All USB-C cables are NOT created equal! My solution? Color-coded cable ties.
I test a cable by attaching my external SSD and running `lsusb -t` in Linux, which reports the negotiated speed:
480M: USB 2.0
5000M: USB 3.2 Gen 1, 4.8Gb/s
10000M: USB 3.2 Gen 2x1, 10Gb/s
20000M: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, 20Gb/s
I assigned a color to each speed, wrote it down in #Joplin, attached my cable ties, and now I no longer have to worry about a USB-C cable turning my SSD into an HDD.
Magnetische Adapter machen jedes USB-C-Kabel zu “MagSafe”
Microsoft is tackling USB-C port confusion with its updated Windows 11 Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP).
All certified devices will ensure USB-C ports support data, charging, and display functionality seamlessly. ⚡
This initiative also guarantees compatibility with USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals.
With these updates, it seems that Microsoft can do good things too. 👍
#Microsoft #Windows #Windows10 #Windows11 #USB #USBC #Thunderbolt #Technology #TechNews
heise+ | Zwölf KFZ-Ladeadapter mit USB-C und Power Delivery im Test
USB-C-Adapter für die Zigarettenanzünderbuchse laden Smartphone und Tablet auch im Auto mit dem Ladeturbo PD. Bei Ultrabillig-Adaptern ist Vorsicht geboten.
#Schnittstellen #Auto #Energie #Entertainment #Hardware #Mobiles #USB #USBC #Test #news
Что не так с USB-C и как Microsoft наводит порядки в стандарте
USB-C проектировался как универсальный стандарт. Но его возможности, к сожалению, варьируются от устройства к устройству, а это сбивает с толку пользователей. Microsoft решает эту проблему, внедряя строгие требования в рамках Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP). Сегодня разберем, как компания исправляет путаницу с USB-C-портами на Windows-устройствах, какие проблемы устраняет и что это значит для пользователей и производителей.
https://habr.com/ru/companies/ru_mts/articles/917086/
#itинфраструктура #itкомпании #itстандарты #USBC #microsoft #стандарты #железо_и_технологии #WHCP
Nintendo Switch 2: Nur ein USB-C-Port für Screenshot-Transfer – und das nervt
Als Journalist macht man häufiger mal Screenshots oder Videos auf seiner Nintendo Switch oder Switch 2 – und vielleicht geht es euch ja auch so. Jedoch kann das gewaltig nerven! Um am Ende des Tages gleich mehrere Dateien auf den PC zu kopieren, ist der USB-Transfer mein Mittel zum Zweck, damit die Bildchen von dort weiterverarbeitet und sortiert oder auf Social Media geteilt werden können. Systemeinstellungen -> Datenverwaltung > Screenshots und Videos verwalten -> Per USB-Verbindung […]
Le Power Mac G4 Cube peut maintenant être alimenté en USB-C http://dlvr.it/TLFfnW #PowerMacG4 #USBC
Gadget Review: Treedix USB Cable Tester
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/gadget-review-treedix-usb-cable-tester/
Cables aren't just copper wire and plastic sheath any more. Modern USB-C cables contain little microchips called eMarkers which allow them to transfer data and power at terrifying speeds. But, sadly, there's no way you can look at a USB-C cable and see whether it supports the baffling array of features available.
Enter the catchily-named Treedix TRX5-0816-AC.
It will test just about any sort of USB cable and tell you what it does - and doesn't - support. It will also show you which pins are connected, how fast it can transmit data, and what the eMarker shows. Nice!
Let's put it through its paces.
Inputs and outputs
On one side are your output ports - you have a choice of USB-C or USB-A 3.0.
At the bottom you have this range of ports to choose from:
So you can go A-C, C-micro, C-lightning etc.
Finally, on the other side you have a button, a switch, and input power:
The power switch toggles between the internal AAA battery (included) and a 5V supply from a USB-C cable (not included). Pressing the white button moves between the different diagnostic screens.
Power Only
I tried with a short USB-C power-only cable designed for charging low-power devices. I plugged in the USB-A end and the USB-C end.
It correctly identified that it couldn't do data transmission.
With a power-only USB-C cable, it had much the same display. Pressing the button on the side of the Treedix told me what it knew about the eMarker.
Perfect!
Passive USB-C
What about a data and power USB-C cable? This is the ChubbyCable I reviewed a few years ago.
USB 3.2 Gen2 and power of up to 100W. It has also correctly guessed the likely length of the cable by measuring the latency.
Interestingly, when looking at the basic functions, it says it can only do USB 2.0 speeds and correctly identifies that it doesn't do PowerDelivery 3.1 (which goes up to 240W).
Finally, which pins are connected?
That looks about right!
