really needs to be a standard module that is easy to upgrade. Mine snaps out but I have no idea if an updated version exists anywhere because there’s no standardization and this furniture company doesn’t show anything on their website.
I enjoy the A to C converter on the side that you didn’t explicitly call out. Nice easter egg :D
I have a piece of furniture with a snap in power station and it probably has USB 1.0 ports on it. I don’t care how cool the tech is, if you’re trying to incorporate it into a long lasting product like furniture, it really needs to be a standard module that is easy to upgrade. Mine snaps out but I have no idea if an updated version exists anywhere because there’s no standardization and this furniture company doesn’t show anything on their website.
I’d prefer non-corporate internationally approved standards over modularity. We were able to do it with CAT/ITU …
Non-corporate internationally approved standards… For furniture inserts?
I have a piece of furniture with a snap in power station and it probably has USB 1.0 ports on it. I don’t care how cool the tech is, if you’re trying to incorporate it into a long lasting product like furniture, it really needs to be a standard module that is easy to upgrade. Mine snaps out but I have no idea if an updated version exists anywhere because there’s no standardization and this furniture company doesn’t show anything on their website.
I never used any public ports. Reality is if i have a cable with me, I’m just as likely to have a power bank, and it charges my phone faster. It also gives me more freedom of movement as I don’t have to be wired to a wall.
I still see these in the gym!
I was looking to book a hotel recently and one of the hotels listed “Every room equipped with iHome radio dock” as an amenity.
What year is it?!
I still rock an old iPod. At a gym I’d imagine it’s more for those than phones at this point.
Has this guy somehow not learned of type A to type C cables?
The same could be said about power adapters
It’s not so much the connector; but the power delivery standard.
Type A maxes out at 5v 3a = 15w and is often limited closer to 5v 1a = 5w for public-use charging ports.
Type C and its power delivery standards can get as high as 50v 5a = 250w (though usually closer to 20v 5a = 100w)
Then again… The negotiation for what voltage/amperage to supply happens over the data lines which you don’t want connected on a public charging port…
I dont really see a good solution here.
Carry a power bank.
Yes, obviously that’s always been an option.
I dont see a good solution for the topic we were actually talking about: creating high-power public use charging ports.
Charge the powerbank with the public charger. Not data to steal, no expensive phone with sensitive electronics to break.
One day, I’m sure there will be a defcon talk about reprogramming powerbanks to fry devices.
Plugging into a random usb port is bad security
There has never been a proven case of juice jacking, anywhere, ever.
But I have seen multiple phones get harmed by a really bad charger. Although these chargers were not for public use.
Still, it’s not a bad idea to bring a power bank. And then charge that, if you need to.
At least that’s what the juice jackers want us to think.
Bangs42 thinks they’re slick, but we all know that’s what a juice jacker would say.
Not really bad if you use a power-only cable. If the data pins aren’t even wired up, can’t move anything other than power.
Not sure if that works with USB-C at anything other than legacy 500mA power draw though, probably not since the device can’t communicate for what it supports.
Not really bad if you use a power-only cable.
Or a USB condom. But I never really hear about those anymore.
Until you find that person who wired a 48v USB plug, just for you.
USB-PD standards push 50v. Go with wall voltage (110-220v 60/50hz) to be sure.
With this arrangement, they probably can’t steal your data. But they can absolutely destroy your phone with a string electric shock, if that’s the sort of malicious plan they have.
Now if only usb cables were labeled like Ethernet cables.
It amazes me how given the complexity of the USB specifications, where everything looks the same but it is not the same, nothing is ever labeled.
Some things are but the labelling is stupid and tiny. Many laptop ports are labeled but people aren’t familiar with the icons (and the icons are often confusingly similar)
Happy Cakeday! 🍰🎂
Well–to bring it back to the security point, you can’t trust the icon on the port anyway. You need a well-labeled cable, and, good luck
If your device has good software, it will only allow power unless you authorize a data connection.
* Assuming there is no bug, zero-day, or other vulnerability on the current version of your fully updated device.
Having a power-only cable removes that as a possibility.
Still gotta worry about stuff that could send a ton of current to fry the ports too. USB condoms can help here too but your own power adapter is best.
