hardware

WhatCable: Know What Your USB-C Cable Can Really Do

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WhatCable is a macOS menu bar app that provides clear diagnostics on USB-C cables, revealing their actual data speeds, charging limits, and connected device details to eliminate guesswork. It decodes USB Power Delivery and e-marker data on Apple Silicon Macs, helping users identify bottlenecks, cable capabilities, and potential issues, with a free version for basic info and an optional Pro upgrade offering advanced live diagnostics and detailed metrics.

https://www.whatcable.uk/

Klack

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Klack is a Mac app that provides satisfying mechanical keyboard sound effects with every keystroke, featuring high-fidelity and immersive spatial audio. It offers customizable switch sounds, randomized pitching, and instant typing feedback through a fast native menubar application.

https://tryklack.com/

Darrylmorley/whatcable: macOS Menu Bar App That Tells You, in Plain English, What Each USB-C Cable Plugged Into Your Mac Can Actually Do

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WhatCable is a macOS menu bar app for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS Sonoma or later that provides detailed, plain-English information about the capabilities of each USB-C cable connected to your Mac, including charging speed diagnostics and cable specifications. It leverages public IOKit services to reveal the cable's actual data and power ratings, connected devices, and negotiated power profiles, helping users understand why their Mac might be charging slowly or what each cable can do. The app also includes a command-line interface and is available for manual download or via Homebrew.

https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable

The Apple Charging Situation

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This article analyzes Apple's device charging behavior, showing that charging speed varies in three phases—fast constant current up to 50%, tapered current to 80%, then slow trickle charge to 100%—with only the first phase significantly benefiting from a better charger. It highlights how iPhones and iPads have different optimal charging wattages, and stresses that heat and time at 100% charge impact battery health far more than charge speed, with features like Optimized Battery Charging designed to minimize battery wear by reducing time spent at full charge.

https://randsinrepose.com/guides/apple-charging-guide.html

Mac External Displays for Designers and Developers, Part 2

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Mac external displays for designers and developers have seen little change since 2016. Apple re-entered the display market in 2019 with the costly Pro Display XDR. The LG 5K UltraFine remains a popular option but faces stock issues. The 2022 Studio Display offers a viable alternative, similar in specs to existing high-end displays, although lacking some advanced features. Key factors for choosing a Mac display include pixel density, color space, bit depth, brightness, local dimming, HDR, refresh rate, and color accuracy settings. The article emphasizes the importance of running macOS at optimal pixel density for clarity and details challenges with display scaling. Suitable external displays are mostly high-end, covering wide color gamuts and supporting high bit depth for better color representation.

https://bjango.com/articles/macexternaldisplays2/

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