General Discussion

eppur_se_muova

(36,289 posts) Thu Apr 3, 2014, 10:21 AM Apr 2014

From the DUH/Facepalm files: Reversible USB cable design shown off for first time

A new design for USB - a standardised connection for data transfers between electronic devices - has been shown off for the first time.

The new connector will be reversible, bringing an end to the everyday irritant of trying to force a USB cable in the wrong way.

The images were first published by technology news site The Verge.

The USB Implementers Forum anticipates the new designs will be finalised in July.

But rollout of new ports will take some time as manufacturers gradually incorporate them into their products.
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more: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26868531
http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/2/5573680/first-images-of-the-reversible-usb-cable

Posted on 3 April, not April Fool's ...

Someone explain to me why this wasn't done in the first version ?????

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

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From the DUH/Facepalm files: Reversible USB cable design shown off for first time (Original Post) eppur_se_muova Apr 2014 OP

I always wondered why the hell they con't fit in either way Marrah_G Apr 2014 #1

Can we please fix the universal AC plug/socket next? tridim Apr 2014 #2

great! the problem was housing an asymmetric connection in a symmetric plug unblock Apr 2014 #3

Why not before? Because they were such a big improvment over what was used before... JHB Apr 2014 #4

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)

1. I always wondered why the hell they con't fit in either way

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Original post)

Thu Apr 3, 2014, 10:21 AM

Apr 2014

tridim

(45,358 posts)

2. Can we please fix the universal AC plug/socket next?

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Original post)

Thu Apr 3, 2014, 10:32 AM

Apr 2014

100+ years was a good run, but it's time to move on to something safer and more logical.

unblock

(52,317 posts)

3. great! the problem was housing an asymmetric connection in a symmetric plug

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Original post)

Thu Apr 3, 2014, 10:45 AM

Apr 2014

a completely symmetric connection is obviously the best solution, but if they had to have an asymmetric connection, all they had to do was to make the housing correspondingly asymmetric.

in other words, make it obvious by look and touch that there is only one way to plug it in.

consider the 3-pronged grounded electrical connection. that's asymmetric, but it's obvious that there's only one way to connect it, so it's not particularly frustrating. with the current usb design, you're pretty much stuck with trial and error.

JHB

(37,161 posts)

4. Why not before? Because they were such a big improvment over what was used before...

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Original post)

Thu Apr 3, 2014, 10:46 AM

Apr 2014

...(things that also mostly used different connectors at each end) that nobody noticed anything amiss. "You mean that's all I have to do to connect my printer? Wheee!"

Now that they're widely used and for so many devices -- and for things where they get plugged and unplugged far more often -- it's become worth it for them to develop reversibility.

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