This is the new USB connector - and it's reversible!

The universal, ubiquitous computer ports, connectors and cables will soon be reversible. That means no more struggling to figure out which way the plug is supposed to go.

   The USB 3.0 Promoter Group, which includes tech giants Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, Tech30), Intel (INTC, Tech30), Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30), Texas Instruments (TXN), said the blueprints for the "Type-C" reversible USB connector have been finished, and manufacturers can start making them.

   So when will you see the new plugs?

   It could be soon, but that's for the electronics industry to decide. There has been no shortage of interest in a reversible USB solution since Apple (AAPL, Tech30) made headlines in 2012 with its reversible Lightning connector for the iPhone and iPad.

   But many governments, including the European Union, have mandated micro-USB as the standard for charging and connecting.

   The oddly shaped micro-USB connector for the world's smartphones, tablets and cameras is slightly fatter on one side than the other.

(Πηγή: money.cnn.com)