I tested 10 USB-C cables with a $45 tester, and a third of them were lying about what they could do

When USB-C was first unveiled, it came with some lofty expectations. People hoped it would finally be the universal cable we were always promised. Truly reversible and able to handle high-speed data and power at various lengths. But what we got was quite different. Now, all USB-C cables looking the same means we’re left with mismatched standards and hidden specs, and it’s impossible to tell one cable from another.