We’ve talked on a number of occasions about the problem with USB-C cables: namely, they all look alike but can have very different capabilities.
Google addressed this issue in Chrome OS several years ago, and we suggested at the time that Apple should copy it. That hasn’t yet happened, but there’s now a free Mac app, WhatCable, to turn your Mac into a hardware cable tester …
Pretty much every gadget we buy these days comes supplied with a USB-C cable, so it’s easy to end up with a whole drawer full of these and not know which one to reach for when you need particular features. Each cable may offer different maximums for each of:
Data transfer speed
Video transmission bandwidth
