We are specialists in quality batteries. We have batteries, chargers and accessories for everything you can think of. Low prices, big inventory, expert advice. Find your battery here!
Ever been told to “just plug the male end into the female port” and suddenly felt like you missed a day in tech class and health class? You’re not alone. Despite the oddly anatomical terminology, the difference between male and female USB ports is purely mechanical, and knowing which is which can save you from a lot of head-scratching (and mismatched cables).
In short: one plugs in, the other gets plugged into. But it’s not always obvious, especially when USB connectors come in a confusing range of types: USB-C, Micro-USB, Micro-USB, Mini-USB… the list goes on. And just because something looks like it fits doesn’t mean it’s the right match.
In this quick breakdown, we’ll show you exactly what makes a USB port “male” or “female,” and how to tell them apart without overthinking it. Let’s connect the dots and get you plugged in properly.
Here’s the quick and clean breakdown: a male USB connector is the plug — the part that sticks out and gets inserted. A female USB port is the socket — the part that stays in place and receives the plug. Think of them like a key (male) and a lock (female). They’re designed to fit together snugly and only one way, helping prevent damage and ensure a solid connection.
You’ll find male connectors at the end of most USB cables, flash drives, and dongles. If it has a rigid, protruding end that plugs into something else, it’s male.
You’ll find female ports on devices like laptops, TVs, game consoles, power banks, and wall chargers — anything that waits patiently to be connected to.
This terminology isn’t limited to USBs, by the way. It’s standard across most connector types, from HDMI to audio jacks.
So next time you’re digging through your tech drawer, trying to figure out which cable goes where, just remember: male plugs in, female receives. And if you’re still unsure, a quick look at the shape of the ends will usually clear it up.
If you’re picking up on the anatomy references in the terminology, well, you’re not wrong. The terms “male” and “female” for connectors are intentionally modeled after biological anatomy. The male connector, like a plug or pin, is the part that inserts into another component. The female connector, like a port or socket, is the part that receives.
It might feel a little cheeky or awkward in casual conversation (especially when someone says it with a straight face during a tech setup), but it actually serves a purpose — it’s an easy way to quickly describe how two parts physically fit together.
That said, some industries are gradually shifting toward more neutral language, like plug and receptacle, to keep things professional and inclusive. But the anatomy-inspired terms are still widely used because they’ve been the standard for decades.
Turning files to slides in PowerPoint just got easier
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Microsoft Copilotis gearing up for afew big changes, and one of them is giving PowerPoint an upgrade with a new way to create slides — all from a file or document.
In ablog post, Microsoft revealed it’s giving Copilot an update in PowerPoint to create slides based on a file or prompt. This means a fully designed slide can automatically be generated by using a document, whether it be from Word or other formats.
Copilot in PowerPoint can turn a file into a slide with content based on a prompt given, too. As an example, you can note, “add a slide about key takeaways from [document attached]” to make an individual slide based on your reference.
It’s been a pain to convert any type of file into a PowerPoint presentation, but Microsoft Copilot has been making iteasier to add images and more. While there was a way to create slides via the Copilot chatbot, now it can directly be used on the canvas.
For now, the feature is available to Microsoft 365 Insiders, with it rolling out to more users soon, and PowerPoint for Windows users with a Copilot license.
There are a few known issues, including Copilot not being able to support “specific slide formatting like font, colors, background, and images,” but further updates are sure to come down the line.
In a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, there should now be a Copilot icon above a slide.Click thisto see a dropdown menu, and you canselect “Add a slide.”
However, there is also a “New Slide with Copilot” option in the Home tab that can be selected, too.
From here, you can attach a file or document byselecting“Reference a file.”Copilot will then refer to this file to create the slide, and you can also write a prompt for Copilot to base the new slide around.
Click the “send” arrowfor Copilot to generate a slide draft, where you can edit text and make changes as you see fit.
There you have it. Microsoft offers a few tips when using it, such as making sure to direct Copilot to a specific section or topic within the file, especially if it’s large, and keeping prompts precise and snappy — like 1-2 key points.
We’ve heard aboutMicrosoft 365’s price hikes due to Copilot, and we’re now seeing these AI tools in action in PowerPoint. It’s worth noting that this feature isn’t currently available in the web version of PowerPoint, however, you can still find outhow to use Microsoft Copilot AIvia the chatbot.
