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Comment by lacker | Hacker News Reader

I'm generally not a fan of the EU mandating technical decisions, but for me personally, Lightning connections have always been really low quality. Since my iPhone was about a year old, it often won't recognize a new Lightning cable that's plugged in, I have to unplug and re-plug it several times. Or it will charge for a minute and then suddenly think it's disconnected. Or you will bump it slightly and it thinks it's now disconnected. I have never had such trouble with USB-A, micro-USB, USB-C, or even the old 30-pin connectors.

It's especially annoying when I'm in my car, which unfortunately only supports a wired CarPlay connection. Sometimes I'll go over a bump, it'll disconnect my phone, and I have to mess with it while driving in order to get the directions going again.

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I've had iPhones since the original came out with the big ol iPod connector on it. Generally upgrading every two years, except the last one which was an Xs to a 14 Pro.

I have never had this happen. I welcome the USB-C change, but I have never once had what you're describing happen in however many years the Lightning connector has been out.. feels like 8+ years, but without looking I wouldn't know. I've had, I think, one Lightning cable fail to work and that was because my cat chewed on the cord.

Yeah, surveying my friends I found one other person with this problem, but it isn't the majority case.

It doesn't seem to be a problem with the cable, it's really a problem with the connector on the iPhone itself. All my iPads charge fine on Lightning cables. I keep my phone for longer than two years, for one. Or maybe there's something specific to my pocket, where the sort of lint that gets into the iPhone is especially degrading to the connector?

> I have to unplug and re-plug it several times. Or it will charge for a minute and then suddenly think it's disconnected.

Take a toothpick, and scrub inside the connector on the Phone side. Most likely there's some dust/lint stuck in there.

Yeah, I took my last iPhone to an Apple Store when this happened to it, and that's what they advised. Sometimes this helps, but usually it doesn't. Maybe I'll try a Q-tip.

> I'm generally not a fan of the EU mandating technical decisions

How do you feel about California mandating emissions standards for vehicles?

This is like mandating all cars be hydrogen fuel cell as a way to reduce emissions.

CA emission standards are a waste of money and resources.

WA got rid of emissions testing because almost every single car passes, and it’s actually a net increase in carbon emissions to keep the bureaucracy around. That money could be spent on carbon capture or solar subsidies instead.

And why, exactly, does almost every car in WA pass emissions testing? Seems like having to reach those standards to have access to the largest single US market might have something to do with it ...

WA got rid of emissions testing because almost every single car passes

Not anymore, they don't, now that it sounds like we all live on a Fast and the Furious set. Bring back emissions testing just to cut down on the noise, I say.

Additionally, you know why every single car passed? Because it was enforced. Now that it's not enforced, you think that Honda Civic that wakes up your kids at 2:00 a. m. would pass an emissions test?

>WA got rid of emissions testing because almost every single car passes

These planes keep returning with bullet holes in these areas. We should reinforce those spots!

I feel good about that, but it's not the same thing.

I don't really have any opinion about that, since I don't know much about vehicle emissions. I know a lot more about cookie warning banners, enough to say that they are dumb.

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