TECHNOLOGY
Laptop Accessories: The Game Changer You Need
Mon Apr 21 2025
Laptops are handy. They are portable and can do a lot. But they have limits. A 17-inch laptop is large, yet monitors start at 27 inches. Some people like mechanical keyboards for typing. Laptop speakers might not be loud enough. Artists might need a drawing tablet. All these need to be plugged in. But laptops often have just one USB port.
This is where a good USB hub comes in. The Anker USB-C splitter is a great choice. It's on sale right now. You can save 29%, which is a $10 discount. The black version is $25. Other colors are $28, but that's still a discount.
This hub is a single cable solution. It avoids a messy desk with tangled wires. Just plug your laptop in with the USB-C cable. You can connect to a 4K display and watch videos up to 30Hz using the HDMI output. Note that the USB-C data port does not support video output. The HDMI should be enough.
Your laptop can charge through the same USB that connects it to your displays. The Anker USB-C hub supports up to 85W passthrough charging. So, you don't need your power adapter. The hub can handle it. You only need to spare the one USB-C port on your laptop.
The USB-C hub can also transfer files between devices quickly. You can move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A ports. This is useful for people who need to move large files often.
The Anker USB-C hub dropped in price by 29%. It's normally $35, but after the discount, it's $25. Save $10 with the black Anker USB-C hub, or save $7 with the other color options.
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questions
How does the 85W passthrough charging capability of the Anker USB-C hub compare to using the original laptop charger?
What are the environmental impacts of producing and disposing of USB-C hubs, and how does this compare to other connectivity solutions?
Could the sudden price drop of the Anker USB-C hub be a sign of an impending supply chain disruption?