Whether you’re waiting for a flight at the airport or working remotely from a coffee shop close to home, if you leave your laptop unsecured, you risk having it stolen. Laptops don’t come cheap. Even some budget-priced laptops for college students are at least a couple hundred dollars, so you most likely want to protect your investment. While most of us try to be vigilant when we have our laptop with us, if you leave it unattended or take your eyes off of it for even a few seconds, you might find it gone. That’s a hard pill to swallow, not just because of the money we spent on it but also because our laptops usually contain our personal information and other important data.
It may be hard to believe, but there are ways you can secure your laptop without having to watch it like a hawk. In the past, many laptops came with a Kensington lock slot that made it easy to attach a security cable and physically tether the device to a stationary object as a theft deterrent. However, as laptops became thinner, manufacturers started omitting this built-in security feature. That’s where the Anchor security lock adapter comes in — a device that allows you to add a lock slot to your laptop through the headphone jack — filling the security gap that was left when many manufacturers phased out Kensington lock slots on their slimmer laptop models.
The anchor security lock adapter is a small device that acts much like a security lock slot for laptops that don’t come with one built-in, like the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max and many Ultrabooks. Laptop manufacturers have to sacrifice some features to make these laptops as thin and lightweight as they are, and the Kensington lock slot is often one of the first to go. These computers often lack USB-A ports and SD card readers as well. Still, users are willing to give these things up for the increased portability and convenience that comes with their slimmer profile.
The problem is that giving up the Kensington lock slot makes these computers harder to secure. The Multplx Anchor Adapter, which retails for $32.99 on Amazon, offers a solution to this problem. The device plugs into your computer’s 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing you to secure it with a standard cable lock without making any permanent modifications to your device. The Anchor Adapter works with standard T-Bar cable locks, including those made by Kensington. That means you can physically secure your laptop to a desk, table, or other immovable object in the same way laptops with built-in Kensington locks can be secured.
It’s easy to lock down your laptop with the Anchor Adapter. The only equipment you need to install the adapter is a screwdriver, which comes in the box with the product itself. From there, all you have to do is insert the adapter into your computer’s audio port and turn the screw to lock it in place. You can then use the T-Bar cable lock of your choice to tether your laptop to a fixed object, which can help deter opportunistic theft. If you use wireless earbuds like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, you probably won’t even miss the headphone jack when you’re using the adapter.
You don’t have to disconnect the Anchor Adapter when you’re finished using it. You can leave it in place, and it’s small enough to fit in laptop sleeves and backpacks. You may be wondering if a determined thief could simply remove the adapter from your laptop and take it off since it’s not a built-in security mechanism. While that’s a legitimate concern, you won’t have to worry about that happening because the lock you attach to the adapter blocks access to the screw, meaning the would-be thief would have to unlock the lock to remove the adapter, something that’s pretty hard to do without the key.
Apple’s HDR usually does a good job in extreme lighting, but sometimes the results can just look a little flat
(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
You used to be able to switch the iPhone’s HDR mode off, right? I remember when you had the option to use HDR or not, or even save a non-HDR version of the photo as well. So I went looking for that option on my iPhone and it’s gone. It’s not just moved to a different place, it’s gone altogether.
It turns out it was removed some time ago and you no longer have this option even in thebest iPhones.Apple’s support page says:
“By default, iPhone automatically uses HDR when it’s most effective. On some iPhone models, you can manually control HDR instead. On iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 models, iPhone SE (2nd generation), and iPhone 12 models:
“Go to Settings > Camera, then turn off Smart HDR. Then from the camera screen, tap HDR to turn it off or on. On iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X: Go to Settings > Camera, then turn off Auto HDR.”
So that’s it. Now we’ve got HDR photos whether we want them or not. To be fair, the iPhone does usually do a good job – but not always. It’s ‘proper’ HDR, where the camera is merging separate exposures and not just doing a bit of shadow adjustment.
However, sometimes it can look a little unnatural – and sometimes the iPhone compresses the tonal range so much to capture it all that the photo just looks a bit flat.
The lighting in this scene was pretty spectacular and it needed the iPhone’s HDR capabilities – but the result just looks a bit gray and flat and there’s no way to switch off the HDR mode on the iPhone(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
The problem is not necessarily the HDR process itself, though, but the way the iPhone processes the HDR image, and that’s something youcanchange.
This is something that only more serious photographers would want to undertake, since you need to swap to a desktop photo editing app, but it does make it possible to exploit the iPhone’s terrific HDR capabilities in a much more controlled and creative way.
1. Shoot RAW
With the RAW option enabled, the iPhone will capture a raw DNG file. The picture will still look exactly the same on the iPhone and in Apple Photos, because Apple is applying its default HDR tone curve to the RAW file just as it would if you had set the camera to shoot JPEG or HEIF images.
