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The European Union has taken giant strides in ensuring a common charging standard for a majority of the electronics sold within its member states. In October, the European Parliament paved the way for a late 2024 adoption of the USB-C charging standard across its jurisdiction. We're now getting a specific date on when these rules will go into effect.
USB SuperSpeed branding meets its demise, but may still appear on some products
Just tell us the data rate and wattage supported, already
USB is somehow both the simplest thing in the world, streamlining how we charge our devices, transfer data, and connect accessories, yet also an impenetrably confusing mess of inscrutable standards — who knows if you'll need a new cable to charge your phone at full speed? Thankfully, the powers that be (the USB Implementers Forum, or USB-IF) aren't unsympathetic to our plight, and following efforts last year to clean up power rating logos, the group's rebranding effort is now looking to simplify the nomenclature for the SuperSpeed and USB4 standards.
USB Type-C cables will soon have easily spotted power rating logos
Thanks to the USB-IF, buying the right cable for a specific situation should get easier
You might have an easier time shopping for USB Type-C cables for high-power devices soon. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has just announced a new power-rating logo that you might someday see winking at you from a future USB cable, explaining that those bundled wires are rated for either 60W or 240W of power.
Weekend poll: Should companies be forced into adopting USB-C?
The EU wants a mandate, but it might not be the best idea
We've begged companies like Apple to adopt USB-C on its devices for years — and we aren't the only ones. The dream of plugging in every device with a single cable feels closer than ever, but if there's even a single iPhone somewhere in your home, keeping around a Lightning cable is essential. The EU wants to pass legislation mandating companies use USB-C on all gadgets sold in Europe, but not everyone thinks that's a good idea.
Why the EU forcing Apple to adopt USB-C would be a bad thing
When good intentions get in the way of good outcomes
Today, the European Commission has put forward legislation that would require all portable electronic devices to have a USB-C port — including Apple's iPhone. The proposal itself hasn't yet gone into effect (it stills needs to pass a vote in the European Parliament), but as much as I wish Apple would finally put USB-C on the iPhone, I'm actually hoping it doesn't pass. For several reasons.
Chargeasap smashes crowdfunding goal with 'the world’s fastest and smallest' GaN USB-C chargers (Sponsored)
Coming in two flavors: 200W and 100W
Sydney-based consumer electronics startup Chargeasap has made a name for itself with innovative products like the Flash portable power bank with graphene cells and the clever Infinity charging cable with magnetic tips. Now the company is back with another first. Introducing the fastest and smallest GaN USB-C chargers currently on the market — the Omega 100W and 200W— and they've already raised more than $1 million on Kickstarter.
The latest YubiKey is the first to feature both USB-C and NFC
One of the most universal hardware key solutions
Yubico is praised as the maker of some of the best physical security keys currently out there, but the company isn't resting on its laurels. Today, it has announced the latest addition to its YubiKey 5 series, the YubiKey 5C NFC. It can be seen as an advanced version of the regular 5C, and it's the company's first key to feature both USB-C and NFC, which might make it its most universal one yet when it comes to phones.
You might already have a few USB Type-C wall adapters around your home, but third-party options can give you more features (and sometimes a smaller size) than the chargers included with phones and tablets. Choetech's 65W USB-PD wall adapter offers enough power for anything from earbuds to ultrabooks, and it's now just $21.99 on Amazon. That's $13 off the usual price.This wall adapter has two ports: a 45W USB Type-C connector, and a 12W USB Type-A port. The former should be enough to charge phones, tablets, and ultrabooks at full speed, as long as the devices fully support USB Power Delivery. MacBooks, Google Pixel phones, the Samsung Galaxy S10/S20, the Nintendo Switch, and more are designed to work with USB-PD.
Even though most of us probably weren't driving quite as much as we had hoped to this holiday weekend, it never hurts to have a high-quality USB charger in your car. Even better still, if you can find one that's both versatile enough to be compatible most devices and can fill those batteries quickly enough to be useful, even on shorter trips. If that sounds like just the thing you've been looking for, you can pick up an Aukey 33W car adapter with QC 3.0 for only on Amazon with coupon code BENN6T7F — saving yourself $7.98 by doing so.This adapter offers 33W of total output, split between a 15W USB-C port and an 18W QC 3.0 USB-A connector that ensures your devices only receive as much power as they can safely handle. Also, this deal includes the charger only, so you may want to add a couple of well-made USB cables to your order if you don't have a set for the car yet.
As game-changing as USB Type-C has been, most of us still have at least one or two devices lying around that require us to keep a USB Type-A charger handy as well. For simplicity's sake, why not have one charger that can accept both that can also output enough power to charge whatever device you need quickly and safely? Today, we have a deal that can help with just that. Right now, you can grab a dual-port Aukey 30W USB- C PD 2.0/18W Quick Charge 3.0 compatible charger from Amazon for only $16.34—saving $26.65 off the regular price of $42.99.While this adapter may not feature the latest and greatest when it comes to charging technologies and speeds, it could still make a decent addition to anyone's charging setup, especially at this price. USB-C Power Delivery 2.0 and Quick Charge 3.0 compatibility and maximum charging speeds of 30W over USB-C and 18W with USB-A should ensure speedy, worry-free charging for even the pickiest devices.
