Credit: Intel/Arstechnica
Seriously though, how many times have you had to reverse a standard USB plug to get it to fit into a socket?
A really simple way to improve this situation: when purchasing devices & cables (or bare sockets or plugs), ensure that the plastic piece across the mouth of the socket or plug is white. Makes it much easier to read the orientation. E.g. does the image below leave you in any doubt about the correct orientation?
Credit: How Stuff Works
Even better would be a plug/socket combination which is reversible.
Which is one advantage of Apple's new Lightning standard: plugs are reversible. Remaining problem, is that when you connect your Lightning device to the computer, at the other end of the cable is a non-reversible USB plug.
Rumour has it that Apple is about to fix that, by releasing Lightning-to-USB cables with reversible plugs at the USB end. This appears to be supported by the video below:
Tripp Lite reversible USB cables have been around for some time:
Trip Lite website: http://www.tripplite.com/product/Reversible-USB-Cables/104
As reported previously in these pages, the micro USB-sized, USB Type-C connector (compatible with USB 3.1), will also be reversible.
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/tiny-reversible-usb-type-c-connector.html / USB Type A Type B mini-USB cable plug socket /
