3 ms·

> very specific charging protocol designed to prevent metal migration between the pins and the pads on the connector This is 100% bullshit.

axoltl 8y ago
This is 100% not bullshit. https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170272058A1/ https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170272058A1/ https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170124010A1/ https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170124010A1/
- inteleng 8y ago
  It's bullshit because it isn't a real issue. Apple is just acting as a patent troll, inventing fake problems for the sake of filing patents.
  - axoltl 8y ago
    ... what? You're a metallurgist, or do you just play one on TV? You also obviously don't understand what a 'patent troll' is.
    - inteleng 8y ago
      I play one on TV.
- Const-me 8y ago
  From the first one: > To mitigate these issues, external contacts may typically include a corrosion-resistant coating to the exposed exterior surface… Although temporarily effective, such coatings are subject to frictional wear and may become less effective over the life of a device. Frictional wear is not a huge problem in practice. There’re billions of devices with built-in batteries in the world. I’ve been carrying a cell phone, and later sometimes other electronics, since 1999. Never encounter such issues. Most manufacturers use gold plating, and they advertise reliability for 10000 mating cycles: https://gct.co/usb-connector https://gct.co/usb-connector https://www.gradconn.com/Products/MicroUSB https://www.gradconn.com/Products/MicroUSB https://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0473460001_IO_CONNECTORS.xml https://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=acti...
  - inteleng 8y ago
    This is the point I'd have made if I had more patience. It is simply ridiculous to claim that galvanic corrosion and/or electromigration is likely to be a problem on a square millimeter gold contact with a few microns of metal that passes at most 15W continuously for a few years before being discarded.

axoltl 8y ago

This is 100% not bullshit. https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170272058A1/ https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170272058A1/ https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170124010A1/ https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170124010A1/

inteleng 8y ago
It's bullshit because it isn't a real issue. Apple is just acting as a patent troll, inventing fake problems for the sake of filing patents.
- axoltl 8y ago
  ... what? You're a metallurgist, or do you just play one on TV? You also obviously don't understand what a 'patent troll' is.
  - inteleng 8y ago
    I play one on TV.
Const-me 8y ago
From the first one: > To mitigate these issues, external contacts may typically include a corrosion-resistant coating to the exposed exterior surface… Although temporarily effective, such coatings are subject to frictional wear and may become less effective over the life of a device. Frictional wear is not a huge problem in practice. There’re billions of devices with built-in batteries in the world. I’ve been carrying a cell phone, and later sometimes other electronics, since 1999. Never encounter such issues. Most manufacturers use gold plating, and they advertise reliability for 10000 mating cycles: https://gct.co/usb-connector https://gct.co/usb-connector https://www.gradconn.com/Products/MicroUSB https://www.gradconn.com/Products/MicroUSB https://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0473460001_IO_CONNECTORS.xml https://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=acti...
- inteleng 8y ago
  This is the point I'd have made if I had more patience. It is simply ridiculous to claim that galvanic corrosion and/or electromigration is likely to be a problem on a square millimeter gold contact with a few microns of metal that passes at most 15W continuously for a few years before being discarded.