We really don’t like reporting about cables. It’s boring. But this post is going into publication for two reasons: 1) The model used to show off the product is a complimentary image {wink} and 2) it’s actually a unique feature combination for a USB cable. Also, cables are one of those accessories you only think about when they fail, so anything that improves durability and portability is worth a quick mention.

Hyper has a new USB-C to Lightning cable that makes it convenient to keep the cable near by and doubles as a cleaver key-chain holder. The new HyperDrive Cable series includes Key-chain, Lanyard, and Tough. All of the cables are MFi certified (Made For iPhone/iPad devices) and make use of bulletproof ballistic nylon for high durability and longevity.

The cable length is 3.3 feet, or 1 meter.

Made of TOUGH 2m material by Hyper. This is material that can withstand 70kg of tension before something bad happens.

The key-chain has made of aluminum and screws into the capsule like casing which also doubles as the housing for the ends of the USB-C and Lightening connections.

They Hyper cable starts out at $27.99 USD at the time of this post.

I came across an interesting article today from Dr Gough, a tech nerd, and thought it was good enough to summarize here:

The USB specifications for power from a port vary from 100mA to 1.5A, and all the way up to 100W of power for USB Type-C. However, the cables and connectors used in a USB cable don’t always align with the power capabilities of the device being designed or charged. Most everyday USB charging cables are typically rated for about 1.8A of current, which is common for consumer-grade charging scenarios.

The 1.8A rating is largely based on safety limits related to resistive heating of the cable and connectors. This rating does not guarantee that your +5V at 1.5A setup will actually deliver maximum usable power to your device. The key point is that the cable-and-connector combination is primarily rated to handle heat safely, ensuring nothing melts or becomes a fire hazard. Most specifications go a step further and ensure the cable doesn’t even become noticeably warm to the human touch.

Every wire that isn’t a superconductor has some finite resistance. Put simply, electrical resistance turns energy into heat. Ohm’s Law tells us that E = IR, where E is voltage, I is current, and R is resistance. When power flows through a wire, current multiplied by resistance produces a voltage drop across that wire. That lost voltage becomes heat, meaning it never reaches your phone, tablet, or battery pack.

This also explains why some cables charge devices faster than others, even when using the same charger. Thicker conductors, better materials, and higher-quality connectors reduce resistance and therefore reduce energy loss. Cheap cables often cut corners on copper thickness and connector quality, which directly impacts charging efficiency.

I want to end this blog post with the above explanation because that’s the real takeaway. The more inefficient (or cheap) a cable is, the warmer it will get. If your iPhone cable is warm to the touch, it sucks. If the wire charging your power bank is warm, it sucks. Get a better cable. From what I can tell, there’s no meaningful rating posted on many of the low-cost cables you see on Amazon, so word to the wise: trust your tactile feedback.

Last year, Google released the Titan security key. It can be used as an ultra-secure method for two-factor authentication for some online services over USB-A, NFC, or Bluetooth. Today, Google announced an updated USB-C key to the lineup, which will be available tomorrow from the Google Store for $40.

The new USB-C key appears to have similar functionality to its previous models, all of which are built to the FIDO standard. The USB-C model lacks the NFC capabilities that its other two keys have, but this shouldn’t matter much, as the USB-C design is meant to plug directly into modern devices such as phones, tablets, and ultra-thin laptops. In that context, NFC becomes largely unnecessary.

Google’s new USB-C key is compatible with Android, Chrome OS, macOS, and Windows devices. (Only the Bluetooth key works with iOS, and it requires the installation of Google’s Smart Lock app.) Like its previous keys, Google says the USB-C key’s firmware is permanently sealed into a secure element hardware chip, making the key more resistant to physical tampering and cloning attempts.

Google partnered with security key-maker Yubico to manufacture its new USB-C key. Google’s key looks a lot like Yubico’s YubiKey 5C. Both keys are similar in size and form factor, but Yubico’s keys support a wider range of protocols, including WebAuthn, which may make them a better fit for users with more advanced authentication requirements.

