Link

Most standards in electronics are designed and approved by a forum made up of companies in the industry.

The EU has decided to take up this standard.

Common standards make sense - JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) was a group decision. Just think of the havoc if every phone or PC/Laptop came up with their own format for viewing photographs?

I don't know why you seem so upset by this. It's great for the consumer and great for the environment.

Name one recent electronics standard that came from politicians!

For a bonus, name one politician who would even be cable of working on such a standard.

Going back to the OP: I've found the best price for Feller components is Hornbach. I needed dual roller shutter switches and Hornbach was by far the cheapest.

Pretty sure USB C was developed by a consortium of companies, wiki says

I think Apple was the only company holding out on this ultimately, and with the launch of the iPhone 15 yesterday even they have moved over completely.

There maybe a USB D in the coming years; a standard that would/could be used for other purposes like data transfer; I believe the EU has simply mandated USB C for power only; nothing to stop companies adding USB D for data in the future.

Anyway, the human race has completely lost the plot over the past century; very few aspects of life as we know it today are sustainable; although the way the weather is going, mother nature is going to be putting everyone rich and poor into their place over the next century, more likely much sooner than later.

Indeed, and one of the USB-IF board members is:

Freudian slip?

Most standards are developed by industrial groups of one kind or another. As a previous poster points out, Apple was present in the USB fora, but decided not to implement it. I've seen Microsoft present in many standards groups, though it's frequently accused of promoting its own proprietary solutions.
Occasionally politicians get involved in forcing or encouraging implementation. USB isn't the first and certainly won't be the last. Going back a few years, the original GSM standards were strongly pushed by the European Commission, or whatever it was called at that time and led to a uniform standard for mobile phones.
A little less successful has been EV-charging with about 4 proprietary systems currently being used. I was in an EV standards meeting about 10-15 years ago and asking a BMW executive, trying to plug (oh sorry) his solution, what his clients would think when their cars ground to a halt after crossing the German border on the way to Italy.

As always, threads here ignore the solution and diverge.

So let me try again:

CHF 20 for a USB C + USB A wall socket:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005971895049.html

CHF 15 for one with smart capabilities (remote power on/off)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005642888780.html

CHF 7 for a modular one, where you can pick what sockets you want:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004979769167.html

All three with 15 day delivery guarantee

Those are not Swiss sockets - they superficially look the same and two pin plugs will work in either, but the type N Brazil style has a less offset earth pin and narrower pins as well.

Even if they work with three pin plugs they'll be under constant strain, and will (or at least should) fail an inspection.

The Piratenpartei CH (pirates party) is quite tech-nerdy, presumably its siblings abroad as well. But that may not be the type of politically involved person you're thinking of.

At any rate the comparison seems flawed in general. Upper and top level politicians (EU) aren't of the personality that focuses on wielding or designing screwdrivers, let alone on improving them. They're closer to (probably congruent with) upper and top management, nobody of which is in the business of improving screwdrivers either.

Not screwdrivers, but if they banned giving out an allen (hex) key with every conceivable item that needs assembly that would help the environment. They could issue everyone a small set of acceptable sizes at birth, or age 18.

Regarding Ikea:

They could either not include the allen keys with every piece of furniture but sell them at the checkout or give them to customers with a refundable deposit.

Swiss version: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32831401077.html
Another: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1005001558167947.html

Also curious what would "fail" an inspection. I have UK sockets installed at home around my PC, and these were done by an electrician here.... who also happens to be the guy who did the wiring inspection when I bought the house...

According to various online sources, installation of foreign sockets is allowed as long as there's a Swiss socket next to it. The specific example they give is usually Schuko though.

e.g. point 6 here

https://www.elektrotechnik.ch/filead...ow-how_113.pdf

Bear in mind the same guy who did the installation can't do the inspection.

Now THAT is interesting! I guess when it comes to doing the next inspection in ?? years, that I will need to find someone else?

Or maybe he did that "on the down low"... as I asked him if he would do it when he was here for the inspection when I bought the house...

The inspection must be independent, although I'm in SG so maybe it's different in ZH but I really doubt it.

It was clearly written on the demand from the electricity supplier, and the local electrician company actually sub-contracted an inspection firm to do the check.

I assume the foreign sockets also need to meet Swiss standards or higher with regard to safety.

(one of the three Brazilian ones appeared not to have CE)

So pre-Brexit you could install UK sockets but now ?

CE is essentially self-certification but to put the CE mark on your product, you are supposed to meet certain IEC standards (and have documentation including test reports to back this up).
British products still have to meet these IEC standards but will need to show the UKCA mark to be sold in the UK.