USB-C
The last few years have seen an increase in adoption of the USB Type-C connector. It has simultaneously been accompanied by additional technological innovations on top of it. This has created a need for devices and tools to monitor the communication over the connector - in particular, the power delivery (USB-PD) aspect. The Google Twinkie (developed in 2014) was the original USB-PD Sniffer. Since then, many devices have attempted to replicate at least some of the functionality in a more user-friendly manner. ChargerLAB's KM003C is one of the latest premium solutions in the list, and it ticks many of the boxes that other solutions do not. Read on to find out whether it can achieve the true openness of the Google Twinkie.
CES 2023: IOGEAR Introduces USB-C Docking Solutions and Matrix KVM
IOGEAR has been servicing the computer accessories market with docks and KVMs for more than a couple of decades now. In addition to the generic use-cases, the company creates...
5 by Ganesh T S on 1/5/2023CES 2023: Plugable Introduces New Flagship Thunderbolt 4 Dock and USB-C Hub
The Thunderbolt and USB ecosystems have seen rapid updates over the last couple of years. In 2022, we saw the announcement of the USB4 v2 standard and some details...
9 by Ganesh T S on 1/4/2023WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Portable SSD Review: Balanced Storage
Western Digital had announced new products in the WD_BLACK lineup back in May 2022 to augment their offerings in the gaming market. The WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD was...
6 by Ganesh T S on 11/18/2022SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 Thunderbolt / USB Dual-Mode Portable SSD Review
Western Digital is introducing a new flagship portable SSD today under the SanDisk Professional brand. The PRO-G40 dual-mode PSSD ticks all the right boxes for prosumers, content creators, and...
13 by Ganesh T S on 10/6/2022SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE SSD and ArmorLock SSD Review
Western Digital introduced the SanDisk Professional branding in May 2021 for its G-Technology products targeting the content-capture market. The company has taken the opportunity to update some of the...
6 by Ganesh T S on 10/12/2021Kingston DataTraveler Max UFD Review: NVMe Performance in a USB Thumb Drive
Rapid advancements in flash technology and continued improvements in high-speed interfaces have driven the growth of small, bus-powered portable SSDs. Kingston introduced the DataTraveler Max in August 2021 as...
12 by Ganesh T S on 9/30/2021Phison at CES 2021: New USB SSD Controllers, Adds E21T For Low-End NVMe
At CES 2021, Phison gave us the usual updates on their SSD controller roadmap. The most significant new products coming this year are a pair of USB flash drive...
13 by Billy Tallis on 1/14/2021Plugable Updates USB-C 7-in-1 Hub with Ethernet and 4Kp60 Display Support
A major issue faced by owners of notebooks and compact SFF PCs such as the NUCs is the paucity of USB ports or even the absence of often-needed functionality...
5 by Ganesh T S on 1/12/2021Sabrent Rocket Nano Rugged IP67 Portable SSD Review: NVMe in a M.2 2242 Enclosure
Portable bus-powered SSDs are a growing segment of the direct-attached storage market. The ongoing glut in flash memory (and the growing confidence of flash vendors in QLC) has brought...
11 by Ganesh T S on 10/30/2020Crucial Portable SSD X6 and X8 2TB Review: QLC for Storage On-the-Go
Bus-powered portable flash-based storage solutions are one of the growing segments in the consumer-focused direct-attached storage market. The emergence of 3D NAND with TLC and QLC has brought down...
22 by Ganesh T S on 10/21/2020SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD v2 and WD My Passport SSD (2020) Review
External bus-powered storage devices have grown both in storage capacity as well as speeds over the last decade. Thanks to rapid advancements in flash technology (including the advent of...
7 by Ganesh T S on 9/30/2020Western Digital Unveils USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD v2
The SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD released in 2019 has been one of the top performers in the external flash storage market segment. Putting a high-end WD Black SN750-class...
14 by Ganesh T S on 9/30/2020DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 Spec Released: Defining Alt Mode for USB4
As the tech industry gears up for the launch of the new USB4 standard, a few more parts first need to fall into place. Along with the core specification...
12 by Ryan Smith on 4/29/2020BenQ Unveils SW321C: A 32-Inch Pro Monitor with Wide Color Gamuts & USB-C
BenQ has introduced a new 32-inch professional-grade display designed for photographers and post-production specialists. Dubbed the SW321C, the monitor is for professionals who need wide color spaces like the...
26 by Anton Shilov on 3/23/2020EIZO Launches ColorEdge CS2740: A 27-Inch 4K Professional Monitor with USB-C
USB Type-C is slowly but surely taking over the display market as the connector of choice. At first, it was added primarily to mainstream office models, but recently manufacturers...
15 by Anton Shilov on 3/17/2020Sonnet Unveils Solo5G: A USB-C to 5 GbE Network Adapter
Sonnet has started sales of its Solo5G, their first 5 Gigabit Ethernet USB-C dongle. Designed to quickly and easily add support for faster networking to any laptop or desktop...
5 by Anton Shilov on 2/28/2020Philips’s 243B1: An Inexpensive Monitor with USB-C Docking & Presence Detector
USB Type-C connectors on displays and docking capabilities for modern laptops are extremely convenient, but up until recently monitor manufacturers have treated USB-C as a premium feature. This is...
16 by Anton Shilov on 2/20/2020MinibeaMitsumi Launches IP68-Rated USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 Connector
MinibeaMitsumi has unveiled the industry’s first dustproof and waterproof USB Type-C connector that is certified for Thunderbolt 3 speeds. The connector can be used for a variety of applications...
21 by Anton Shilov on 2/10/2020Acer Launches Cheap USB-C Monitor for Laptops: The 15.6-Inch Acer PM1
Joining the growing market for portable external displays, Acer has started selling its first USB-C based external display for laptops. The no-frills Acer PM1 is aimed at the entry...
15 by Anton Shilov on 2/3/2020