The Technology Vent and Rant Thread

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by DNSB

We already have power only cords and data/power cables. The issue is that in many cases you would have to tear the cable apart to find out just which one you have since there is no standard identification.

At least Thunderbolt cables have a little thunderbolt icon on the connector housings.

But for data, which data? I have a couple of Apple USB-C charging cables which do in fact carry data. But compared to the USB-C cables that shipped with my external SSDs they're something like 1/4 the throughput.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ratinox

At least Thunderbolt cables have a little thunderbolt icon on the connector housings.

But for data, which data? I have a couple of Apple USB-C charging cables which do in fact carry data. But compared to the USB-C cables that shipped with my external SSDs they're something like 1/4 the throughput.

Likely only 4 wires (+, - d+, d-) or 6 wires (+, - d+, d-, p+, p-) instead of 9 needed for USB 3.x.

Most USB-C to USB-C cables I have don't support USB 3.x or DP video Alt USB-C mode. In fact maybe only one I have supports USB 3.x. I use the non-USB 3.x USB-C to USB-C for ereaders, tablets, phones as none of the ones I have support USB 3.x. Actually Android Total Commander with SMB plugin over WiFi (to Linux) is massively faster than USB-C on any of my phones or tablets, even compared to a real USB 3.x cable and the SS marked USB-C or USB-A ports alleged to be USB 3.x on my workstation.

The "real" USB-A to USB-C cables that do USB 3.x have 5 extra connections at rear of USB-A plug and the "tongue" is blue.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Renate

Don't worry about those cables transmitting. Be more concerned about the hidden receivers in your house that are receiving those transmissions. As always, tin foil is the answer.

See: What is an E-Marker in a USB Type-C Cable and How Does It Work?

Use a cable with only 2 wires for public charging points? Sadly you then may only get 500 mA.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Likely only 4 wires (+, - d+, d-) or 6 wires (+, - d+, d-, p+, p-) instead of 9 needed for USB 3.x.

Exactly, and they're not labeled anywhere to tell them apart. So much for USB 3's dream of unifying standards to a single cable spec for everything. Maybe USB 4 will pull it off.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ratinox

Exactly, and they're not labeled anywhere to tell them apart. So much for USB 3's dream of unifying standards to a single cable spec for everything. Maybe USB 4 will pull it off.

And maybe Pigs Will Fly.

Also USB-C is over 10 years old and only in the last year I've got much that uses it.

USB 3.0 is over 16 years old and only some stuff in last 5 years that I've got uses it.
USB 3.0 in use on external HDDs:

1. One HDD uses the extended USB-B connector (extra part)
2. One HDD uses the extended micro-USB (extra part)
3. Two HDD use an extended USB-A (5 extra connections) and spec breaking extended USB-A back to back cable.

Items #1 & #2 do USB 2.0 with a regular cable. I've no back-to-back regular USB cables.

I've a few desktop machines with random mix of USB 3.x and USB 2.x on the USB-A sockets. One only has a USB-C with USB 3.x
I've six laptops. Oldest is Jan 2000. The two oldest are USB-A and USB 1.x only and USB boot only on Dells 6 months after the 2002 model.
Only one has USB-C (and it is both ALT DP for video and USB 3.x) and power can't be turned off, not even in BIOS, and it has one other USB 3.x as USB A and a USB 2.x USB A. Stupidly too thin for Ethernet, so an Ethernet to USB3.x dongle needed (I've never seen USB 2.x do more than 100 M and some are slower) that can't be on the USB-C unless you unplug it every time!
Not enough USB ports, so had to buy a USB 3.x Hub. But mysteriously only one of 4 ports is USB 3.0

It's a mess and I'd be dead before we see a unified USB.

Note original Win95 had no USB and MS deliberately killed SP7 that added USB drivers for NT 4.0 to boost Win 2K sales!
I tested USB drivers on NT 4.0 and they worked fine.a

I've several gadgets that use Qualcom fast charging at 12V and USB-C, but PSU is a 4 way USB-A.
I've two that use a fast charger with a USB-C socket on it.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Quoth

and the "tongue" is blue.

OMG! Is that hypoxia?

[Martinoptic]

↑ ↑

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Renate

OMG! Is that hypoxia?

Nah, it's one of these lurking in his cable box

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Nah, it's one of these lurking in his cable box

Is that like a babel fish, except for computers and gadgets instead of for sentient creatures?

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by Quoth

And maybe Pigs Will Fly.

I can be hopeful in the face of hoplessness if I want .

At this point I think most of my peripherals use USB-C. The exceptions are legacy-ish devices like mice with fixed cables and my Kobo.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by ratinox

I can be hopeful in the face of hoplessness if I want .

At this point I think most of my peripherals use USB-C. The exceptions are legacy-ish devices like mice with fixed cables and my Kobo.

I've got a mixture of ports. My Walkman uses WM-PORT, my NookColor uses MicroUSB, my SmartPhone, Lenovo E-Book Reader and Bluetooth Headphones use USB-C. What's interesting is that the port on my Walkman always works and the same with my NookColor, SmartPhone and Bluetooth Headphones, but the port for my Lenovo E-Book Reader sometimes doesn't work (it worked for a time and then stopped working).

[BetterRed]

Get insights into what you're working on with Smart Lookup

Smart Lookup will be retired starting on January 1, 2025.

Anyone know what it's pension payout was?

Been trying to resolve this for a week or more, I assumed it was something I had done in Windows settings or Office options.

Anyone know of an equivalent add-in.

LO Writer isn't an alternative, my collaborators use Office 365, using LO writer gums up the workflow. Besides, I dislike Writer's 1990's button bars and disjoint menu's… intensely.

BR goes Grhhhh

[Comfy.n]

FWIW, there's a "Search with Google workaround" someone posted here:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...75dae45?page=3

My current rant about MS is that it keeps trying to install a feature that I don't know for sure what is then I get these constant notifications "Something happened, couldn't install..." This will probably be the Copilot thing and I've tried some methods to avoid the installation attempt, through gpedit, registry etc. since I updated from Win10 21H1 to 22H2, but they keep pushing it regardless.

[BetterRed]

I don't see a Services item in the menu, so that could be Mac only, or maybe Enterprise edition. But breaking out into a browser misses the point of the References->Research->Search feature.

Smart lookup provided a list of results from web search, current document, and local searchable files, in a side panel - and the means to paste an item into the current document.

There's a couple of free Addins that might do for now, I'll give them a spin when I get a chance.

My guess is that they're going to wrap it in CoPilot… which I'm finding quite useful, although it didn't know about this issue… maybe I'll tell it

And CoPilot is not intrusive, as some have suggested. I pinned it to my taskbar and it just sits there until I start it, like everything else.

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

. . .

There's a couple of free Addins that might do for now, I'll give them a spin when I get a chance.

They've bitten the dust.

In passing I had another look at LanguageTool, functionally better than it was few years ago… but sloooweeerrr than a wet week.

BR