WhatCable Inspection Made Easy

Executive Summary:

• WhatCable is a menu bar app for inspecting USB-C cables
• It can help users identify the capabilities of their cables
• The app has sparked discussion about its potential and limitations

The Buzz Score

The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical

Forum Voices

Users are discussing the potential of WhatCable, with some asking if it can be rewritten as a Python CLI script. One user notes:

I would like to ask an LLM to rewrite it as Python CLI script. Is it even possible, or some Swift-only functionality is necessary?

Others are skeptical about the need for such an app, with one user commenting:

I get that the connectors are identical but I find it odd that people find it so challenging. Thunderbolt is the thick and short cable. If it’s not thick it’s not gonna work well and if it’s over a metre it’s not gonna work well.

Another user raises concerns about the accuracy of the app’s reports, given that many cables misreport their capabilities:

I remember seeing a recent analysis where the vast majority of cables from Amazon misreported their capabilities. Is this tool going to be able to catch those, or blindly report what the chip advertises?

Linux Compatibility

Some users are wondering if a similar tool can be created for Linux, possibly using a wrapper for lsusb. One user found a project on GitHub that adds PD and more functionality to lsusb.

Focus Keyword: USB Cables