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HP's new Chromebook 13 is a Pixel for everybody
Hewlett Packard is making another Chromebook. This one, dubbed the HP Chromebook 13, is a little different from its previous efforts, though. It's the result of a design partnership with Google and it looks relatively premium. It features an anodized aluminum chassis, 13.3-inch QHD+ display running at 3,200 x 1800 resolution and a thickness of 12.9 mm. Beyond that, the new Chromebook comes with Bang and Olufsen-tuned speakers and weighs just under three pounds (2.86, to be exact) -- depending on how you configure it.
Nexus 5X won't ship with a USB-C cable that plugs into older USB ports
Google appears to be going all in for the USB Type C future with the Nexus 5X. The LG-made phone ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable, but it won't include a USB-C cable that plugs into most computers and chargers today (which use USB Type A). You'll have to shell out for a separate USB-C to USB-A cable (starting around $13) if you actually want to do that. It's a particularly surprising decision from Google, since USB-C isn't exactly common these days, and since it's also including both sets of USB-C cables with the Nexus 6P. Sure, it saves Google a bit of money, but the omission of a cable compatible with typical USB ports will likely frustrate many upcoming Nexus 5X owners. Even if you don't plug your phone into your computer, it'll make charging much more difficult. So consider this a PSA: If you're planning to get the Nexus 5X, make sure you've got an order in for a USB-C to USB-A cable in as well.
The one-cable future of gadgets: simpler, but still confusing
For such a quiet tech show, this week's Computex in Taiwan may have been a watershed moment that will affect nearly every PC, phone and tablet you'll see in the next few years, if not decade. The new USB Type-C port may have debuted on flagship devices like Apple's single-port new Macbook and Google's Chromebook Pixel, but the new, smaller, reversible kind of USB is shaping up to be the connector of the future. This week ASUS joined the USB-C party, and in a reassuring vote of confidence, Intel announced that its newest iteration of Thunderbolt will take the same shape. Thunderbolt 3.0 will, at a minimum, double the data speed found on USB-C cables. It might not work wirelessly just yet, but the single-cable future is coming. However, change isn't always easy.
Thanks to USB Type-C, external MacBook batteries may finally arrive (update)
If you've been yearning for an external MacBook battery, you might soon be in luck. 9to5Mac reports Apple will finally allow companies to make battery packs and chargers for its devices, thanks to the newfangled USB Type-C connectors. The folks in Cupertino have typically frowned upon bricks that lend extra juice, and even sued HyperMac over using its MagSafe (and iPod) connector without permission. A redesigned USB port means that Apple wouldn't have to pass along the details of its charging tech to accessory makers. Of course, the new MacBook only wields one of these ports, and it's the only machine from Apple that sports it. There's no doubt that will change soon enough, and USB Type-C add-ons will tackle storage, a second display and more. Update: Some MagSafe-compatible options do indeed exist, like the BatteryBox. This accessory comes with clips that work with Apple's patented power connector, but the company says that it doesn't infringe on any intellectual property. With the switch to USB Type-C, though, we'll see even more options, perhaps from companies that are already making external iPhone batteries.
