Finally, the GPS manufacturers realize a common power supply is the right approach

As a followup to the two-year old article
A portable GPS should use standard mini-USB power (but which ones do)?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.g...c54a0185621cc9

Note the Europeans finally, two years later, have made the small USB
connector the standard for power supplies starting next year!

Micro-USB to be universal EU phone charger
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=1964

Hopefully this adherance to standards will migrate to the United States so
that all our portable electronics uses the same port for charging and data.

IMHO, the following should all use a standard-sized power/data port:
1. Cellphones
2. Earbuds
3. GPS
4. Cameras
5. Disks

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:17:41 -0700, sarah bennett wrote:

As a followup to the two-year old article
A portable GPS should use standard mini-USB power (but which ones do)?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.g...c54a0185621cc9

Note the Europeans finally, two years later, have made the small USB
connector the standard for power supplies starting next year!

Micro-USB to be universal EU phone charger
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=1964

Hopefully this adherance to standards will migrate to the United States so
that all our portable electronics uses the same port for charging and data.

IMHO, the following should all use a standard-sized power/data port:
1. Cellphones
2. Earbuds
3. GPS
4. Cameras
5. Disks

It would be great if our congressmen had the same balls as the EU.
Unfortunately there is much money to be had selling custom interface
devices for power and data ports. US manufacturers have strong lobbys.

"Strongbox" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:17:41 -0700, sarah bennett wrote:

As a followup to the two-year old article
A portable GPS should use standard mini-USB power (but which ones do)?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.g...c54a0185621cc9

Note the Europeans finally, two years later, have made the small USB
connector the standard for power supplies starting next year!

Micro-USB to be universal EU phone charger
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=1964

Hopefully this adherance to standards will migrate to the United States
so
that all our portable electronics uses the same port for charging and
data.

IMHO, the following should all use a standard-sized power/data port:
1. Cellphones
2. Earbuds
3. GPS
4. Cameras
5. Disks

It would be great if our congressmen had the same balls as the EU.
Unfortunately there is much money to be had selling custom interface
devices for power and data ports. US manufacturers have strong lobbys.

Our congressmen have no business interfering with the electronics
manufacturers- at least in non-safety related matters. If you don't like
what they are selling, don't buy the product. We have more than enough
government busy-bodying as it is.

TonyD wrote:
"Strongbox" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:17:41 -0700, sarah bennett wrote:

As a followup to the two-year old article
A portable GPS should use standard mini-USB power (but which ones
do)?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.g...c54a0185621cc9

Note the Europeans finally, two years later, have made the small USB
connector the standard for power supplies starting next year!

Micro-USB to be universal EU phone charger
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=1964

Hopefully this adherance to standards will migrate to the United
States so
that all our portable electronics uses the same port for charging
and data.

IMHO, the following should all use a standard-sized power/data port:
1. Cellphones
2. Earbuds
3. GPS
4. Cameras
5. Disks

It would be great if our congressmen had the same balls as the EU.
Unfortunately there is much money to be had selling custom interface
devices for power and data ports. US manufacturers have strong
lobbys.

Our congressmen have no business interfering with the electronics
manufacturers- at least in non-safety related matters. If you don't
like
what they are selling, don't buy the product. We have more than
enough
government busy-bodying as it is.

I have no problem at all with the government requiring standardized
interfaces for common electrical devices.

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:01:27 -0400, Strongbox wrote:

It would be great if our congressmen had the same balls as the EU.
Unfortunately there is much money to be had selling custom interface
devices for power and data ports. US manufacturers have strong lobbys.

Custom devices still need to use the ports, proprietary or not, of
the manufacturer's cameras. Which of Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Ricoh,
Samsung, Leica, Panasonic, Pentax, Sanyo, Sigma and Olympus are
products of US manufacturers? Well, I suppose that Kodak may still
be a US company (even if they don't manufacture their own cameras),
but they're hardly controlling the lack of standardization. For
cell phones, Motorola is much larger and more influential than
Kodak, but they're still swimming in a sea of full of foreign
manufacturers. Or do you think that US pols readily reach for
stuffed envelopes when approached by Delkin's lobbyists?