Nah, I won’t worry about such problems until there is a chance of it actually happening.
Ton of voltage. You push voltage and pull current.
I only push imperial current electron flow style.
A power only USB-C cable is a violation of USB spec, has to be USB 2.0 at the least.
That’s never stopped companies from making something, like A to A USB cables.
So’s leaving the house.
Stay in, bolt the doors, board up the windows, stay safe.
Except that isn’t even safe, just paranoid. Sometimes accidents happen because you’re trying to prevent accidents
USB-A ports have been outdated since at least 2017, when it started seeing very widespread use. It’s everyone else that’s late
Dude your mom’s been outdated since at least 2017
Idk. Like all the usb ports were capped at like 5v 1a with shorted data lines. I always used my own charger just because it would take 6 hours to charge my phone using the built in usb plug.
This is why next to my couches are multi-port chargers.
The ones I’m using currently have 8 ports; 2 at 65W, 3 at 30W, and 3 at 20W. The 30 & 60 are USB-C, 20W is USB A. The 65W is plenty for laptops, tablets, and phones. 30W for tablets and phones if the 65W is in use or headphones, eBook reader, etc. 20W for all that miscellaneous simple device charging, anything micro USB, etc.
Way better strategy than built in IMO. Easy to replace, old one goes somewhere else (or given to family members), etc.
This.
Takes forever to bring the charge up; but perfect for maintaining battery while you watch/scroll on trips.
Also great to squeak a little battery in if your phone was flat and you needed to make a call.
That’s why USB ports are always worse than a proper outlet. Just take your charging brick with you, what’s the problem?
I’m a PD evangelist. Imagine a safer power delivery system that can go directly to the device you want powered. Scale that with fact most of the world could be and should be DC with AC being good just for niche applications like microwaves and mid range transmissions.
If you think USB A vs C outlets are a problem, wait until you see how much of a struggle getting the entire world to use DC instead of AC is like you’re suggesting lol
Tell me you don’t understand how electrical transformers work without telling me you don’t know understand electrical transformers work.
You say most of the word should be DC I till you realize that you need a 3cm thick cable to move 2000w 30m. DC is really bad outside of low or ultra high power transmission.
The calculator I used says for 48v with an acceptable drop of 3v at 50 amp (2400-2250 watts) would be a 0 (1/0) AWG or .82515cm diameter diameter wire to handle the current (oversized really but it’s napkin math lol) for 30m.
travels internationally
I’ve got a brick for EU/UK/USA/AUS plugs with 3 type a and 1 type c and an international multiplug ac/ac pass through.
Chargers are almost always compatible with any a/c voltage and only need a physical adapter to plug into a wall socket in a different country. Or bring a power bank with you
You’ve got to start traveling with one of these bad boys:
Once you flip it, everyone gets envious on the plane.
Just throw some backpack straps on that and off you go
When you’re advanced, you carry two: one powers your stuff, and the other is for your karaoke machine.
USB ports on a wall outlet or power strip are usually much more space efficient than a charging brick.
They’re also much less capable though. Have fun finding a USB-C PD port anywhere when you need to charge your laptop - a power outlet is much more useful.
I basically end up using power bricks for laptop and phone, and ports built into a power strip for everything else. Most stuff doesn’t need full PD support (but most anker power strips actually support it, just not at very high wattage).
Does nobody have usb to usbc cables?
I don’t think you can do the PD standard from a USB a port. Edit: Reading the Wikipedia page, it sounds like usb-a supports PD 1.0 but not 2.0+ and the higher power requirements.
best i can do is a usb-b to usb-c adapter :D
rented a car a couple weeks ago. it didn’t have usb-a OR a lighter outlet-- had to go buy usb-c to usb-c cables
incidentally, if you’re in the market for a new car, don’t buy a mazda cx30. and not even for the usb issue, it just all-around sucks
yea, the car I was given just had a cover plate over that,. no outlet
This is hilarious!
As an anarchist I’m so glad we also made the word universal useless by making all kinds of different power and data transmit standards that ports and cables may or may not support. As a Satanist I also love that there is no system for labeling anything to know what cable will support what protocol.
The bus is universal, the port is standardized but not universal.
The cereal has yet to arrive
We do, we just decided not to label anything.