From a practical standpoint, hardware security keys continue to be one of the strongest defenses against phishing attacks, account takeovers, and credential reuse. Because the authentication process requires physical possession of the key, attackers can’t simply steal a password or intercept a code remotely. For users managing sensitive accounts or enterprise logins, this added layer of protection is increasingly becoming a baseline rather than an optional extra.

Google’s other two Titan security keys were previously only available as a $50 bundle, but Google says you’ll be able to buy them individually starting tomorrow. The USB-A / NFC key will cost $25, while the Bluetooth key,

The Decline of Optical Media in Modern Computing

Let’s face it, optical discs are large and bulky. At nearly five inches in diameter, they feel oversized compared to modern laptops and tablets. Even though optical drives have been reduced in size over the years, many laptop manufacturers have eliminated them entirely to save space and power.

Beyond the size factor, space once used for an optical drive could be better allocated. It could house a larger battery for extended runtime, a faster solid-state drive for improved performance, or a more powerful graphics solution for design work or gaming.

When CD-R drives first entered the market, they offered massive storage compared to traditional magnetic media of the time. With 650 MB of capacity, they outperformed most hard drives of that era. DVDs expanded this further, offering 4.7 GB on recordable discs.

While optical media grew steadily, it never matched the exponential growth of hard drives and USB flash drives. Optical storage remains limited to gigabytes, while modern hard drives now store terabytes of data. Using CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs for storage has become impractical—the write speed is slow, and retrieval times are equally sluggish. Hard drives and portable USB flash drives have become the dominant solution.

USB Duplicators: The Modern Replacement for Optical Disc Copiers

Given these points, it’s easy to see why optical media is fading out. CD-R and DVD-R may survive for a few more years, but USB drives and hard disks have already taken over. The next logical question is: how do you efficiently load data onto USB drives? In the optical era, you had CD/DVD tower duplicators, often with robotics and printers for disc labeling. These systems are now rare.

The solution today is USB duplicators. These are high-speed flash memory copier systems designed to load content onto USB drives quickly and efficiently. Similar to how optical duplicators had different burning methods, USB duplicators support multiple copy modes—file copy, binary copy, and duplication from ISO or IMG files.

It’s important to choose a USB duplicator that supports all these functions. Some models offer up to six copy modes, making them highly versatile. Options may include file copy, copy add, unique data streaming, copy from a physical device, and image-based duplication from IMG or ISO files. This flexibility ensures compatibility regardless of how the source content is provided.

Will "USB juice jacking" trend on Twitter anytime soon? Probably not. Should you be paranoid about USB juice jacking? Probably not.

What is USB juice jacking anyway?

The idea is someone, a hacker, trying to steal your data while you are charging up, or "getting juice" from a public USB port.

Yes, it can technically happen, so don't be fooled. But could it actually happen? Probably not, so don't sound like a fool.

Getting down to brass tacks of how this could happen, what would a hacker need to pull it off?

First, they'd need to make a connection, either WiFi or Bluetooth. This connection would transmit your valuable data to the hacker. To do that, the hacker needs some sort of device that holds that communication chip. That chip would need to sit behind the USB port in the string of communication. This "device" would also need power.

Given the above, a quick observation of the USB port you are planning to use will tell you everything you need to know. So basically if you see a big block with a USB port, don't plug in your device. If it's a wall mounted USB port, chances are ultra-slim there is a technology behind the placard stealing your data.

So take airport chairs and charging stations for example; as this is the most common place a website gives for the "scare." You are not going to get hacked using those ports. First off, airports are high security areas and those charging stations are monitored. Second, the security cameras will pick up on someone trying to tamper with a charging station or USB port on the chair. Third, the people in the terminal need a boarding pass to get to those spots, so their identity is already known if anything suspicious does turn up.

It's also worth noting that USB charging has effectively become the universal power standard for mobile devices. As discussed in our follow-up coverage on how USB became the dominant "juice" connection for phones and mobile gear, power delivery has standardized far faster than most people expected. Read the updated analysis here .

Now, if we are talking a coffee shop just be sure