ThunderBolt 4 or 3?
Let's compare two high-performance cables. The one I usually have plugged into my Framework Laptop and USB-C hub
Thunderbolt 4 capable of 100W of Power and 40 Gbps of data. As expected, no PD3.1:
Let's test a different high-quality cable I bought recently. The labelling claims 20Gbps and 240W of power. We can see that it does have PD3.1:
But! Looking at the eMarker, it reports that is only a ThunderBolt 3 device capable of 10Gbps!
I asked the cable manufacturer if that's a problem with the cable or the eMarker or the diagnostic machine. They said:
eMarker tester can only show single channel transmission rate 10Gbps, devices supporting dual channel can show 20Gbps. our products have 18 months warranty, if there is any problem, please feel free to contact me, I will provide you with satisfactory after-sales service.
I contacted Treedix to see if they could shed light on this. They replied quickly:
Yes, we sincerely apologize - this tester currently does not support dual-channel detection at this time.
Which is a bit annoying.
Of course, my laptop only supports 10Gbps, so it is a bit moot!
Firmware
Update!
I emailed Treedix about possible firmware updates - they said:
Our devices with firmware version V2.3 and above can be updated. Currently the latest version is V2.3. you can see your version number. The way to view it is the boot page will show the version number. In addition, our test boards cannot be updated to test dual channels at this time. Because this is the information written inside the EMARKER, we can only read the information inside. We are currently working on the data inside the information we read to see if we can read the number of channels.
Mine shows a firmware of 2.3.04 - which does appear to be the latest. If a new firmware appears, I'll update this post again.
Weird Cables
As well as your standard USB-C, it will also do the ugliest plug known the mankind - the USB Micro-B SuperSpeed.
It'll also do Lightning cables - as long as they also have a USB-A or C end.
Downsides
Other than having to replace all your duff cables, there are a few annoying little niggles.
Those are all minor complaints.
The biggest complaint is that USB-C terminology is hard. Which is better, 40Gbps but only 100W or 10Gbps but 240W? How does ThunderBolt relate to USB? What is EPR and why does it matter? Where does DP Alt Mode fit in?!
Verdict
It powers up and detects all features instantly. It goes to sleep after a few minutes of not being used. It will even show you the electrical resistance of the cable if you think that's useful.
Total cost? £40 at the moment from Amazon. I reckon that's a bargain. It is an indispensable piece of kit - especially if you have a big box of ancient USB cables. This will allow you to quickly and easily see which ones are broken, which are mislabelled, and which deserve pride of place in your collection.
If you're running a hackspace, this is a no-brainer. If you've ever wasted time trying to diagnose a USB problem, this should be your first port of call.
@0xabad1dea
On a separate note, I think Odin has become unplugged from the power cord near his hind legs.
#USBC
It’s gotten easier to get away with forgetting to take a laptop charger
SANTA CLARA, Calif.
Eighteen years ago, I managed to forget to pack my laptop’s charger for a transcon business trip, didn’t realize my oversight until reaching Dulles Airport, and then swore that I would never make that mistake again. Reader, you can guess what I did Tuesday morning.
In my inadequate defense, the compact, Wirecutter-endorsed charger I’d meant to bring is so small that its absence from my gadget-accessories bag was easy to overlook until I reached for it at the Capital One lounge at IAD. And the night before, its black USB-C cable was apparently too easy for me to overlook draped across the dark rug in my home office after I unplugged it from my laptop, tucked the laptop into the sleeve in my messenger bag, and then stupidly left the charger plugged into the wall.
But unlike in January of 2007, when I was heading to CES with a Dell laptop that needed a proprietary charger that I discovered was almost as rare in Vegas as a blackjack dealer handing you two aces in a row, this HP laptop charges via the same USB-C port as every other portable computer I own.
So I did not freak out but did resolve to stick to my phone for e-mail until I could get to my layover in Denver, where I knew multiple lounges would offer USB ports for the adapter cable I did still have tucked into that bag.
(That adapter cable is one of the best pieces of tech-event swag I’ve ever collected, as it includes a Qi cordless charger in a pod between its combination USB A/C plug and the USB-C, micro-USB and Lightning plugs at its other end. Whoever at Supermicro marketing picked this thing as a giveaway at HumanX in March, tell your boss I said you deserve a raise.)
After mostly recharging my phone in DEN, when I checked into the Hyatt Regency here Tuesday evening–where the organizers of TechEx North America are hosting me in return for moderating three panels at that conference–I asked if they might have a spare USB-C charger I could borrow. The rep at the front desk said they’d check, and barely a minute after I got to my room, somebody from housekeeping showed up with a new iPad charger.
