Admittedly, it's not a major headache, but it is an irritation nonetheless. I'm talking about having to make sure that the male USB-A connector is the right way up before you slot it into the female socket. Designer Ma Yi Xuan has come up with one of those simple, effective ideas where you have to wonder why no one else has gone there before. The Double USB concept features a couple of spring-loaded plastic connectors laid one on top of the other with the metal strips pointing inwards. The idea is that whichever way you push in your USB plug, it will always connect.
The way it is at the moment, a USB-A plug generally consists of a metal housing that encases a plastic divider sporting connector strips facing inward, that sits at one end of the housing. A similar plastic divider sits at one end of the receiving port on the device, again with the strips facing inward. When the two are brought together, a lovely snug and secure connection is made and whatever you're connecting via USB begins to work... but you have to make sure that you insert the USB connector the right way up.
True, if you don't get it the right way up, then it won't push into the receiving port and you just turn it over in your hand and try again. However, the Double USB design from Ma Yi Xuan makes things even simpler. As you push a USB connector into the port on your device, whichever of the two plastic contact plates inside the metal housing is blocked by the receiving port's equivalent simply pushes back within the outer shell of the double USB connector end. This leaves the other to marry up with the device port's contact strips and away you go. When you pull the plug out, the spring brings back the hidden contact plate for next time.
For those of us who have wasted way too much time fumbling and stretching behind an inaccessible computer tower – so much so that it would have been much better just to pull the whole thing out from its cubby hole, connect the USB device in plain view and then push it back in – this would be most welcome indeed. We only hope that the mighty powers who oversee the world of USB take note, and something like this is made real in the near future.
Via Yanko
Don\'t be so quick to judge, this will probably catch on, and at the very least, it\'s a simple idea that has been proven in other arenas.
On a different note altogether, I\'m surprised no one thought to revise the shape of the USB connectors and ports to be more readily discernible.
Since then I have printed computer, modem, charger, media etc onto all plugs and appliances and what a difference it makes, especially when you want to identify quickly.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
I remember years ago using the metro in france - the mag stripe was down the middle of the ticket, so you could put it in either side up, backwards/forwards - it always worked (machines must have had 2 reading heads inside them of course).
Most of the rest of the world are just idiots - putting the mag stripe off-center on one side only, and forcing commuters to always orient the ticket the correct way, right-side-up. LAME!!!
We need more people to use their brains in this world.
Congrats Ma Yi Xuan !!!
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
The original USB connector was the worst connector design ever. It always takes at least a few tries before the connector can be plugged in correctly regardless of how you line up the male and female connector. Frankly, the original USB connector is a stupid design should be replaced with the mini-USB connector.