WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.360 The U in USB stands for universal, which is appropriate seeing as how USB devices are 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:12.120 everywhere. I mean, you can even get a USB turret to shoot nerf projectiles at your irritating coworkers. 00:00:12.120 --> 00:00:16.880 But one common annoyance is that there's been a plethora of USB connector types over 00:00:16.880 --> 00:00:20.760 the years, making the experience not quite as universal as we'd like. 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:25.760 What's so special about USB where we can't have the same connector on both ends of the 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:31.520 cable? We've been at HDMI and good old RCA jacks figured it out, so why can't USB? 00:00:31.520 --> 00:00:35.520 Take a look at this thing, which you'll probably recognize if you've ever plugged in a printer 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.720 over USB. This is called a USB type B connector. 00:00:39.720 --> 00:00:47.480 And unfortunately, if you've ever needed one of these cables in a pinch, there aren't a whole lot of other devices that use it, meaning you probably don't just have one lying around. 00:00:47.480 --> 00:00:52.080 To add insult to injury, printer manufacturers usually don't include a type B cable in the 00:00:52.080 --> 00:00:58.440 box, meaning you have to go out and buy one yourself. So is this some kind of big racket by the electronics industry to suck more money out 00:00:58.440 --> 00:01:05.000 of you? Well, maybe not. A fundamental difference between USB and some of those other connection types we mentioned 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:11.160 earlier is that USB carries power, hence why so many USB gadgets don't need to be plugged 00:01:11.160 --> 00:01:17.300 into the wall separately. But providing power on the same cable as data has the drawback that connecting things the 00:01:17.300 --> 00:01:22.000 wrong way can lead to damaged devices or other electrical hazards. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:27.880 So the power is that B designed USB so that you'd always have an upstream and a downstream 00:01:27.880 --> 00:01:31.960 device, with power only flowing in one direction. 00:01:31.960 --> 00:01:36.600 As part of this design process, different connectors were created for upstream and downstream devices. 00:01:36.600 --> 00:01:42.240 The typical rectangular USB type A connector that you're used to seeing is usually on devices 00:01:42.240 --> 00:01:48.360 that provide power. This is why you'll often see them on gadgets that you plug into the wall, like desktop 00:01:48.360 --> 00:01:56.320 PCs and charging bricks for your smartphone. The other end is often something different on purpose so that people won't try to connect 00:01:56.320 --> 00:02:02.960 two type A ports together. So if, for example, you've ever wondered why you can't just send data between two computers 00:02:02.960 --> 00:02:08.080 by connecting them with type A to type A, this is a big part of the reason why. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:12.080 Of course, the standard type B that you see on a printer or something like a monitor with 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:17.640 a USB hub or a desktop DAC for you audio people is fairly bulky. 00:02:17.640 --> 00:02:22.960 So the micro B connector became pretty common for small devices like smartphones that receive 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:28.240 power. You can even see this on your typical power bank, where you plug in the full size type 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:33.280 A connector when using it to charge a phone, but instead plug in a micro B connector when 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:36.280 you're recharging the power bank itself. 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:40.720 Micro B was further revised once USB 3.0 was released. 00:02:40.720 --> 00:02:46.920 As we saw these very funky looking connectors hit the market, that extra lobe on the side 00:02:46.920 --> 00:02:52.800 enables more data to be carried, making the connector compliant with higher USB 3.0 speeds. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:57.080 But in my opinion, this connector sucks, they break easily, and I don't like plugging 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:03.240 them in. Agree. Of course, with the launch of USB type C, as you can see here, it's more common now 00:03:03.240 --> 00:03:10.840 to find a C to C cable, as the USB-C actually supports having two devices negotiate to determine 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:17.880 which will be the host that provides power. Although this was possible with previous USB connectors, with a protocol called USB on 00:03:17.880 --> 00:03:26.720 the go, support for it was inconsistent. However, because many USB-C devices need to connect to older hardware, C to A cables should 00:03:26.720 --> 00:03:33.360 still be commonplace for a long time. But do know that the days of juggling connectors should be numbered. 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:37.120 In the meantime, you can always use your printer wirelessly. 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:42.560 Oh god, that sounds like a nightmare. Something about printers, that's just never easy. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:46.560 So thanks for watching guys, if you liked this video, hit like, hit subscribe, and hit 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:50.840 us up in the comments section with your suggestions for topics that we should cover in the future.