Did your gadget come with one of these? Don't throw it away! Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
USB-C charging requires protocol negotiation, which some inexpensive devices omit.
Devices failing to charge often lack the necessary internal hardware for the charging handshake.
Use a USB-A to USB-C cable to bypass the power negotiation protocol.
While USB charging is an improvement over the mess of proprietary connectors and protocols that preceded it in the past, it's still not the utopia the tech industry wants you to believe it is.
Here's a good example. I have a portable thermal label printer that I've found to be just so useful for keeping things organized -- it prints really clear labels that are resistant to water, oil, acid, and heat. It's also powered by a built-in rechargeable battery. It's a great printer that costs less than $30.
Also: This USB power meter I tested is shockingly accurate - especially for how cheap it is
But I've now lost count of the number of times I've put it on charge only to find that it's flat when I need it. So, why?
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