Is Sony Fragmenting Thunderbolt? Apple, not Intel, Applies for Thunderbolt Trademark
Engadget and Gula Digital report that while Sony is planning on implementing Thunderbolt in their upcoming laptops, the company will be using a USB connector rather than a DisplayPort connector.
Look closely at that picture. See that Type-A USB jack? The one with the blue stripe sandwiched between the round AC jack (with its green light) and VGA and HDMI ports? Yeah, that's Sony's Thunderbolt implementation according to a trusted source.
Engadget seems confident in their source, and Gula Digital's sources are independelty saying the same thing: Sony will use the USB interface, not mini DisplayPort for their Thunderbolt implementation.
As Engadget notes, we're not sure how this will be allowed. Thunderbolt's original implementation did use the USB connector, but the USB Implementors Forum officially frowned on this behavior by stating that "USB connectors are not general purpose connectors and are not designed to be used in support of other technology applications or standards or as combo connectors." It is believed that it is only due to their objection that Apple and Intel decided to use the mini DisplayPort as the Thunderbolt interface.
Separately, we've noticed that Apple has applied for the Thunderbolt trademark in the U.S. It was previously noticed that Apple had applied for the Thunderbolt trademark in Canada as well. This is unusual since Intel's own pages list Thunderbolt as an Intel trademark. Apple similarly trademarked Firewire, but that trademark was adopted as the official name by the 1394 Trade Association and was granted as a free license to all.
Popular Stories
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
Top Rated Comments
Did you read the OP? They used a different connector as the USB forum said you couldn't use a usb connection
* USB is needlessly larger, and
* USB is symmetrical on the outside! You can’t tell by feel (or eve a quick glance) which way a USB connector goes in. Thunderbolt, being tapered, is just more usable.
I get USB cables the wrong way around on the first try about 1/3 of the time. Sure, most are labeled, but not all in the same way. And what if the port you connect to is sideways, or on a free cable or brick with no orientation? Nothing beats a connector whose very shape—visible and tactile—only has one way to go.
Thunderbolt is for displays, among other things; in fact, initially it’s the most common use of Thunderbolt. And USB is not common for displays. DisplayPort is more so. (And Apple’s not the only one to use mini DisplayPort. The “original” DisplayPort was needlessly large, and luckily Apple stepped in quickly with a better standard, for use by all. Not everyone uses it—but computing is better when they do: your computers can then all share the same display connector even when they’re too compact for the early large-size connector.)
Good theory. Makes sense.
Blue USB is usually a usb 3.0 connector. More than likely its a mislabeled pic.
Just spend 25 seconds under my desk. On my Mac the 'bottom' of the cable faces right. On my Dell the 'bottom' is on the left. So they're exactly the opposite of each other.
Whenever I hear someone say "always" in regards to computers I can be pretty sure they haven't checked many places.
uh, no, they are the ones who helped make it