While USB ports may look all the same and are compatible with most accessories that connect to them, some gadgets have optimal ports they should use.

If you've ever looked closely at the USB ports on your laptop or desktop PC, you may have noticed that some are labeled with a small symbol. It looks like the letters SS, with a three-pronged icon ...

For over a decade after its 1996 debut, the USB port was a plain, black rectangular slot that powered keyboards and mice. That changed in 2008, when blue ports began appearing on devices to mark the ...