Gregory's Server@EU_Commission that's great, but in my experience what leads to this mess is some cables being for data transfer only, some for charging only, some for both. that needs to go away.
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19 comments
 @thm @EU_Commission I don't know if they're made that way but I have many cables that don't charge (anything) and also cables that charge and do not transfer data @stooovie That can happen, but is just due to wear and cheap materials (AFAIK) @thm @stooovie To be fair, it was was advertised as such, to be able to charge your phone while still using it on the couch or in bed. Deliberate choice to make a fairly cheap 3m cable. As long as it's clearly specified, I don't really see the problem, though. @goleztrol @thm is the cable also labelled as such? clearly labelled on the cable itself? if not, it only ever adds to the confusion  @goleztrol @thm @stooovie and they are useful if you want to charge at untrusted usb ports like when traveling on a train. makes it harder to be hacked if there is no data connection ;) Absolutely! That's exactly why I was looking for one, and why I know they're relatively rare, since I came up mostly empty - save for a handful of cables and/or adapters specifically made for that purpose, haha It's important to think of USB as a network, and an attack vector  @thm @stooovie @EU_Commission There are two types of USB-C cables when it comes to power draw – regular cables can handle up to 3A (60W at 20V), and high power cables can do up to 5A (100W at 20V). USB-PD 3.1 can do up to 240W by increasing the voltage to 48V, but I've been unable to find information whether this needs a new type of cable, or if it'll work over old ones. @stooovie @EU_Commission This ! And some companies that do what they want anyway. Example : the Nintendo switch charger is using a usb-c connector, it only works with the switch, it won’t charge anything else. @iXo @EU_Commission yes, true, I forgot about that! My daughter has toys with USB-C chargers that can be charged ONLY by the supplied charger (even when the port and electricity ratings are typical and normal). Some of these are even made in EU! @ixo @stooovie @EU_Commission i often charge my phone with the charger that came with a switch lite (I admit I don't know about the normal switch, as it's charger is always connected to its base). @ixo @stooovie @EU_Commission this behavior could be regulated too, IMHO. @iXo @stooovie @EU_Commission just checked. It even fast charges my Samsung. I have read something about Nintendo screwing up the USB-C implementation but I do not remember what it was. @stooovie @EU_Commission absolutely this, having done some light USB-related stuff in the past, the spec is an absolute and utter user-hostile mess while it's great to have one unified connector, the unified connector needs to actually be unified, and not have a spec which allows stuff like power- or data-only cables, cables that only work one way with a reversible connector, or a pile of different speeds (iirc USB 3 compatiblity isn't required by USB-C, and USB2-only cables are to spec) @stooovie @EU_Commission there's also the issue that an USB vendor ID costs several thousand USD, which makes using the USB spec inaccessible to hobbyists or particularly small and/or young companies i think a standard required by the EU should be actually open and free to implement, not just "open" via the (unauthorised) use of someone else's vendor ID  @stooovie @EU_Commission and by data were talking about what speed? By charging we're talking about how much power? Yes. There's lot to be done. @michael_stuhr @EU_Commission exactly. It's insanely complex. I'm a video guy, I should know but I can't keep up. How is the regular Joe supposed to know? 🤷♂️ @michael_stuhr @EU_Commission the complexity isn't gone, it just all has the same plug, making the mess much worse |
@stooovie @EU_Commission I'm pretty sure there's virtually no USB-C cables *made* only for one of the two.
There are "special" high capacity USB-C cables for high power draws, but there's not much one can do, it wouldn't really make sense to mandate *all* USB cables to be rated for 60W+
(Though I did pretty much replace all the cables I carry with those, and it's not really a hassle either)