Stop plugging your mouse into a USB 3 port—5 reasons USB 2.0 is secretly better ...

Matt Elliott is a senior editor at CNET with a focus on laptops and streaming services. Matt has more than 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and ...

USB has been around for decades, and the sheer number of USB and Thunderbolt versions in 2025 can be bewildering. Here's what you need to know about USB 3, USB 4, Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and ...

When SuperSpeed USB was announced in 2007, the branding was a logical differentiator. The term launched with USB 3.0, which brought max data transfer rates from USB 2.0’s measly 0.48Gbps all the way ...

This is made worse in the case of desktop computers by the fact that not all USB ports/connectors on a motherboard support the same spec. Frequently you have a mix of USB 3 and 2 on the backplate, and ...

Now that the upcoming USB4 spec promises to “adopt the Thunderbolt 3 protocol,” some hope it means an end to our international nightmare of USB confusion. You know, the one where there are: Two ...

Not all front USB ports are created equal, and yours might be the worst kind ...

USB 3.0 was launched back in 2008. This new edition has more functions and better features included in the port. Although it looks just like a simple data cable port, it actually makes a lot more ...

Nothing is more confusing in the tech world than USB. First, there's understanding every USB port symbol and icon. Some USB ports are orange and some USB ports have lightning bolts. That's before we ...