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0 pointsmicrotherion3y ago0 comments

Interoperability undoubtedly has advantages in the long run. But there's a delicate balance to be struck at what point in product evolution to standardize. I'm fine with standardizing on USB-C (even though the cable situation is a mess). But IMHO USB micro would have been inferior to lightning, and forcing Apple to standardize on that would have set back the industry. And imagine laptops if the EU had decided to solve the conference room projector problem by mandating VGA ports in every laptop.

I also can't help shaking the feeling that the EU is so happy regulating cell phones and internet services because they have no major players in that field left anymore. Conversely, they seem to be incapable of mandating a unified standard for grounded AC power outlets, although that would surely be equally beneficial.

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5 comments · 1 top-level

oblio3y ago· 4 in thread

I did the required reading so you don't have to.

This is the law passed:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0338...

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TC1-COD-2021-0...

Guess what, on page 10 the text says:

> With respect to charging by means other than wired charging, divergent solutions could be developed in the future, which could have negative impacts on interoperability, on consumer convenience and on the environment. <<Whilst it is premature to impose specific requirements on such solutions at this stage, the Commission should take action towards promoting and harmonising such solutions to avoid future fragmentation of the internal market.>>

Unlike the US Constitution, EU laws are not set in stone and they <<are>> updated.

> I also can't help shaking the feeling that the EU is so happy regulating cell phones and internet services because they have no major players in that field left anymore. Conversely, they seem to be incapable of mandating a unified standard for grounded AC power outlets, although that would surely be equally beneficial.

Hotels and many other places have started offering USB A and USB C ports. I think we're close to the point (5-10 years away?) where you could go to the US from Europe with just a laptop, for 2 weeks, and you'd be able to charge it just by using USB C ports available in restaurants, hotels, bars, offices, etc.

On top of that, for wall outlets the EU is mostly standardized except for Denmark, I think.

microtherionOP3y ago

> Hotels and many other places have started offering USB A and USB C ports. I think we're close to the point (5-10 years away?) where you could go to the US from Europe with just a laptop, for 2 weeks, and you'd be able to charge it just by using USB C ports available in restaurants, hotels, bars, offices, etc.

Yeah, but I don't think there are USB C razors yet.

> On top of that, for wall outlets the EU is mostly standardized except for Denmark, I think.

France and Germany have different outlets (although there are plugs that work in both), and as far as I can tell, Italy has a completely different outlet from either of them.

And the UK never stopped using their own system.

oblio3y ago

> Yeah, but I don't think there are USB C razors yet.

Give it a few years :-) I have a hair clipper that uses micro-USB.

> France and Germany have different outlets (although there are plugs that work in both), and as far as I can tell, Italy has a completely different outlet from either of them.

See this:

https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/EuropePlugsSockets.html

In continental Europe in practice you only care about 2 standards: the German one and the French one. Those cover something like 45 out of 47 countries in Europe.

On top of that, the narrow connector actually works in all of continental Europe and for the big one, almost everything sold since at least 1 decade works with both the German and French standards.

Sucks to be Italy or Switzerland, I guess :-)

> And the UK never stopped using their own system.

The UK is still doing its own thing with many things, we don't talk about them anymore...

1 more reply

Dalewyn3y ago

>Hotels and many other places have started offering USB A and USB C ports. I think we're close to the point (5-10 years away?) where you could go to the US from Europe with just a laptop, for 2 weeks, and you'd be able to charge it just by using USB C ports available in restaurants, hotels, bars, offices, etc.

I know EU is very nonchalant about sex, but sticking oneself into random USB ports is a bridge too far.

oblio3y ago

You mean you're worried about USB attacks?

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

5 comments · 1 top-level

oblio3y ago· 4 in thread

I did the required reading so you don't have to.

This is the law passed:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0338...

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TC1-COD-2021-0...

Guess what, on page 10 the text says:

Unlike the US Constitution, EU laws are not set in stone and they <<are>> updated.

On top of that, for wall outlets the EU is mostly standardized except for Denmark, I think.

microtherionOP3y ago

Yeah, but I don't think there are USB C razors yet.

> On top of that, for wall outlets the EU is mostly standardized except for Denmark, I think.

France and Germany have different outlets (although there are plugs that work in both), and as far as I can tell, Italy has a completely different outlet from either of them.

And the UK never stopped using their own system.

oblio3y ago

> Yeah, but I don't think there are USB C razors yet.

Give it a few years :-) I have a hair clipper that uses micro-USB.

> France and Germany have different outlets (although there are plugs that work in both), and as far as I can tell, Italy has a completely different outlet from either of them.

See this:

https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/EuropePlugsSockets.html

In continental Europe in practice you only care about 2 standards: the German one and the French one. Those cover something like 45 out of 47 countries in Europe.

On top of that, the narrow connector actually works in all of continental Europe and for the big one, almost everything sold since at least 1 decade works with both the German and French standards.

Sucks to be Italy or Switzerland, I guess :-)

> And the UK never stopped using their own system.

The UK is still doing its own thing with many things, we don't talk about them anymore...

1 more reply

Dalewyn3y ago

>Hotels and many other places have started offering USB A and USB C ports. I think we're close to the point (5-10 years away?) where you could go to the US from Europe with just a laptop, for 2 weeks, and you'd be able to charge it just by using USB C ports available in restaurants, hotels, bars, offices, etc.

I know EU is very nonchalant about sex, but sticking oneself into random USB ports is a bridge too far.

oblio3y ago

You mean you're worried about USB attacks?

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse