If you have a drawer full of micro-USB accessories and a new USB Type-C laptop, tablet or phone, these add-ons will help keep you connected.
The new USB-C connection
There's a new USB in town -- the Type-C port. Smaller than the familiar USB Type-A, the USB-C plug uses the latest USB 3.1 specification, which means it's not only faster but reversible, eliminating the frustration of trying to insert a USB plug upside-down. Able to carry up to 100 watts of power (six times the USB 3.0 limit), a USB-C port can deliver up to 10Gbps -- double that of current USB 3.0 devices.
Although USB-C has been on its way for some time, there haven't been a lot of devices that use it -- until recently. Apple's 12-inch MacBook started the trend last year and was followed by other laptops (such as Lenovo's Yoga 900 and Dell'sLatitude 12 7000), tablets (Asus's ZenPad S8 and Google's Pixel C) and smartphones (Google's Nexus 5X and 6P). And that's only the beginning.
The problem: All those micro-USB and mini-USB hubs, cables, chargers and adapters that you've collected over the last several years can't plug into your new USB-C port.
But don't despair. There are already a variety of USB-C accessories available, including adapters for your older equipment. So if you're using a USB-C device, here are some gadgets to help you use it.
