USB-C

Earlier this year, the USB Promoter Group announced that the new USB4 specification would be published in the near future. That time has arrived, with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announcing the USB4 spec on Tuesday, September 3. This is the latest major update to the USB specification, building upon the previous USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 architectures. USB4 is, among other things, backward compatible with USB 3.2, 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3.

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There is a rather big market for third-party Nintendo Switch accessories but the one thing that continues to worry Switch owners is the charging dock. Nintendo's Official version is large and expensive but third-party options risk bricking the gaming handheld. The latter has largely been blamed on Nintendo's implementation of the USB-C Power Delivery feature which is believed to be non-compliant with the standard spec. According to an electrical engineer, however, those third-party docks might be the ones to blame instead.

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USB-C brought a lot of functionality and convenience in a single port but it also brought a bit of confusion. Not all USB ports and accessories are created equal and, just like in the old USB-A and micro USB world, some accessories are for single uses only. Some computers these days, however, may have only one USB-C port for data and sometimes even for power as well. For those cases, Sony is introducing the MRW-S3 hub that will solve all those problems with a single USB-C port.

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There was a great deal of rejoicing in the tech industry when USB-C got approved and even more hurrahs when Apple became its unexpected champion. In the rush to adopt the standard, however, many companies, especially accessory makers, got it wrong, accidentally or otherwise. They became the target of an Internet shame campaign to raise awareness of non-compliant implementations. The latest to join that list is, surprisingly, the Raspberry Pi 4, the new darling of the maker and hacker world.

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After ignoring wireless charging for so long, it seems that Apple is embracing it more than most other smartphone makers. Except for Huawei and Samsung. It has been rumored for quite a while now but famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is giving his vote of confidence with his latest forecast. According to his sources, this year's iPhones will take both wireless and wired charging to the next level, including the ability to charge AirPods and maybe even an Apple Watch with reverse wireless charging.

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The USB Implementers Forum has had a busy week. At the tail end of February, it seemed to go to great lengths to make USB 3.2 as confusing as humanly possible, and today, it announced the upcoming release of the USB4 specification. At the moment, we've only got a draft specification for USB4, with the final spec to be delivered in the middle of 2019.

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If you've tried to plug your phone into your laptop over the past couple of years, or to charge your tablet with your phone's charger, you'll probably have run into USB confusion. Now, things are set to get even stranger, with the USB-IF announcing the USB 3.2 specification and a shake-up in consumer branding.

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For years now, Apple has relied on its proprietary Lightning connector for iPhone and iPad charging, but when the company started shipping modern MacBooks that support USB-C, that led to a lot of speculation that Apple's mobile devices were next. In the case of the iPad, that turned out to be true, as the latest iPad Pro features charging and over USB-C. That leaves the iPhone as the next in line for a USB-C makeover, but a new report suggests that such a change won't be coming anytime soon.

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Apple might finally be learning how to give oldies but goodies some love. Late last year, it finally updated the Mac mini, turning the little computer that could into a “mini PC” to reckon with. This year, if not the next, it might be giving the venerable iPod touch a refresh as well. That’s according to supply chain sources who also say that the iPhone will finally ditch Lightning in favor of USB-C though can’t really say when.

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Joining its newly launched laptops are a series of new accessories from Lenovo, including a pair of speakers and a new USB-C hub. The latter of the three, the powered USB-C Travel Hub, will be available starting this month, though the speaker models won't be launching until later this spring. Each model offers features targeting professionals, including portability and support for Lenovo's PCs.

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This week the folks at the USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum) announced the launch of their own USB Type-C Authentication Program. With this program, manufacturers may implement and be certified for the USB Type-C Authentication specification. For the end user - you - that means you'll soon be able to know immediately if a new USB-C cord is able to cryptographically authenticate - that is, give a secret handshake to your phone or PC before it's able to supply power or transfer data.

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It seems like Apple is making more dreams come true today. It has just finally made available its promised and long-awaited official clear case for the colorful iPhone XR and it has pushed an iOS update that fixes a long-standing annoyance for FaceTime users. And now on top of that, it is making available a standalone USB-C charger so that you can just have one adapter to quickly charge your iPhone and charger your iPad Pro too.

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