The difference is that the RAW data is still there, and it contains a lot of extended dynamic range data.
2. Export the RAW file from Apple Photos (desktop)
Back in Apple Photos on your Mac, you can Export RAW iPhone photos in their original format. They will be saved as DNG files that you can open in other software.
If you did a whole set of shots on your iPhone, you can export them all at once and import them intoLightroomorCapture One. Or you can launchPhotoshopand open these DNG files individually.
If you open an iPhone’s DNG raw file in Adobe Camera Raw, you can swap to a more interesting profile, like Adobe Landscape, and use AI masking tools to add much more dramatic tones and colors, making full use of the extended dynamic range captured by the iPhone(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
If you use Photoshop, these DNG files will open inAdobeCamera Raw initially, where they will look pretty much as they did on your iPhone. But if you check over in the edit tools in the right sidebar, you’ll see that Adobe has automatically applied its AppleRaw Profile – and you can swap to one of the others to get a completely different look.
For example, if you choose the Adobe Color Profile, it might look like all your extended shadow and highlight detail is gone. In fact, it’s still there and you can use Adobe Camera Raw’s tonal adjustments – or, even more interesting, its masking tools – to bring it all back.
But now you’ve got much more control over the tones and contrast and you’re not stuck with Apple’s own HDR rendering.
So this is not a simple On/Off switch on your iPhone any more, but it is a way to get much better photographic results from the iPhone’s automatic HDR merging and Apple ProRaw files.
It makes the iPhone an even more serious photographic tool than it was before.
Here’s my finished photo. It shows the huge tonal range the iPhone HDR can capture, and just what you can do with its RAW DNG files in a photo editor(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
Companies are quietly raising prices and consumers have already taken notice.
(Image credit: Shutterstock, Logitech)
We knew it was only a matter of time before prices started creeping up in more obvious ways. The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have caused rippling effects across many industries, and PC hardware is no exception. Today, we’re looking at evidence of price increases related to several Logitech products in particular.
This observation has come to light thanks to YouTuber Cameron Dougherty from the channelCameron Dougherty Tech. In his recent video, Dougherty reports several notable price increases that have reached as high as 25%. This applies to a handful of Logitech’s flagship products. That said, when researching these price increases, it looks like some of them have been discounted over atAmazon, but the price they have been marked down from is definitely higher than the usual rate.
It’s also important to note that this isn’t a blanket price increase. Some prices have stayed the same, while others have gone down.Similar hikeshave been reported from Chinese company Anker. And whether or not the changes are directly due to tariffs or companies capitalizing on demand ahead ofcurrently paused tariffs,these two companies are almost certainly not alone in their price increases.
>>>533-000088 Battery for Logitech MX Anywhere3 The best way to investigate price changes is to check price archiving tools like PC Part Picker or Camel Camel Camel for products listed over at Amazon. These are some of our favorite tools to use when researching deals and tracking price changes.
We investigated the Logitech claims ourselves and confirmed some of the reported price increases. For example, theMX Keys Skeyboard is now listed for $130 on the official Logitech website, an 18% increase. TheMX Master 3Smouse has risen 20%, going from $100 to $120. However, the biggest price jump applies to theK400 Plus Wireless Touchkeyboard. It’s been selling for around $28 lately, but now has jumped up to $35. This is only an increase of $7, but percentage-wise, it’s among the most significant increases.
These price increases were not part of any announcement, but were quietly implemented. Again, since the release of Dougherty’s video, Logitech has listed a few of these items on sale, but the new price floor for them is consistently higher across multiple vendors. It’s unclear whether more of Logitech’s hardware is destined to join the wave of increases, but it is very likely given the ongoing tariff situation.
AI brands continue to promise more uniform and human-like experiences for their products, and Microsoft is no different. The brand is working to make the features of its AI assistant more cohesive with the everyday world. This includes a more authentic Spanish language voice for its Copilot product. The company rolled out its Copilot Voice feature last October, which it will soon update with native Spanish speaking-voices to cater to the Latino community in the U.S. and globally.
Enter Elm and Alder, Copilot’s native Spanish voices. The AI can detect when Spanish is being spoken and respond seamlessly in fluent Spanish with a native accent. Similarly, it expresses a native accent while speaking English in the Spanish setting. I spoke with a Microsoft product expert to explore the process behind developing the new voices and the intent behind providing this unique language and cultural representation within Microsoft’s AI suite.
“In the U.S. market, you have all of these varied and diverse backgrounds and people that are your audience. In our research, we want to be representative with our communities,” says Microsoft AI Product Designer, Laura Parra Rangel. “We noticed that there was a bit of a gap for the Hispanic community in the U.S. There’s a huge Latinx community in the U.S. We have a huge community that can benefit from this.”
