A growing number of smartphones, tablets, and laptops are shipping with USB Type-C ports. These connectors allow faster charging and on some devices they also enable speedier data transfers and support for video output with the help of an adapter. In fact, Apple thinks the USB Type-C port is so useful, it’s the only port on the […]
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Microsoft may offer Windows 10 on USB flash drives
Want to buy a copy of Microsoft Windows? Right now you can pay for a downloadable version or buy a DVD that you can use to install the operating system. But when Windows 10 launches July 29th, it looks like Microsoft may offer another option: you may be able to buy a Windows USB flash […]
Android M includes native file browser for USB flash drives
Want to use a USB flash drive with your Android phone or tablet? Plenty of Android devices can recognize a flash drive… but since Android doesn’t have a built-in file browser, up until now you’ve needed to use a third-party app to actually explore the flash drive. Google’s changing that with Android M. Now when you insert […]
SnapPower Charger turns your outlet cover plate into a USB port (crowdfunding)
I live in a house that was built in 1925, which means I have very few electrical outlets. In one room, there is only a single wall plug. It also means that wall plugs are a hot commodity around here. The last thing I want to do is hog up those sockets with a USB […]
InfiniteUSB is both a USB cable and a port… for another cable (crowdfunding)
Say you’ve got a laptop with just one or two USB ports, but you want to plug in a mouse, a smartphone, a flash drive, and an optical disc drive. You could invest in a USB hub. But the makers of InfiniteUSB have another idea. They have a line of USB cables that are also […]
USB Type-C is coming (small, reversible plugs)
There’s a new type of USB cable and connector on the way. USB Type-C connectors are about the same size as a micro USB connector you’d normally find on a smartphone. But the new standard is designed to work with phones, tablets, and laptops. As promised, new USB Type-C cables will also feature reversible plus […]
Lilbits (12-04-2013): Reversible USB plugs
Since the dawn of time (or at least of USB ports), folks have been struggling to insert plugs the right way up. Odds are you’ve poked the wrong end of a plug into a phone or PC at one point or another while trying to charge your device, connect a flash drive, hook up a […]
USB 3.1 to offer speeds up to 10 Gbps (twice as fast as USB 3.0)
If you’ve bought a computer in the last year or two, odds are that it has at least one blue USB port on it, signaling that you’re looking at a SuperSpeed USB port capable of data transfers up to 5 Gbps. That port’s going to start looking dated soon. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group just […]
One day you may be able to charge a laptop with a USB cable
You can use USB cables to charge phones, tablets, media players, and all sorts of other gadgets. One day you may also be able to charge a laptop using a USB cable. The USB Implementer’s Forum has adopted a new standard for USB Power Delivery which supports delivering up to 100W via a USB cable. […]
WinToFlash: Install Windows XP, Vista, 7, or Windows 8 with a USB flash drive
For the last 15 years or so, Microsoft Windows has been coming on CDs or DVDs. But it’s increasingly common to find computers that don’t have disc drives. So how do you install Windows on those computers? Microsoft offers a free USB/DVD tool which you can use to easily create a bootable USB flash drive […]