Fast charging can be a difficult topic to wrap your head around. There are a lot of competing standards, all with different cables and power adapters, but one of the most popular is Qualcomm's 'Quick Charge' technology. There are different versions with different charging speeds, but QC 2.0 and 3.0 are still common to find in today's phones and tablets.
5 great USB charging stations that will keep all your gadgets ready for action
Avoid the rat's nest of cables
We live in interesting times—most of us are staying home to slow the spread of coronavirus. Many people are also trying to jury-rig a home office to get work done. That might mean you've got devices like laptops, phones, and tablets floating around that need charging, and you probably want to avoid the inevitable tangle of cables. A charging station can come in handy during these trying times, and here are the best ones you can get.
Pixel 3 and 4 USB transfer speeds dwarfed by the competition in recent tests
Roughly half as fast as some other recent phones in Android Authority’s tests
According to a recent set of benchmarks conducted by the folks at Android Authority, Google’s latest Pixels suffer a bit of a problem with file transfer speed over USB Type-C. Although Google bills the port as supporting USB 3.0 transfer speeds, something about the phone’s configuration results in nearly half the speed compared to other recent phones, like the OnePlus 7T Pro and Galaxy S10e.
One of the advantages of everything moving to USB Type-C is that you can use many of the same accessories with all your devices. However, it's still pretty common to run into a PC with no Type-C ports at all, which is where SanDisk's new USB drive comes in.At CES 2020, SanDisk revealed the 'Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type-C,' which has a USB Type-C connector on one end and a Type-A port on the other. The idea is that you'll be able to transfer files across PCs, Android devices, the iPad Pro, and anything else with one of those two connectors. It can also fit on a keychain, for that extra level of convenience.
Despite being late to the party, the AirPods undoubtedly managed to remodel the true wireless earbuds category. Though they play nice only with Apple devices, many Android users have secretly wanted those iconic white stems sticking out of their ears. To fill that gap, Realme, like many other brands, has stepped in with a pair of AirPods (1st gen) clones, called Buds Air, that bring a few premium features to the table without breaking the bank.
The Nexus 5 was the last of Google's phones to support video output over a wired connection (remember SlimPort?), but some have continued to hold out hope for the feature. While it doesn't come as much of a surprise that the Pixel 4 still doesn't support wired video output, one interesting fact about it has been discovered: it seems to be disabled in software.
During the first Stadia AMA on Reddit, we learned that support for Bluetooth audio through the controller would be coming but not available at launch in November. The Stadia FAQ page has just been updated to highlight that the same is true of audio over USB-C.
The USB Type-C marketplace is no longer the shitshow that it once was, though it still pays to be careful when buying a new charger or battery. Much of the time, this means having to pony up a bit extra for the properly rated offerings, but that's not always the case. Nekteck's 90W USB-C Power Delivery charger with built-in cable is certified by the USB-IF, and it's only $25.99 on Amazon.90W is more power than the vast majority of people will ever need, but those of you with 2016+ MacBook Pro 15" laptops need all of that wattage. Other USB-C laptops also require a lot of punch — the 2016+ MacBook Pro 13" laptops require 61W, for instance. But even though most of you can't utilize the full 90W, this Nekteck PD charger is still a fantastic buy, as it's somehow still cheaper than practically every 60W USB-C charger on Amazon. Plus, the USB-IF certification means that the folks behind the entire USB standard have given it a thumbs-up, so rest assured that your phones and laptops alike will be safe with this charger.
For those of us that prefer wired headphones, or who merely can't tolerate the bugginess of Bluetooth on many Android phones, there aren't a lot of USB Type-C choices out there — especially if you don't want noise canceling. Moshi's new Avanti C checks the right boxes, though. There's no charging, no Bluetooth, and no ANC. What you do get is good audio, nice build quality, and dongle-free wired compatibility with 3.5mm and USB Type-C sources. Moshi thinks that's worth $200, and I agree.
The 3.5mm headphone jack is now an exception rather than a standard in the flagship smartphone world. Many consumers have turned to Bluetooth options, but there are still some folks who prefer wired audio. If you're in the latter camp and you hate dealing with dongles, you'll probably want a set of USB Type-C headphones.Several USB-C earphones have appeared on the market in the past year or so. I very much enjoy using the noise-cancelling Libratone Q Adapt that we reviewed last year, though the $149 price tag might put it out of reach for many. On the other end of the spectrum is the $19 Essential Earphones Mini, which just isn't very good. Essential's more premium offering, the Earphones HD, now goes for $49 (half of its original MSRP) — a sweet spot pricing-wise, but it's still riddled with compromises.I wasn't sure what to expect from the $49.95 Moshi Mythro C, given that Moshi isn't traditionally known for its audio products, but I'm pleased to say that it's definitely worth your consideration. It sounds good, looks nice, and it's priced well. You can't really ask for much more out of a pair of earbuds.