Copilot Voice has already received some positive reviews in its English version, withPCMag’sMichael Muchmore describing an early experience with the AI voice feature as “almost like talking with a friend.” He noted that it will still respond even amid normal speech patterns, such as stumbling with speech or interrupting the AI. Copilot will continue to fulfill its query.
Such a feature would surely be beneficial when implemented into additional languages in a native fashion. Particularly, for a demographic that is collectively the second-largest ethnic group in the U.S. According to Census.gov,over 65 million peopleidentified their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino in 2023.
“For me, the voice experiences are amazing. Now that we have Spanish options, it’s just a game changer for me– an actual decent Spanish option to have these experiences. Something that can change and switch between English and Spanish, just like I do in my regular life,” Parra Rangel says.
“I’m talking about something in English and then something came to my mind in Spanish, and I’m constantly switching between one and the other, and I’m sure this is true for many, many people across the world,” she added.
In conjunction with the coming Copilot native Spanish language rollout, Microsoft released a report surveying 504 U.S. Latina moms ages 25 to 40 on how they use AI in their everyday lives. The campaign, called“Abuela Approved AI”found that 56% of Latina moms consider AI as a part of their close family support team; 60% of moms include AI in their daily tasks, including entertainment, personal growth, work or business, and language translation; 70% of moms note that they use AI for 24/7 access to support over advice from others, while 51% indicate they consider AI to be a source they can access for non-judgmental support. Finally, 87% of Latina moms referenced AI for cultural enrichment and preservation, including hobbies, family recipes, and native language, with AI being a bridge for learning old concepts and new ones.
Some practical examples Latina mothers gave for how Copilot Voice has benefitted them in their daily lives include using the mobile app to scan available ingredients in their homes to create a recipe that aligns with their culture. They also detailed using prompts in Spanish to create unique, first-person, native language, bedtime stories to promote bilingualism and multiculturalism in their children.
“I speak Spanish fluently, it’s my first language. English is my second language, but I totally see people being first generation in the U.S. being like– I want to speak Spanish. I want to preserve my culture. And having Copilot helps them preserve their culture,” she says.
“It’s great to have a true Hispanic voice in the market that I can speak to and that sounds [familiar]. With an Argentinian accent or with a Dominican Republic accent, that’s amazing,” she added.
Copilot Voice first launched using OpenAI’sGPT-4oAI model. Other services such asMicrosoft’s Think Deeperalso includeCopilot Voiceand use more powerful models, such asGPT o1. Notably, a feature like Think Deeper is primarily web-based; however, users can access other Copilot Voice setups viaMicrosoft Windowsand macOS desktops, and iOS andAndroidmobile interfaces.
Parra Rangel noted that working with theMicrosoft AIteam changed her perspective on how voice features could be presented. Having previously associated voice strictly with mobile, observing the development of Copilot Voice allowed her to see how a voice feature can also be compatible with a desktop experience.
“Of course, you always have the option to use voice in desktop. As a product designer, I used to see that as only mobile, but now with this, it’s a game-changer. How we experiment with voice on all platforms, whether it’s computer or mobile. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” she says.
I asked Microsoft whether there would be any model updates for the Copilot native Spanish feature and await an answer. I also asked the company whether it has plans to release native versions of other languages to Copilot Voice, and it said it will follow up with an answer.
While tech brands are promoting the highlights of new features, the product manager acknowledged users’ potential concerns about trusting AI, including privacy, security, and other notable errors or glitches. She noted that some people might resist using Copilot due to the stigma of using AI decreasing intelligence, or feeling like AI might take away their ability to think or create originally. Parra Rangel said users can think of Copilot as someone to bounce ideas with or to ask a quick question, not to generate content fully.
“Something that Copilot has is that it is aimed for all age groups. It’s unlike a more niche social media that’s aimed for maybe Gen Z, or only Millennials. I feel that Copilot is super inclusive in that sense. No matter your age, you can always benefit from Copilot,” she says.
Giving an example of a personal way she uses Copilot, Parra Rangel noted she takes advantage of the seamless language settings to create an in-app language learning tool that she can use on the go. There is a speech rate setting that allows users to adjust how fast or slow the voice speaks. She said she will slow the voice for better understanding and use Copilot Voice as her personal coach in language training. Currently, Copilot supports 40 languages, and 14 are considered very well supported.
Parra Rangel considers that the introduction of native Spanish voices has the potential to promote language learning for Copilot users regardless of whether they are Hispanic.
