Apple Chips Know Your USB Cables Better Than You Do, Surprise Surprise
KEY POINTS
- •In 2023, an $8 USB-C cable tester was popular for quickly identifying cable speed and power but got discontinued.
- •WhatCable is a free Mac app for Apple Silicon that reveals detailed USB-C cable and device info by accessing hidden system data.
- •Users can open a widget in their Mac's menu bar to see every attached USB-C device’s specs at a glance.
Almost three years ago, dear tech explorer, the $8 USB-C cable tester gallantly told us if our cables were fast, slow, powerful, or weak—like sorting potatoes by brightness. Sadly, it’s now discontinued, leaving us with nostalgia and inferior gadgets. Enter WhatCable, a free Mac app for Apple Silicon users that pulls a digital Sherlock, sneaking peek at all your USB-C cables thanks to secret data Apple collected but never bragged about. Click the inconspicuous menu bar widget and voilà—your Mac just became a cable snitch, revealing every device's secrets without charging a dime or your patience.
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(1 of 3)After losing an $8 cable tester, Macs with Apple Silicon now spy on your USB-C cables like a bureaucrat checking receipts. Privacy sold for power ratings.
Congrats, you can now peer into your USB-C cables’ souls on Mac—because knowing cable speed was the final frontier.
Who needs discreet USB cables when your Mac already tattles on them? Welcome to the age of plug-in paranoia.
Source: Theverge | Published: 7/13/2026 | Author: Sean Hollister
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