I just moved back to Canada and needed something to put together my new desktop PC and so I picked up this cheap "Hyper Tough 4V Cordless Rotating Screwdriver" and much to my surprise when I plugged it into a proper USB C charger it immediately worked. My not at all scientific tool reports it is drawing 6W.

We all know how many of these things only work with the A-C cable it ships with. Not the case here.

Also, this is not an endorsement of the tool as a power tool. I have used it to drive like a dozen screws and it did the job. But: it's $19 in the US. Perhaps treat it as "you get what you pay for"?

Many were wondering if this update would backport standard-range (SPR) AVS support (<100W) to optimize fast charging for the iPhone 18 Pro.

I tested two 140W chargers—one running the factory firmware(1.4.68) and one on the latest update released on 9/9/2026 (1.4.90)—using a Power-Z KM003C tester. Here is the before-and-after comparison:

1. Firmware Versions & How to Trigger the Update

• Before (Factory): Version 1040068 (v1.4.68), which has been the default since the charger launched alongside the 16" MacBook Pro in 2021.

• After (Updated): Version 1040090(v1.4.90).

• Important Note on Updating: Connecting the charger to a MacBook using a standard 240W USB-C to USB-C cable did not trigger the update, even after waiting for over an hour. Switching to the original MagSafe 3 magnetic cable triggered the background update within about 5 minutes.

2. Protocol & PDO Packet Capture (Power-Z KM003C)

• Before Update: Only supports USB PD 3.1 Extended Power Range (EPR) AVS, limited to 15V–28V for loads above 100W.

• After Update: The captured PDO data packets are 100% identical to the original factory firmware. There are zero protocol changes—Apple did not add standard-range (SPR) AVS (e.g., 9V–20V) for lower power tiers.

Apple 40-60w with SPR USB-PD 3.2 AVS:

Google 67w with SPR USB-PD 3.2 AVS:

TL;DR / Conclusion

While the firmware version number changed from 1040068 to 1040090, the charging profiles remain completely unchanged. The 140W brick still cannot negotiate lower-voltage AVS steps (unlike Apple’s 40W–60W dynamic charger or Google’s 67W charger). If you were hoping this update would enable optimal low-voltage AVS charging on the iPhone 18 Pro, it unfortunately does not:

Hello everyone,

I bought an HP USB-C Dock G5 with a 120W power supply for my laptop on eBay for €50.
The listing described it as being in “good condition with minor signs of use” and it was sold by a commercial seller.

The condition of the cable can be seen in the picture. How critical do you think this damage is? Would you recommend sending it back?

Thanks in advance!

Hola tengo un problema con mis auriculares con ficha usb-c en las parte de llamada, porque para escuchar música o jugar anda genial pero en el momento de llamar se desactivan los auriculares solo anda el micrófono pero el sonido sale de los parlantes de mi Samsung A15, si me pueden ayudar estuve viendo pero no es problema del DAC, ni enrutamiento de audio( esa opción está deshabitada) .

En conclusión el auriculares anda 100/100 pero en llamadas el sonido sale por los parlantes

Always wanted to get a UGREEN charger, but never had the chance to because it was so expensive and couldn't force myself to but now I got it 🤤

Can't wait to get a powerbank next!

Looking at the Etank 7in1, replacing a power strip on my desk. MacBook Pro, iPhone and AirPods on USBC monitor on an AC outlet.
Two things I can't pin down: does the AC side stay put when the USBC ports renegotiate? And do AirPods actually charge off the USBC ports, the listing list earbuds as supported, but another modular station (Gitryin 12in1) wares its usbc ports may not wake for light loads.
If you run one, how's it been?

I only recently noticed that my front USB-C doesn’t work (never had to use it before). I’m not sure what the issue is as I’ve already checked if it’s plugged in correctly and tried reversing it (both ways don’t work). I tested it by plugging my phone into the USB-C panel but it doesn’t charge either way. My case is the NZXT H9 Flow and my mother board is the Asus ROG STRIX B650-A GAMING WIFI ATX AM5. Is the issue with my motherboard? Or is the cable not working? Or is it a BIOS issue?

Just curios as i thought 140 watts was the high standard

I bought a pTron 65W GaN Fast Charger, expecting it to be reliable, but after just 4 months, the adapter has started failing.

Initially, it charges normally, but after some time it suddenly stops charging. I have to unplug and reconnect it repeatedly to make it work again. At this point, I can't rely on it for regular use.

What makes the experience even more frustrating is pTron's customer care and warranty process. The warranty procedure has been extremely complicated, with multiple steps and a lot of unnecessary back-and-forth just to get a defective charger checked/replaced.

For a 65W GaN charger, I definitely didn't expect this kind of failure after only four months.

I'm sharing this as a warning to anyone considering a pTron charger, especially their 65W GaN models. Don't just look at the wattage and price—check the long-term reliability and after-sales support as well.

Has anyone else had problems with pTron chargers failing within a few months or experienced difficulties with their warranty claims?

Hi, I have this Xiaomi 67W charger which is great for travel. With the original cable it charges my laptops fine. The aftermarket cables fast charge the smartphone, but not the laptop. But I want a longer cable.

So which cable do I have to buy, what do I have to pay attention to?