“You can still benefit from having these truly, Spanish-speaking voices for learning new things, a new language, or if you want to improve your Spanish, or if you live in a diverse area where people speak Spanish or other languages. That’s a very nice way to get to learn your neighbor’s culture and language,” she says.
She added that the only way to dispel any hearsay about Copilot and its features is to give it a try.
Who knew you can cool electronics by boiling water with it?
(Image credit: J K / Unsplash)
A research team from the University of Tokyo has devised a new cooling solution that uses water’s changing phases to make it more efficient at removing heat.SciTech Dailysays that water absorbs seven times the energy when it changes phase from liquid to gas (i.e., boiling the water), allowing it to capture and dissipate more heat versus the traditional method of using flowing water. However, since the coolant flows through tiny capillaries built directly into the chip, the steam would often have difficulty flowing through these narrow channels. This often makes it less efficient than traditional methods.
The researchers solved this issue using 3D microfluidic channels with a capillary structure and a manifold distribution layer. They discovered that the shape of the microchannels and how the coolant is distributed throughout the system significantly impact its thermal and hydraulic performance. By ensuring the continuous flow of water and steam, the team achieved a coefficient of performance (COP) of 100,000 — about ten times greater than what single-phase water cooling can achieve.
“Thermal management of high-power electronics devices is crucial for the development of next-generation technology, and our design may open new avenues for achieving the cooling required,” senior author Masahiro Nomura said. The deployment of this two-phase system could allow for more compact cooling solutions without needing to invent or use more exotic fluids.
Furthermore, it could address the thermal issues that high-performance computing faces, resulting in more powerful chips requiring less cooling power. This technology can also be used in other applications, like lasers, photodetectors, LEDs, and radar systems, and be applied in the automotive and aerospace industries. This system also has the potential to work passively, allowing the changing phases of the liquid to dissipate the heat through convection, letting it function without needing a pumping mechanism.
As our chips get smaller yearly, they also start generating more heat concentrated in such a small area. Because of this, we need innovation in cooling technology to keep up with semiconductor development. We’ve already seen a couple of novel active cooling solutions, like theFrore AirJet Mini Slimand theVentiva Ionic Cooling Engine. However, this two-phase system could potentially lead to innovations in passive cooling technology, giving us an effective option that fits in tight places and does not require power.
NNT’s drones flew in lightning-resistant cages and hope to, some day, tap and store the power of thunderclouds.
(Image credit: NTT Japan)
The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) boasts that it has designed the world’s firstlightning triggering and guidancesystem that leverages flying drones (via machine translation). After successful trials earlier this year it is hoped that networks of these drones can be installed in cities and key infrastructure as a preventative protection measure.
Lightning damage isn’t as rare as many an old adage might suggest, according to the stats shared by NTT. Its PR bulletin says that every year in Japan there is 100B to 200B Yen (up to $1.4B) worth of damage caused by lightning – and then there is the human cost to consider. Meanwhile, conventional lightning rods don’t provide as wide coverage as desirable, or might be tricky to install (e.g. wind turbines).
With the above in mind NTT set up an experiment to see ifdronescan be used to prevent lightning damage. The firm used ground monitoring equipment to judge the danger of lightning in an area. And basically, when thunderclouds approached and electric field fluctuations observed, a drone was sent up to intercept.
These are not kamikaze drones – they are equipped with a lightning-resistant cage. In a test flight on Dec 13, 2024, a drone attached to a ground wire was flown to 300m altitude to approach a suspected thundercloud. NTT says it then observed a massive electrical pulse and claims that it achieved “the world’s first successful lightning induction using a drone.”
When the lightning struck the drone, it could continue to fly thanks to the cage protection (though it part melted). It is key that the drone could remain airborne after being zapped, says NTT and before this live trial it had successfully tested them at up to bursts of 150,000 Amps.
NTT intends to continue refining its lightning triggering and guidance drones. To augment the above study and trials it is looking at improving lightning location prediction accuracy. Moreover, there are plans to research and development into storing the lightning energy that is safely diverted.
From cables to power supplies, it pays to know the intricacies of the USB-C spec if you want the fastest charging.
USB Type-C is the most flexible connection for notebooks and smartphones. The most important of its many capabilities is as a charging socket for battery-powered devices. USB-Cshouldfinally make everything simple: One socket, one cable, one power supply for all devices – from computers to smartphones and tablets to headphones and other peripherals.
So much for the theory, which always sounds simple with USB. The reality is much more confusing.
Not every USB-C power supply is suitable for every device. Not all Type-C ports can be used to charge devices quickly or at all. And not every Type-C cable ensures reliable power transmission.
