They make USB-C cables with displays now • Hacker News Board

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#21

Post by verandaguy » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:01 AM UTC

ffsm8 wrote: post #18

gonesilent wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can find them with full cell modems hidden in the cable end molding.

It's hard to discern if you're serious or joking. Is that an actual thing? I couldn't find anything by googling

I haven't heard of cell modems in particular, but I've used O.MG cables (described and sold here: https://shop.hak5.org/products/omg-cable; I am unaffiliated with either Hak5 or the team behind O.MG cables) which can create an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network for management/C2 reasons.

It's actually really easy to use (and almost scary, coming from never having used one of these).

They are quite pricey, but way less so than older cables used by security and jailbreak researchers in years past, which would run into the five figures.

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#22

Post by PaulKeeble » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:07 AM UTC

Due to the way the standards for power have gone there is substantial need for owning such a cable! Maybe when everything is USB C PD compatible and tested and works then devices might just charge at the right wattage as they are specified to. Alas so far I have had a lot of devices that refused to charge at anything higher than 7 watts despite USB C on both ends and a modern GAN 100W charger. The power standards for USB are a complete mess.

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#23

Post by Izkata » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:14 AM UTC

Look for "power meter" if you want stuff like this. I bought this one a year ago: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B99Z2GJK/

And this one for USB 3.0 four years ago: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019RHJRM8/

Modern ones give a whole lot more information than the one in the article.

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#24

Post by pbronez » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:14 AM UTC

metaphor wrote: post #13

whycome wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you know for the cables without displays?

The USB-IF publishes a list of member companies[1]; purchase products from these qualified manufacturers, and perhaps more importantly, from authorized distributors. This is a good enough "policy control" for the average consumer. [1] https://www.usb.org/members

Surprised that Anker isn’t obviously on there.

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#25

Post by Animats » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:15 AM UTC

The original USB-C spec called for cables to have optional displays to show why the cable had problems connecting. Did anyone every see one of those?

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#26

Post by mceachen » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:24 AM UTC

pbronez wrote: post #24

metaphor wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The USB-IF publishes a list of member companies[1]; purchase products from these qualified manufacturers, and perhaps more importantly, from authorized distributors. This is a good enough "policy control" for the average consumer. [1] https://www.usb.org/members

Surprised that Anker isn’t obviously on there.

Unsurprising considering Anker doesn’t pay for basic UL listing for many of their AC power taps.

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#27

Post by ffsm8 » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:26 AM UTC

verandaguy wrote: post #21

ffsm8 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to discern if you're serious or joking. Is that an actual thing? I couldn't find anything by googling

I haven't heard of cell modems in particular, but I've used O.MG cables (described and sold here: https://shop.hak5.org/products/omg-cable ; I am unaffiliated with either Hak5 or the team behind O.MG cables) which can create an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network for management/C2 reasons. It's actually really easy to use (and almost scary, coming from never having used one of these). They are quite pricey, but way less so than old…

I'm aware that there's are local keylogger/payload cables around which let you transmit data short range.

My surprise was specifically about the supposed cell modem within a 6€ cable

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#28

Post by jessriedel » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:27 AM UTC

Izkata wrote: post #23

Look for "power meter" if you want stuff like this. I bought this one a year ago: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B99Z2GJK/ And this one for USB 3.0 four years ago: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019RHJRM8/ Modern ones give a whole lot more information than the one in the article.

Yea I got one of these and found it very useful. So easy to get a USB cable that is secretly not to spec or otherwise dysfunctional and is making things charge slow. (Most common: 5W when it should be ~20W.)

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#29

Post by EnergyAmy » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:28 AM UTC

makeitdouble wrote: post #19

whycome wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you know for the cables without displays?

USB testers are cheaper now, I'd advise anyone to buy one preemptively. It's nice to one-off check a new cable to know what it can be used for, with the additional benefit of seeing the power curves for the higher models (e.g. see a charger's power output drastically drop down as it overheats)

Do you have any recommendations?

Re: They make USB-C cables with displays now

#30

Post by Dylan16807 » Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 3:28 AM UTC

stavros wrote: post #10

infectoid wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If power is all you are looking for you can always play it safe with a USB Condom. e.g https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=PortaPow

Keep in mind that this will limit you to 5V at 0.5A, if I'm not mistaken.

https://mg.lol/blog/data-blocker-teardown/

The normal PortaPow tells the device that it's a charger.

The extra paranoid version with no components on the board will often limit charging, it depends on how the device treats a complete lack of data pins.