The evolution to USB-C connectors just after the release of the USB 3.1 standard promised simplicity. More obscure connectors also appeared, like the wide and oddly shaped USB 3.0 Micro-B, which is most commonly seen on external hard drives. A peripheral either had a directly wired cord or sported a Type-B USB port: blocky, nearly square, and with only one correct orientation as well.Īlong the way, though, we accumulated others: Mini-B, a thick trapezoid used by Texas Instruments graphing calculators, early Amazon Kindles, and other devices and Micro-B, a slim trapezoid that became the de-facto charging shape for mobile devices, headphones, and other battery-powered hardware.

USB used to mean one kind of connector for a computer: Type-A, which was flat, rectangular, and had one correct orientation. Pardon the pun, but you know what I mean. You’ll learn how to recognize ports, identify cables you own, and buy the best cable for USB, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, DisplayPort, HDMI, and audio at the fastest, best, or highest-fidelity method available. It answers common questions and aids in troubleshooting problems. USBefuddled: Untangling the Rat’s Nest of USB-C Standards and Cablesįor more help with cables, check out Glenn Fleishman’s new book, Take Control of Untangling Connections. #1623: How to turn off YouTube's PiP, use AirPlay to Mac, and securely erase Mac drives.#1624: Important OS security updates, rescuing QuickTake 150 photos, AirTag alerts while traveling.#1625: Apple's 'Far Out' event, the future of FileMaker, free NMUG membership, Quick Note and tags in Notes, Plex suffers data breach.#1626: AirTag replacement battery gotcha, Kindle Kids software flaws, iOS 12.5.6 security fix.#1627: iPhone 14 lineup, Apple Watch SE/Series 8/Ultra, new AirPods Pro, iOS 16 and watchOS 9 released, Steve Jobs Archive.

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