This guide will give you an overview of the technical possibilities of Type-C charging and recommends suitable power supply units for all devices. If you’d like to avoid all the background and simply know which cords as worth your hard-earned money, be sure to check out our roundup ofthe best USB-C cables. We perform hands-on tests that go far deeper than most other sources on the web.
There are many symbols that identify a USB-C port on a laptop as a charging port. In practice, however, you will usually only find the Thunderbolt lightning bolt (at the bottom) on the housing.
Almost all mobile devices can now be charged via USB Type-C: For smartphones, Apple was the last major manufacturer to switch from the proprietary Lightning connector to USB-C last year with the iPhone 15.
Apart from that, there are only very cheap bargain smartphones that still rely on micro USB as a charging port. The situation is similar for tablets, where market leader Apple already favored USB-C over Lightning three years ago with the iPad 9. You will also hardly find any devices without USB-C for headphones, ebook, readers, and mobile speakers.
Only laptops still have numerous models that do not use Type-C to charge the battery: These are often older model series from the entry-level range. More frequently, however, USB-C is not themainconnection for charging.
Although powerful gaming and multimedia laptops have USB-C, they also have a dedicated power connection with a higher charging capacity that fits the power supply unit supplied. Business laptops with a USB-C port and power supply unit often still have the hollow plug connection so that companies can continue to use power supply units from decommissioned models.b
A Type-C connection on a laptop also does not always handle power delivery. The only way to find out whether a Type C socket is capable of power delivery is to look at the technical data. A Type-C port with Thunderbolt supports charging in any case.
The triumph of Type-C is easy to explain, as the connection offers numerous advantages for users and manufacturers:
Cables can be connected quickly and easily because the symmetrical plug is twist-proof.
The socket takes up little space so that devices can be made lighter and flatter.
And as Type-C can handle data and video transmission as well as charging, ideally a single cable is all that is needed between the computer and peripherals, which keeps the desk tidy.
Whether a mobile device supports USB-C Power Delivery is usually stated in the technical data for the connections. If so, you can use a suitable power adapter for charging.
Devices can also be charged faster with USB-C: Power supply units for micro USB only deliver up to 10 watts, while chargers with a Type A connection usually deliver 15 to 18 watts. Type-C, on the other hand, supports the improved USB Power Delivery (PD) transmission protocol, which usually allows charging capacities of up to 100 watts and even up to 240 watts in the current version.
However, this does not apply to all Type-C connections, devices, and cables: Although everything fits together mechanically, not every combination has to provide the optimum charging power — for example, because different levels of the Power Delivery standard are supported or devices and power supply units do not implement the standard correctly.
USB-C and Power Delivery: How the charging technology works
The technical basis for charging via USB-C is the USB Power Delivery (USB PD) standard. It specifies voltage levels of 5 to 48 volts and currents of 3 or 5 amps in so-called “power profiles” or “power rules.” Depending on the power supply unit, power cable, and device, charging capacities of between 10 and 240 watts are possible.
A typical smartphone power supply unit with 30 watts, for example, offers power profiles for a charging capacity of 15, 27, and 30 watts, while a laptop power supply unit also offers power profiles for 45, 60, 65, or 100 watts.
Before transmission begins, the power supply unit (source) and consumer (sink) agree on the required voltage and current: The power supply unit first checks the cable to see whether it can transmit up to 3 or 5 amps and provides a basic voltage of 5 volts.
It then tells the consumer what other voltages it can supply. The consumer answers which one it needs so that both can agree on a suitable power profile.
Some multiple power supply units, such as this one from Ugreen, use the semiconductor material gallium nitride (GaN): this allows them to be built very compactly despite their high charging power.
Ideally, any USB-C power supply will charge the device with a Type-C charging socket with optimum performance and as quickly as possible. Even if the power supply does not completely fulfil the requirements of the device, it should provide a minimum charging power, even if the charging process then takes longer.
Conversely, it does not speed up the charging process to use a power supply unit that offers a higher output than the device requires because the consumer cannot call it up.
Since version 3 of USB PD, the power supply unit and consumer can adjust the voltage and current more dynamically. To do this, both must support the optional standard extension PPS (Programmable Power Supply Protocol).
The device can then request voltage and current from the power supply unit that deviate minimally from the prescribed power profiles: This speeds up the charging process, but can also ensure that the battery is less stressed during charging or that a smartphone or notebook receives the appropriate charging power in real time depending on the current system load.
Labels such as Fast Charge or Super Fast Charge 2.0 on Samsung smartphones and power supply units, for example, indicate support for PPS.