ASAAR wrote:
On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:01:27 -0400, Strongbox wrote:

It would be great if our congressmen had the same balls as the EU.
Unfortunately there is much money to be had selling custom interface
devices for power and data ports. US manufacturers have strong lobbys.

Custom devices still need to use the ports, proprietary or not, of
the manufacturer's cameras. Which of Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Ricoh,
Samsung, Leica, Panasonic, Pentax, Sanyo, Sigma and Olympus are
products of US manufacturers? Well, I suppose that Kodak may still
be a US company (even if they don't manufacture their own cameras),
but they're hardly controlling the lack of standardization. For
cell phones, Motorola is much larger and more influential than
Kodak, but they're still swimming in a sea of full of foreign
manufacturers. Or do you think that US pols readily reach for
stuffed envelopes when approached by Delkin's lobbyists?


I don't think it's always a case of unwillingness to standardize, but
the ones that aren't currently using the proposed standard will lose out
cost or profit wise. Latest casualty is the new dvd replacement, blue
ray I believe it's called. I haven't got one of these yet. I understand
Europe uses a common cell phone protocol that makes life a lot easier
for the user. It doesn't have to be government that dictates these
things, industry groups can or should work it out.
Dave Cohen

"J. Clarke" wrote

I have no problem at all with the government requiring standardized
interfaces for common electrical devices.

They should start with the common household power supply then. Different
voltages and different pin configurations depending on where you are in the
world. I have to use a clunky converter to make my Coolpix battery charger
fit an Australian power socket!

Paul

On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 15:27:33 +1000, "Paul Bartram" paul.bartram AT
OR NEAR lizzy.com.au wrote:

I have no problem at all with the government requiring standardized
interfaces for common electrical devices.

They should start with the common household power supply then. Different
voltages and different pin configurations depending on where you are in the
world. I have to use a clunky converter to make my Coolpix battery charger
fit an Australian power socket!

Tsk, tsk. As for P&S cameras, most of my CoolPixen and all of the
Fujis and Canons and one Panny use AA batteries. At anywhere from
400 to over 1,000 shots per set really cheap alkalines suffice and
can go many months before needing to be replaced. My DSLRs are
another matter since I don't own any of the ones that use AAs
natively. Most photographers use Li-Ion batteries in their DSLRs so
the need for converters and power sockets can be a concern, albeit
of the molehill variety. You may disagree, Sosumi!

sarah bennett wrote:
As a followup to the two-year old article
A portable GPS should use standard mini-USB power (but which ones do)?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.g...c54a0185621cc9

Note the Europeans finally, two years later, have made the small USB
connector the standard for power supplies starting next year!

Micro-USB to be universal EU phone charger
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=1964

Hopefully this adherance to standards will migrate to the United States so
that all our portable electronics uses the same port for charging and data.

China mandated USB jacks (Micro or Mini) a while back for low current
devices.

IMHO, the following should all use a standard-sized power/data port:
1. Cellphones
2. Earbuds
3. GPS
4. Cameras
5. Disks

It's not really practical for most cameras due to the fact that you're
only guaranteed 500mA out of a powered USB 2.0 port (even though there's
usually quite a bit of margin before the over-current protection shuts
down the port). USB 3.0 has the capability of providing 900mA, which
would be more practical, but only for smaller cameras since D-SLRs use
an 7.4V two cell battery rathe than a single 3.7V cell.

Personally, I won't buy a phone that doesn't use a USB jack for charging.

"sarah bennett" wrote in message
...
As a followup to the two-year old article
A portable GPS should use standard mini-USB power (but which ones do)?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.g...c54a0185621cc9

Note the Europeans finally, two years later, have made the small USB
connector the standard for power supplies starting next year!

Micro-USB to be universal EU phone charger
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=1964

Hopefully this adherance to standards will migrate to the United States so
that all our portable electronics uses the same port for charging and
data.

IMHO, the following should all use a standard-sized power/data port:
1. Cellphones
2. Earbuds
3. GPS
4. Cameras
5. Disks





My Mio C520 already does this.