Apple Destroys Lightning
reneritchie.netApple did not create the usb-c connector. At all. A team at Google in the chrome universe did. I can't remember if they were officially part of the Chromebook team, but I believe they were. Apple did not engage until well after it happened. I'm not sure why the myth persists (I believe Gruber started it) but it's totally wrong, and takes credit away from a group of people who worked very hard on it.
It's also easy to show it's wrong for anyone with access to the USB working group notes and meetings when it happened. Again, it's been a long time, but my recollection is that Apple didn't even attend the meeting where the connector was first submitted.
As far as I can discern, silence by Google was a condition of Apple adopting it, which already sucks for the people who created it, so let's not go further and totally retcon who created it.
Looking around, it doesn't seem like Google were the progenitors either, but were the first to adopt it.
From what I can find, Intel are constantly at the forefront of all mentions when trying to define USB 3 and positioning the USB C connector for it.
This article is far from definitive, but it's the best amalgamation of the bits I could also find separately https://9to5mac.com/2015/03/14/apple-invent-usb-type-c/
Google actually created it. It was a deliberate, intentional project to do so. They were very quiet about it.
If you find the people who did it, and ask them about projects named after mortal kombat characters, they will be happy to tell you the reality of what happened - in part because they've never been allowed to say it publicly :)
Danny is correct here. I was aware of it at the time (having been on Android 2012-2016), but won't leak any further details. I recommend taking the word of a highly credible person who has first hand knowledge over a thinly sourced article in the tech press.
Fair enough. It's a shame they weren't able to speak about it
>(I believe Gruber started it)
Yes. Along with dozens of other things like Apple was selling AirPod at Cost. Or Apple's Genius invented the big.LITTLE core config ( which he did later corrected ).
The iPad Pros with lightning (except the 9.7") support USB 3. The connector can already do it and Apple brand USB C to Lightning cables support it if the device does, in addition to the USB 3 camera connection kit. They just haven't bothered either because they feel the space of a USB 3 controller is better served elsewhere or they just don't care. I kind of feel they'd rather people feel pressured to need a Mac with Airdrop or an iCloud subscription to get photos/videos off in timely manner.
I kind of feel they'd rather people feel pressured to need a Mac with Airdrop or an iCloud subscription to get photos/videos off in timely manner
No.
Anyone who’s worked closely with Apple knows this isn’t how Apple operates.
If you separate out some of the literary flourishes, the article tells you how Apple ended up in this situation.
Besides, using a Mac and AirDrop with or without iCloud doesn’t solve the fundamental issue of getting tens or hundreds of gigabytes of video off a iPhone 13 efficiently.
We see this all the time that different parts of the company are on different schedules. The $329 entry level iPad has some features the mainstream $599 iPad Air doesn’t have, like Center Stage. That will get corrected this spring but it certainly caused some head scratching during the holiday shopping season.
Apple knows they need to solve this for pro users and it’s kind of embarrassing—hence the tone of the article—they haven’t yet.
It isn't? I've never worked with Apple but they are pretty happy to cripple 3rd party smart watches to make their own look better. Or how big of frustrating mess it is to move data on/off an iOS device with iTunes vs. using iCloud. I've had a few friends get frustrated at moving tens of gigs of photos off an iPhone using USB and just give up and get iCloud to do it. It was already a problem for years for consumers even.
I really don't see how the article explains how Apple ended up in this situation. Rene seems to have completely forgotten or missed that iPad Pros with lightning were already capable of USB 3 speeds back in 2015. Over 6 years ago. There is NO need for a different connector, just a better controller. And yet they keep not doing it.
USB-C is strange because the port that is used for charging is also used for communication and can act as a charger itself. I'm also not used to laptop chargers (MacBook and Thinkpad for example) being interchangeable. I'm always left wondering if I might fry something. I assume no, but it isn't worth experimenting with.
You don't need to experiment. You're not going to fry your laptop. Unless the power supply is specifically designed to fry whatever it's connected to.
It would be great if we are at the point where as long as the plug fits, things will at worst cause no damage and at best work as expected.
As a contrived example, is it fine to plug a Thinkpad USB-C charger into a MacBook power supply? Or perhaps a random 5V USB-C charger with a 20V one (yes I am familiar with diodes)? It doesn't make sense obviously, but the plug fits and someone, somewhere with particularly bad cable management will do this. Does the USB-C standard ensure that sparks will never fly or is this responsibility of the end user?
The USB-C standard does guarantee that there will never be any damage - any voltage over 5V normally has to be requested by the device. As long as the devices are standards compliant, nothing bad will happen.
The issue is devices that don't follow the standard, which can indeed be damaged, but what can you do about that.
If everything works according to standard, and if everything works in a perfect environment. Then Yes, it isn't an issue.
The reality is that charging at high voltage while being a high speed connection with direct controller on your CPU is problematic if not designed correctly. Aka MacBook Pro 2016.
There is no standard environment issue. As long as your charger and device are compliant, it's fine. If they aren't, there is nothing that can be done no matter what you're using.
Charging nowadays requires a high voltage and manufacturers have decided they want to reduce the number of ports, so we have no choice but to have high voltages with a controller in the CPU. An alternative would be to have a charging controller that can be activated and take over, but that's again an issue no matter what standard you're using.
Good to know. Thanks!
Or you use cables that manipulate the charging protocol incorrectly:
https://www.pcworld.com/article/424287/beware-bad-usb-c-cabl...
My official Raspberry Pi 4 USB-C power supply would like to have a word with you. It just sends out power.
I can't edit my post anymore, but your power supply is just sending out 5.1v. It won't damage anything, you'll be fine. It would have been an issue if it sent out more than 5v, but that's not the case, so no correctly made device will be damaged.
At more than 5v?
You know what would be sweet? If Apple used the new 2021 Magsafe connector on the iPhone. If you're going to have a proprietary connector, how about making it something that provides additional benefit.