How to find out whether a power adapter fits the device
The easiest way to do this is to use the power adapter recommended by the manufacturer for charging. This is common for laptops, as new devices are supplied with a suitable power supply unit.
Smartphones and tablets now often do not come with a power adapter in the sales box: You can buy the right charger from the device manufacturer.
USB-C should make this investment superfluous and put an end to the confusion of power adapters that only fit one device. A power supply unit that can charge all your devices without any problems is therefore ideal.
To do this, the power supply and device must have a USB-C connection and support USB Power Delivery: You should be able to find this information in the technical data, often as an abbreviation such as “PD” or “PPS.” If the power supply unit or device does not support USB PD despite Type-C, charging can start, but only at 15 watts.
So that you can charge all devices with one power supply unit, it should have sufficient charging power for the most powerful device and suitable power profiles for devices with lower energy requirements.
A laptop is usually the device that requires the highest charging power: Ultra-mobile laptops usually need a power supply unit with 45 watts, standard laptops require 60 watts, and particularly powerful laptops 100 watts.
For smartphones, tablets, and portable speakers or headphones, on the other hand, 30 watts or less is sufficient.
To ensure that a USB-C power supply for the laptop charges other mobile devices, it should support power profiles for 15 and 27 watts via USB-PD.
With third-party power supplies, you will often find a list of other devices that can be charged with it in the technical data of a laptop power supply. If tablets such as Apple iPad Pro and smartphones — for example Samsung Galaxy S24 — are listed, the power supply is also suitable for smaller mobile devices.
If you want to use the power adapter that came with your laptop, check the manufacturer’s website for information on its output power: If you find information such as “9 volts – 3 amps,” the power adapter is suitable for smartphones and tablets. These values are usually also printed on the power supply unit under “Output.”
Conversely, notebooks can also be charged with a smartphone power supply unit: This is helpful when travelling if you only want to take the lighter mobile phone charger with you. The power supply unit should offer at least 27 watts of charging power and a voltage of 9 volts. This is sufficient for small and light laptops.
It is best to switch off the notebook when charging, because if it consumes more power during operation than the mains adapter supplies, the battery will be drained even when the charger is connected. However, many notebooks require 15 volts and most require 20 volts as the charging voltage. If your smartphone power supply delivers this, the notebook can also be charged with it – but usually only slowly.
The best cable for charging via USB-C
A good USB-C cable is crucial to ensure that the charging power from the power supply unit to the device is stable. The cables transmit a current of up to3 ampsas standard.
This is sufficient for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Notebooks can also be charged with up to 60 watts using such cables – this is sufficient for small and lightweight laptops. For larger and more powerful laptops, however, charging will take longer depending on the battery size and operating load.
To charge these laptops at optimum speed via USB-C, you need a cable that can transfer5 amps. The fast charging functions of some smartphones and tablets also require an appropriate cable – for example, Super Fast Charging from Samsung.
Many smartphones can be charged faster: However, you need the right power adapter and the right USB-C cable for this, both of which support the PPS standard or a higher current transfer of 5 amps.
These cables contain a chip, the so-called e-marker: It contains information about the capabilities of the cable, such as the maximum power supply capacity, voltage, and current values and supported charging protocols.
It outputs this information when the power supply unit and consumer negotiate the optimum charging power via USB-PD to ensure that the charger delivers the appropriate voltage and current values for the cable and the connected device.
Most manufacturers usually describe the corresponding cables as “100 watt cables.” You will also often find a reference to the e-marker chip in the technical data.
In addition to power transfer, USB-C also supports data and image transfer — if you want to use a cable for all applications, you must pay attention to this in its description: These multifunction cables are usually slightly more expensive than pure charging cables. Cables for Thunderbolt are guaranteed to support all USB-C transmission types.
You can‘t tell how well a charging cable transmits data: In theory, longer cables are more susceptible to voltage loss and limit the flow of current due to a higher resistance. Thicker cables are supposed to ensure more stable transmission.
In practice, however, you cannot use this as a rule of thumb: The quality of a cable depends on its internal workmanship.
A basic tip:Buy cables for higher charging capacities from well-known suppliers such as Anker, Belkin, or Ugreen. They are reliable and usually cheaper than the corresponding offerings from the laptop or smartphone manufacturer.
Chargers with multiple ports: One power supply for all devices
A single power supply unit is usually not enough for a large number of devices: You often want to charge different devices at the same time via USB-C. This is why there are power supply units with several USB-C and USB-A ports, which can be used to charge a notebook, smartphone, and headphones in parallel, for example. This is also useful when travelling if you only have one socket available on the train, for example.
