They seem to be quite open to accept improvements rather than setting everything on stone. I noticed that they had switched last from older USB PD spec allowing 100W charging to one that allows 240W. I can see this adding some inertia overall though.
Actually, I agree with you Thom. I've certainly got way too many cluttering up my equipment drawers.
USB is a market solution, and has naturally solidified around charging for all sorts of things, including, amazingly, the booster pack for my car. But there is a HUGE difference between standardization by consensus, and mandatory determination from 'on high' which stifles innovation.
I imagine the law can be revised if a company can show a demonstrated useful improvement in USB technology as long as it offers backward compatibility.
There is a big difference in allowing more power on the existing connector and changing the connector.
The regulation will stifle any improvement that can't easily be backward compatible. HDTV took an extra 20 years to become available because of outdated backward compatibility requirements.
I guess have more trust in companies abilities to keep a dialog going with entities behind regulations like this, offering them ideas about way forward and getting back feedback about what has a decent chance of being accepted.
Absolutely. We're kicking a lot of cans down the road.
I've spent my entire career in tech R&D. The only thing more distasteful to management than developing a non-standards compliant solution is developing an "illegal" solution. I know it's not really illegal to innovate beyond what regulations allow, but executive management treats it as such.
Funny you should ask. The last five emails I received had five different responses to that basic question. The EU commission did an amendment recently that was supposed to clarify things, but then it used terms that don't seem to be defined well, adding a new uncertainty.
Often true.
Yes, and those headlights were generally pretty poor compared to current ones. But I get your point. If it's a common thing that needs replacing often, then lowest common denominator is a reasonable choice.
I'm not sure about that "any kind of fancy layout" claim. There are pretty clear regulations about what lights have to do, where they can be located, and what color they can be here in the US. Not that that hasn't kept some from buying aftermarket products that violate the law.
And the reason for that was?
No idea (it’s a quote from the link). Presumably Apple had no reason to
I wonder how much improvement can still be done on such a basic and simple function.
But that was a new technology. Plugs to deliver electricity are much farther along.
