Tom's Guide describes using the WhatCable Mac app to investigate USB-C cables whose capabilities are difficult to identify from their appearance. The writer points out that labels are inconsistent and that a braided jacket does not establish a cable's power or data specification.

The practical lesson is to distinguish a cable's construction from the information needed for a particular connection. Identify its reported capabilities before assigning it to charging or data transfer, rather than assuming similar-looking leads are interchangeable. The article reports the reviewer's own checks and purchase decision, so it should not be read as a certification of every cable the app may encounter.