Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

github.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 185 posts

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#51

Post by pimeys »

geordieboozer wrote: post #47
pimeys wrote: post #40

Cool. Just want to chime in that I wanted to see how quickly GPT-5.5 can turn this into a KDE Plasma 6 Plasmoid. Took about 10 minutes and two dollars, and now I have a nice QML app showing the same information in my taskbar. Just wanted to say this because I feel it's really crazy that I can just do this today...

To save me 10 mins and $2, is this posted to GitHub somewhere?

It's 1st of May here, so probably not doing it today. Looking into it a bit more when I get back from the parties. but it's basically just three files: QML for the UI, some python code to parse /proc data and a metadata file.

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#52

Post by pzmarzly »

BiteCode_dev wrote: post #13

Tangential, but LLT recently came out with their own lineup of USB-C cables guaranteed to be up to spec. And they have the main specs printed on each cable end, so you know what you grab. That should be mandatory.

TIL, and they look great indeed. Shame they are all sold out except for https://global.lttstore.com/products/ltt-truespec-cable-usb-...

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#53

Post by literalAardvark »

LordGrey wrote: post #36
gedy wrote: post #24

I like the idea and thanks for sharing, but I do think folks who vibe code or use Claude should take their time using, testing, and improving app before rushing to share. This was pushed/deved like 2 hours ago

And it's been updated, with full releases, many times since. I like this tool, but I agree that it was rushed and it is still being rushed. I urge the developer to slow down and get it right.

This isn't an air traffic control system though.

Shipping early is an entirely valid dev strategy.

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#54

Post by jrmg »

aquir wrote: post #5

Good stuff, but it's telling me that my USB-C Thunderbolt cable has been plugged in upside down but the connector handled this. I was not aware that you can plug in something into USB-C upside down!

What does it mean to be ‘upside down’ if the connector handles both orientations?

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#55

Post by justusthane »

regularfry wrote: post #21
justusthane wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wasn't either (insomuch as I had never thought about it), but it makes sense if you think about it for a second. If you have one end plugged in one way, and the other end plugged in the other way, each individual wire is flipped from where it should be. The fact that you _can_ plug it in either way means that the device on one end needs to be capable of recognizing that and logically reversing it. Same as automatic…

It's not always the case that the cable will correctly fix it. I think (hope?) any that any which didn't would be out of spec, but they exist...

It's the cable that is supposed to reverse itself and not the device? I'm not entirely sure I buy that - seems like it would add a lot of unnecessary complexity to every cable.

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#57

Post by sleepingNomad »

bkummel wrote: post #4

Doesn't work for me. Says "No USB-C ports detected", although I'm pretty sure my monitor is connected via USB-C, and the monitor also has a built-in USB hub where my USB keyboard is connected to.

Hi, should be fixed now.

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#59

Post by sleepingNomad »

aquir wrote: post #5

Good stuff, but it's telling me that my USB-C Thunderbolt cable has been plugged in upside down but the connector handled this. I was not aware that you can plug in something into USB-C upside down!

This has been fixed now, apologies.

Re: Show HN: WhatCable, a tiny menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables

#60

Post by mft_ »

sagacity wrote: post #22

This is pretty nice, but why do a lot of Mac apps insist on living in the menu bar?

Agreed, especially for something like this that might get used a handful of times (I’m assuming most people don’t have myriad cables or want to check them regularly?)

The problem of course is that on my 14” screen the area to the right of the notch is already close to full and I don’t even have that many things there…

Post reply on HN