When man invented the wheel, it was a significant step forward. It helped him cultivate his crops, plough his land, create storage vessels and most importantly transport anything to a place at high speed. It has become such an important component in our lives, today in the 21st century that now it is obvious for engineers and industrialists to innovate and commercialise the technology to greater heights.
Today, we can relate that analogy to so many things around us. It may be on our person, in our homes, in our society, our government or policy and even the finer things that we use in our machines like applications or hardware. We as a species adapt to newer standards every day and are already innovating for the years ahead.
 |
| Various types of USB connectors. |
Here, let us apply this theory to the standards that Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity has come so far. It is the year 2017, and there are a number of USB connector heads like USB 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 and micro USB to name a few which fall under A and B types of USB. Today, Type-C thrives in a constantly evolving ecosystem of market competitors and manufacturers.
Man has learnt how to diversify the use of Type-C in multiple applications of utility. It is not just used to ‘super charge’ our advanced handsets. It is used in Data-Sharing Cables, Wi-Fi Routers, Flash Drives, Security Devices, Multi-Port Adaptors and the list can go on. Type C is a platform by itself and any manufacturer can base his business solely on the monopoly of Type C USB. Man is great.
 |
| The HyperDrive 3-in-1 connection kit. Image: Hyper. |
Usually when we ask what types of devices use USB Type-C connectivity, we think of mobile phones from brands that have moved to the specification. However do we also think in terms of which family of electronics adopt this technology? The average electronics consumer would not stop to think at that point (pun intended). We can find USB-C compatibility in a variety of devices, including USB Cables, Flash Drives, HDMI, Ethernet, Wi-Fi Routers, Multi-port Adaptors, Network Adaptors, Security Devices (camera, screen, etc), USB Hub Ports, and the list is unlimited so long as man continues to innovate and capitalize this wheel (Type-C) to its full efficiency.
Let us understand one thing clearly. USB-C is very fast. When I say ‘fast’, it means 10,000 megabytes transfer in a single second. In technical terms, it makes data travel under 20 Volts or 5 Amperes of power which would allow a photo album of 100 GB travel from point A to point B in 10 seconds! We can easily find these products in big distribution chains and e-tailers like Flipkart or Amazon.
 |
| A Sandisk USB Type-C drive |
The average consumer may not know of the advantages that Type-C offers over other sister-technologies. To list it in 4 points:
- It is a two way communication. Connectivity in its essence means a two-way communication. There is no ‘right’ way to connect two devices. It is just like the wheel. It can go forward and backward as per your wish.
- It can easily cover most laptop power requirements. The average amount of power required to charge a laptop device is around 40-70W. The Type-C can provide power to about 100W.
- It diminishes the need for additional or extra ports on a device, which directly brings us to the matter of headphone jacks on a hand-held. The size of a mobile phone is thick usually owing to the size of the space dedicated to the headphone jack. If that is removed, then the flat-design of the Type-C can give engineers more leeway to reduce the size.
- It is fast. Unlike any other cable, Type-C can be used to transfer large files in less time. Just like how an F-Type would outrace a Fiat 500.
Type-C is here to stay. Its USB-C point will not lose its charm in the near future as it invites many more possible innovations with regards to the Thunderbolt technology which transfers data at ridiculously fast speed. Intel has come up with the Thunderbolt 3 to beat all other consumer grade cables, next thing we know it replaces the headphone jack to achieve greater efficiency. The wheel is an amazing invention. So is the Type C.
The wheel can revolve at speeds which we can infinitely imagine. There is possibly no end to how fast anything can travel. Sky is the limit. But we are here to make a difference and identify the possibilities of larger things in life. Even an aeroplane takes flight using wheels!
