As far as I know, from today all accessories that do not have a USB-C connector are banned in the EU. What will happen to Oticon accessories now? They all have a mini USB connector.
They can still sell their stock, but If they’ll make new ones they’ll have to use USB-C.
There’s more coming in, because rechargeable hearing devices are supposed to have user replaceable batteries too now.
Manufactures are fighting to be exempted but it’s unlikely to happen afaik.
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UK considering rules for universal charging cable - BBC News This BBC article says UK government is considering it, but hasn’t decided yet.
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Part of me says this is great and should happen here in the USA. The other part says it is an over step by government to control its citizens and businesses. But the ruling is also helpful for ones like me here in the USA that travel and can now do so without so many different types of cables.
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Oh sure, because businesses (especially corporations) are know for their fair, lawful and consumer friendly behavior.
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As someone that spend almost 50 years working for many of those corporations, Microsoft, Dell, NEC, and a number of smaller ones, and oh yes the government too. I absolutely trust the corporations before I trust any government agency.
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To be super clear, they are not banned. They can’t make them any more, but anyone who has one can use it, forever. And they can sell their existing stock, as @Reginald_II pointed out.
They are NOT banned.
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It looks like everyone will be searched for items without USB-C, and if found, they will be punished 
It is about the sale of smartphones and other devices that, as a rule, must have Type C. If a product is imported, the customs will not approve that product because it will not meet the conditions for sale in the territory of the European Union. All products that sellers plan to import must comply with these regulations. Also, the EU will require the manufacturer in the EU territory to be Type C, otherwise it is not allowed to put the product on the market… It is also considered that the charger is sold separately, so the customer will be able to use their old chargers, and the goal of these provisions is to standardize chargers and reduce electronic waste in the EU territory. … If someone has an old cell phone that has a microUsb or something else, they will still be able to buy a microusb cable in the store. … I don’t know what will happen with chargers for hearing aids, I think they will have to adapt to these rules when new products will come to the EU, otherwise that product will not have a license. This does not apply to old hearing aids, they already have a license.
To me this is over stepping of government, which is more communist than anything else.
Smart people buy what they need and smart companies list to their customers.
Sorry, but that’s not so bad. First, the customer will always be able to buy a cable anywhere and will not have to buy different cables and will save money. Second reason: Reduce electronic waste… Before TypeC, the rule was that microUSB should be the standard, remember what it was like before microUSB?? Almost every manufacturer had its own version of the cable and it was difficult to buy a cable for an old phone.
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Luckily for you, the US is pretty much owned by corporations nowadays, and managed through the puppet [or not even, with Elon in Chief] government and various forms of legalized bribery. Enjoy your oligarchy while it’s still relatively nice.
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Well it beats being told how the think and how what is acceptable to say and believe.
I still prefer freedom of choice and freedom of speech
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Oh, you’re too funny! Enjoy your “freedom” then.
I damn sure do. Every day of the week. The key is not living in a city and not watching the damn TV
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What a crock of horse crap from the EU. Because of this kind of restrictive, nonsense, no one will ever improve on the speed, or connectivity, or convenience that competition provides. Apple had a very good power connection called Lighting, and had to switch over to USB-C because of this stupid law. Somehow the idiots in the EU tied electrical conductivity to climate change to pass this law.
TypeC is an open standard and manufacturers don’t have to pay a license, while Lightning is proprietary and exclusively for iPhones… Someone said that it’s losing freedom. I’ll give you an example of MFI (Bluetooth protocol) that Apple pushed with Resound, and because of that proprietary protocol, we lost our freedom because we couldn’t choose Android, but only iPhones. I’m talking about the period from 2014 to 2020 when Asha wasn’t available yet. And that bothered me terribly because users were being forced to use iPhones.
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I used android up until 2014 when my VA audiologist ordered my Oticon aids than used MFI only then I went to iPhone. In 2023 I went back to my Samsung android phone when it was actually working better than iPhones with my Oticon aids. For me my most important thing is how my aids work for me on my daily use. Conversations, lectures, meets and just basic use then I choose what ever phone that will work best with my aids. I am not married to my phone but realistically I am married to the hearing aids that work best for me on everything but connectivity. It doesn’t matter to me if it is iPhone or Android. I would never think of choosing aids because of a phone.
My issue is not about freedom, but innovation. Why would anyone spend the R&D developing a better mousetrap when the government mandates what a standard mousetrap must be. Apple spent a lot of money developing MFi software and were smart enough to get it out to the hearing aid manufacturers. My other gripe is that my iPhone 13 uses Lighting plugs and my iPad uses USB-C. I usually agree with the free market determining what people buy rather than the government mandating a standard. We don’t have standard AC power plugs. In the U.K they have one standard, even when they were in the EU, and the rest of Europe has another. In North America we use the same plugs, although some are three prong and others two prong. What’s wrong with some kind of converter like I carry for AC power when I travel internationally?
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