Power tool companies have discovered USB-C

The article seems a bit quick to dismiss Ryobi's little 4V batteries; seems plausible to take 5 of those, build an enclosure for 'em, and get the sort of 20V battery proper power tools typically expect - then multiply that 5-piece unit for greater capacities. I'm sure it ain't quite that simple, but it'd still be pretty neat.

On another note, if we ever get to the point where DeWalt makes a ruggedized laptop or tablet powered by their 20V battery packs, that'd also be pretty neat.

The first rule of USB C is if you aren't using it you probably should be.

I hope the M12 tools get a USB-PD adapter eventually.

A charging port right on the pack is a good idea, you can actually get AA li-ion batteries with usb-c charging (and power step down to 1.5V).[1]

Also nice for these large batteries that you can use them to charge stuff as well. I’ve got a bunch of Hitachi li-ion power tools, almost 10 years old and the charger for that doubles as a usb power source when a battery is installed[2], but it’s nicer to have the output on the battery itself.

V-mount camera batteries often have USB ports for power out as well. These batteries are really nice for robotics projects as they come in a variety of sizes and an extra 5V power supply always comes in handy[3]

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Deleepow-Rechargeable-Batteries-Lithi...

[2] https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/UC18YSL3-Hitachi-Charger-Slidi...

[3] https://tomantosfilms.com/13999/maxoak-v-mount-batteries/

getting closer to the scifi universal "power cell" every day

Did Apple figure it out yet?