When making your choice, you should first consider how many devices you want to charge at the same time and on which ports: Multiple power supply units are available with numerous connection combinations, so you should always be able to find a suitable model.
Devices with two USB-C ports cost from around $20, while prices with three Type-C ports start at around $40. In most cases, the power supply units also have a charging port with a Type A connection in addition to the USB-C outputs.
You also need to decide what maximum charging power the multi power supply should have: Up to 45 watts is sufficient for a smartphone and headphones. If you also want to charge a laptop, at least 60 watts is recommended.
USB power supply units with multiple connections:
Manufacturer
Manufacturer Product
Price (Euro)
max. charging power (watts)
Number of type C
Number of type A
Anker
Prime (GaN)
80
100
2
1
Armature
735 (Nano II)
35
65
2
1
Armature
735 Prime (GaN)
50
65
2
1
Armature
323
20
32
1
1
Belkin
Boost Charge Pro
40
65
2
–
Ugreen
Nexode Pro Mini (GaN)
100
160
3
1
Ugreen
Nexode (GaN)
30
65
2
1
Ugreen
Nexode (GaN)
55
100
3
1
Ugreen
Nexode Pro Mini (GaN)
45
65
2
1
It is important to know how the power is distributed over the individual ports: The maximum charging power specified by the manufacturer usually applies to all ports together, only for the combination of certain ports or only if only one port is occupied.
For example, if you choose a 65-watt power supply because you also want to charge your laptop, it will usually only deliver this charging power if a single USB-C port is occupied. If you charge another device on the second Type-C port, the power is then divided between 45 watts on one port and 20 watts on the other – the laptop will then charge more slowly.
If all the ports on a three-port power supply are occupied by consumers, the power on a single port can drop even further. In addition, not all type C connections on the power supply unit have to deliver the same charging power: for example, the laptop may only receive up to 65 watts at port 1. If you connect it to port 2, it will only receive up to 45 watts.
You should therefore look for the technical data for a model on the power supply provider’s website before buying: Well-known manufacturers such as Ankeror Belkin list the charging power that the individual ports offer with single or multiple connections.
The desired power supply should definitely support USB-C Power Delivery and preferably also PPS!
Many manufacturers advertise more expensive models with the abbreviation “GaN”: This stands for the semiconductor material gallium nitride, from which, for example, the voltage converters in corresponding power supplies are made: They work very efficiently without overheating, which enables small power supply units with a high charging capacity.
After months of teasers, previews, and select rollouts, Microsoft’sCopilot Visionis now available to try for all Edge users in the U.S. The flashy new AI tool is designed to watch your screen as you browse so you can ask it various questions about what you’re doing and get useful context-appropriate responses. The main catch, however, is that it currently only works with nine websites.
For the most part, these nine websites seem like pretty random choices, too. We have Amazon, which makes sense, but also Geoguessr? I’m pretty sure the point of that site is to try and guess where you are on the mapwithout any help. Anyway, the full site list is as follows:
Wikipedia
Tripadvisor
Williams Sonoma
Amazon
Target
Wayfair
Food & Wine
OpenTable
Geoguessr
CEO of Microsoft AI Mustafa Suleyman announced the release on Bluesky yesterday and shared a few of his favorite use cases.
Usually, when you want to ask Copilot a question, you have to write out the paragraphs of context yourself, and aside from being slow and annoying, this can also be pretty difficult if you’re trying to ask about something you don’t know much about.
With Copilot Vision, instead of trying to describe what you’re looking at or what you’re talking about, the AI model can see itright on your screen.
So, according to Suleyman’s examples, you can search for “breathable sheets” on Amazon and ask Copilot if any of the results are made from appropriate fabrics. Copilot can point the right ones out to you or give you examples of breathable fabric to search for.
On the Food & Wine recipe website, Copilot can help you go hands-free while you cook by answering your questions and reading out parts of the recipe to you. This works because the whole experience is designed to work through voice — you speak directly to the AI and the AI speaks back.
According to one of the videos on theCopilot Vision page, however, it looks like you can type out questions too and receive written responses.
Microsoft is taking things very slowly and carefully with this feature, almost certainly because it wants to avoid triggeringanother backlashlike it did with Recall. The limited number of compatible sites is connected to copyright issues, and the company makes sure to stress that the feature is “opt-in,” doesn’t record your screen, is only on when you turn it on, and deletes the data as soon as you end a session.
Some multiple power supply units, such as this one from Ugreen, use the semiconductor material gallium nitride (GaN): this allows them to be built very compactly despite their high charging power.
