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Comment by bouncycastle | Hacker News Reader

When was the last time you've seen gold plated USB cables?

Gold plating contacts may have been necessary with analog back in the day, but today's digital equipment is much more reliable thanks to error checking / correcting protocols, and other improvements. Besides, gold contacts wear out faster.

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Here's a basic brand and a respected brand both using gold plating.

Amazon basics: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Male-B-Male-Cable-Feet...

Anker: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-2-Pack-Nylon-Braided-Tangle-F...

Perhaps for non technical reasons.

First time I see this, thanks!

Unnecessary if you ask me... It's more like jewellery rather than a cable :-)

Zinc / aluminium is probably a better combination for USB, as it's more durable.

Other metals like the ones you named have an oxidation problem over time. Gold does not have that problem and contacts will wear thru thier plating by mechanical usage . Gold does not oxidize in the normal earth atmosphere. That's why you can see ancient gold in for instance : Egyptian relics that still shine - no oxidation.. It's nearly a perfect electrical conductor. There are better ( for the pedantic chemists here) But gold plated connectors are used by industry for reliability

I doubt we will be using USB 3.0 cables 5000 years later. Lol!

Tons on ebay (though their search is somewhat broken)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?&_nkw=awg%20%22gold%22%20u...

I guess they'd hold up better in a damp environment.

This reminded me of gold leaf used for cooking:

https://www.ebay.com/b/Gold-Leaf/41369/bn_55209815

I bought 2 sheets ($0.99) out of curiosity. They are so thin and fragile that they ball-up with the slightest "breeze".

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