[LINK] The 'Sea Snake' Phenomenon: 'Please Explain'

[Ivan Trundle]

> On 24 Sep 2021, at 11:04 am, Karl Auer <kauer at biplane.com.au> wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 2021-09-24 at 10:07 +1000, Roger Clarke wrote:
>> [ But maybe it's a comprehension problem
> 
> It's simple: Apple (and earlier, others) changed chargers every time a
> new modem came out. It drove a huge ecosystem of spare and replacement
> chargers which Apple took full advantage of. 

This was true 10 years ago. Things have moved on since then.

> The EU said "fix it - use the same plugs", and while there was a pretty
> big shift to USB (micro and C), Apple ignored it.

Not true: Apple has embraced USB-C for (some) new devices.

> There was no way the EU was ever going to allow an Apple proprietary
> connector to be the legislated standard, so USB-C it is. It can cope
> with high current, bi-directional data,high-speed data - what's not to
> love?

Apple has a different view, and whilst I’m no apologist for their position, they claim that the EU ruling stifles innovation, and in any event, it’s quite possible that in the future, USB-C will not deliver what is needed for future devices.

At present, on a technical level, USB-C offers higher throughput and higher power loads - if made to a standard. That standard is not well-policed, which has created a market for substandard and cheaper USB-C cables, in which the buyer may or may not get the functionality that is required for their device.

Lightning has limitations (fast charging not supported, transfer speeds etc) but does have a ’security’ chip to identify that it is certified. Nonetheless, a proof of concept has shown that it’s possible to build nefarious other chips into the cable (wi-fi-enabled, too) to sniff keystrokes and other data - this is not limited to Lightning, but the proof focussed on Apple at the time. 

> BTW, no-one is saying devices cannot have *additional* cables for other
> purposes. Just charging has to be via USB-C. But as it can do so much
> more, it's a really good choice.

For now, until we see a new standard. And hopefully with some backward compatibility.

Warmly
iT