I have to smile at a hotel bailing me out like this: I’d had to buy that compact USB-C charger after I’d left this HP’s original, larger power brick at a fancy hotel in D.C. during a conference there in February, after which nobody at the hotel was able to locate it even though I’d taped my business card to the thing.
One lesson of this episode is that by ensuring that devices finally use the same connector, the tech industry finally solved the problem of needing to find the right charger for a laptop, phone or tablet. It’s worth recognizing when these companies do something right–even if in Apple’s case, it seems to have required a shove from European Union regulations that made USB-C a required standard.
The other is that since I’m developing a bit of a history of leaving a laptop charger at home, I need to get myself into the habit of unplugging that thing from the outlet before I unplug it from my laptop.
#ACAdapter #charger #HP #Hyatt #laptopCharger #powerBrick #Qi #SantaClara #SiliconValley #SpectreX360 #TechExNorthAmerica #USB #USBC
Also even if people don't have a donor to transplant a screen assembly from or don't feel comfortable fiddling with eDP cables they could just remove the screen and have a compact AiO Desktop.
DFU machine to reflash / reinstall other #Macs. I think it's a necessity that we as #TechLiterates propagate the need to #UseLonger and the #RightToRepair as essential, given that #tech inherently is expensive in terms of #resources and that avoiding #eWaste and #Upcycling is an act of #EnvoirmentalProtection.
If I had the necessary €€€€€ I'd literally start my own "#upcycling" #business, even employ some folks collecting all the #surplus'd #Windows10 machines and just cleaning, wiping, repasting, fixing and selling them as cheap #used #PC|s for those that kinda need something to do their casual "#office", #LightGaming and #MediaConsumption.
@wyatt yes, @EUCommission mandates it for #Laptops soon as well.
Microsoft is setting minimum USB Type-C capabilities for Windows 11 PCs
Some of the USB Type-C ports on modern computers will let you charge your PC with up to a 240W power supply, transfer data at speeds as high as 80 Gbps, or connect multiple 4K displays. Others… do not.
That’s because some USB Type-C ports are USB 2.0 or USB 3.x ports, while others support USB4. And even within those categories, there’s some variation – the USB Implementers Forum doesn’t […]
#thunderbolt #usb #usbTypeC #usbC #whcp #windowsHardwareCompatibilityProgram
Read more: https://liliputing.com/microsoft-is-setting-minimum-usb-type-c-capabilities-for-windows-11-pcs/
Microsoft Is Standardising USB-C Ports With Windows 11 Compatibility Initiative #connectivitystandards #hardware #microsoft #usbc #usbcstandardisation #windows11
https://www.lowyat.net/2025/354721/microsoft-usb-c-standardisation/
nice tag: "usb-c what you did there" ...
#Microsoft_corp wants a version of #USBC that “just works” consistently across all PCs, 20250602,
by Andrew C,
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/microsoft-belatedly-attempts-to-tame-usb-c-confusion-with-its-rules-for-pc-oems/
Nützliches Apple-Zubehör auf Amazon: Empfehlungen für iPhone-, iPad- und Mac-Nutzer:innen
Viele Apple-Produkte entfalten ihr volles Potenzial erst mit dem passenden Zubehör. Wer sein Setup optimieren möchte, findet bei Amazon eine Vielzahl an kompati
https://test.apfeltalk.de/magazin/news/nuetzliches-apple-zubehoer-auf-amazon-empfehlungen-fuer-iphone-ipad-und-mac-nutzerinnen/
#News #Zubehr #Amazon #AppleWatch #AppleZubehr #Dockingstation #iPad #iPhone #Ladegert #MacBook #magsafe #USBC
Nützliches Apple-Zubehör auf Amazon: Empfehlungen für iPhone-, iPad- und Mac-Nutzer:innen
Viele Apple-Produkte entfalten ihr volles Potenzial erst mit dem passenden Zubehör. Wer sein Setup optimieren möchte, findet bei Amazon eine Vielzahl an kompatib
https://www.apfeltalk.de/magazin/news/nuetzliches-apple-zubehoer-auf-amazon-empfehlungen-fuer-iphone-ipad-und-mac-nutzerinnen/
#News #Zubehr #Amazon #AppleWatch #AppleZubehr #Dockingstation #iPad #iPhone #Ladegert #MacBook #magsafe #USBC
I appreciate your service these last 7 1/2 years my #loyal #usbc #cable of #pixel3xl #2018. It's come to the attention of #management you are a bit crooked of late.
Consider yourself #retired
**Plays song of #gratitude and #mourning**
Microsoft macht Ernst: USB-C-Ports unter Windows 11 müssen mehr können
#technews #microsoft #techupdate #usbc #windows11 #notebooks #hardware
