Among all of the usual noise that comes with an upcoming Apple announcement, a rumoured inclusion of reversible USB charging cables has caught the public’s attention. It’s hard to say why people are attracted to this right now (Apple has been using USB cables since as far back as I can remember), but it’s fuelling a viral movement for these rather boring pieces of tech.

Briefly: I take a quick and dirty look at reversible USB lightning cables. Interest in these simple cables is at an all-time high with a possible Apple announcement.

What’s a reversible USB cable anyway? It’s good that you ask because I shouldn’t assume you know what the hell I’m talking about. The reversible USB cable plugs into your computer (charger), but it can be plugged in both possible ways. This effectively guarantees that you can “get it right” every time you plug it in.

Today’s USB cables can only be plugged in one way, wasting those precious milliseconds while you fumble trying to plug it in right. The reversible change is a small one but bound to change the cable supply landscape if Apple introduces it. I often think that Apple affirms new technologies, and this would be a big one.

People are already clamouring for them. The Apple-style reversible USB cable is now available from truffol.com white and a great looking reversible USB cable called BelayCords has been fully funded on Kickstarter. Is it just a matter of time before your local computer store is flooded with reversible USB cables?

Much of this is probably in Apple’s hands. If we don’t see the new iPhone with a reversible USB cable, this technology might just fizzle out until a large vendor decides to make it mainstream again. Since the Apple event (widely expected to introduce the iPhone 6) is imminent, I think it’s prudent to wait and be sure this new device continues to use lightning connectors.