Founder of Yahoo Tech David Pogue calls it the "biggest unsung technology in years." He's excited about the USB-C, a universal cable that is the same on both sides, both ends and can replace the power, USB, and video outputs cables on your phone, tablet, laptop and desktop computers.
According to Pogue's article in the March 1, 2016 edition of Scientific Americanthe effort started with Intel and five other companies (including Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft) and expanded to hundreds of others.
According to Brad Saunders, chair of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, who Pogue interviewed, "Over time we became motivated by the fact that we could change the world from a green perspective."
Pogue gives an example. "I'm in the airport waiting lounge and my iPhone battery's dying and I say-Can I borrow your Dell laptop charger for my phone?- and it will work."
New devices, including ones from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Google already come with the USB-C. In the interim users will have to use an adaptor to connect old scanners and printers, for example.