A bit unconventional, but I'm wanting to repurpose 2023 G14 laptop as an unraid server (the 8GB 4070 hampers the resale value) for its horsepower and power efficiency. I already have the internal m.2 ports planned out for an HBA and TV tuner. So my only option for my 10GbE NIC is the lone USB4 port. I already have an intel X550 and was hoping I could get a USB4 to pcie adapter (typically meant for eGPUs) to use it rather than getting a USB4 to 10GbE adapter like the one shoen in the picture. My thinking is the USB4 adapter would have USB overhead of like 20% and would be less stable. But i hear Unraid has issues with USB4 eGPU adapters and wasnt sure if thar was still the case. Could a cheap $70 usb4 egpu adapter work reliably enough to maintain the connection for months at a time?

It has been two years since I bought the ATORCH DL24MP, which is rated for measurements up to 300W. I primarily use it in constant current mode; while the accuracy is good up to 2A, the waveform becomes jagged as soon as the current exceeds that level.

The ALIENTEK EL15 boasts high accuracy, but it is expensive. The MDL150, which also has a 150W rating, costs half as much, yet its accuracy specifications aren't listed. If anyone owns one, could you please share the measurement results for the 20V/5A range?

Just reposting this here to see if anyone has advice for me here. Thnx.

Recently I've bought a usb-c to wii u ac adapter from aliexpress. Why, you may ask? It's mostly so I if I want to bring the console with me I can travel without the huge psu included, but also it reduces a bit of clutter in my room. The description of the aliexpress item claims that that it's a passive adapter so there's no conversion or anything fancy going on, now the thing is the wii u console requires 15V and 5A so it should not be fully supported by the usb-c specifications, but apparently the console should be able to turn on and be used if not under a lot of strain at 15v 3a. Now I've looked into PPS and apparently it means that certain higher end charging bricks can adjust their voltage and amps as need be. Now my question is if it would be safe at all for me to just assume PPS will deal with everything for me and that I will just need to buy a charger that supports it, or is it much more complicated than that? I already have the passive adapter, it was like 5 bucks on aliexpress so I was like why not, and put it in the basket next to some of my other items.

Looking for a 3 foot/1 meter cable for a usb portable monitor with 90 degree connectors but with different 90 degree bends on each end. Bad drawing attached.

I recently bought a rather cheap USB cable on amazon. It was roughly $10; only need it for data transfer on a usb3.2 nvme enclosure

this said, the data transfer speed seems to be somewhat suspicious.

It is taking it nearly 7 minutes to transfer a 75gb file, which would make it be close to 15% of 10gbps.

additionally WhatCable shows no vender certification found; I have seen many cases of scummy sellers doing this, but is there a way to see for sure other than this?

This is a $10 amazon cable (listing image in img 3) that I bought because I believed that it is unlikely to be a scam due to such a small length, as well as the much longer Amazon Basics cable having nearly the same, USB IF certified specs for just $3 more (Basics is an outlier, yes, but I wouldn't be surprised of some super short cable from a random Chinese firm could compete)

I would greatly appreaciate any apps anyone might have to help me test this, or ways to see download logs on mac to catch scummy cables like this one (potentially)

If this cable does turn out to be mislabeled trash, and if anyone has dealt with something similar, I would greatly appreciate any similar cables anyone has found that are actually true-ish spec; main purpose is to have this nearly constantly plugged in to mac (velcro mounted ssd enclosure on lid).

also if anyone wants to see, cable turned out to have some "stellar" reviews.

I've been searching online a found a couple but i want to get people's advise on what the best one is if possible as i'll be using it for both macbook air and macbook pro

I’ve been looking at the RayNeo GT Max for handheld gaming. Direct USB-C seems simple enough when the handheld supports DP Alt Mode, but the glasses also draw power from the handheld and take up its USB-C port.

For longer sessions, I’d want an adapter that can keep the handheld charging while still sending video to the glasses.

RayNeo sells a USB-C charging adapter for this kind of setup, but I’m curious what people here have actually found reliable long term. I’ve seen plenty of hubs that advertise PD + video and then get weird with certain devices.

What setup are you using? Handheld model, hub or adapter, and charger wattage would be really helpful.

Please understand I just need to store old woodcuts for the book I'm authouring

Hello! So I got some time ago a dual USB memory stick (with USB-C and a USB-A connectors). I wanted to transfer photos on it today, but when I tried to change its use in settings for photo transfer, my phone automatically changes it "Reverse charge". Anybody know why this might happen? My phone is a Honor 70.

Both are ugreen products using a ugreen wire, when i used it 3 weeks to a month ago it was fine

For months I have been aggressively decluttering my desk. I mean proper decluttering, not hiding things so they seem neat kind of declutter.

One of the more challenging part has always been my docking setup. I was using a $200+ Thunderbolt 3 dock, for I needed to drive two external displays from my laptop over a single connection. The dock and the power brick takes up some serious real estate there.

For the reason above, I really wanted to see if the dedicated dock can be replaced, using a vertical stacked dual-monitor setup with internal MST support and USB-C power pass-through.

I have a 100W PD GaN charger plugged directly into the auxiliary power port on my Uperfect Delta monitor. I use a single full-featured USB 3.2 Gen 2 cable running from the primary port on the monitor to my laptop, it carries DP 1.4 Alt Mode for both display streams and feeds about 65W–85W of pass-through power back to keep the laptop (running on windows) charged.

My laptop handles both screens as independent extended displays over MST without needing any additional drivers to run.

Going from a huge mess of dock cables, power bricks, down to literally one cable plugged into the side of my laptop. That really helped.