USB-C is a hot mess of confusion that can leave even the savviest tech geek scratching their head. Some cables are good for charging laptops while others will only work with phones. What's going on? Here are all the facts in one place.

Power boards can get clogged up with poorly designed plugs that spread over multiple sockets. Powercubes are an alternative that don't suffer that problem and you can stock up on them now with Catch's sale.

USB Type-C, or simply USB-C, sounds fine in theory -- a single port to handle charging, data transfer, video output, and more, and one that's reversible too. Three years down the line from its introduction, you'll find it on most smartphones and many laptops, but its apparent simplicity isn't the whole story. Here's what you need to know about USB-C in 2018.

I bet you own a few cords. You might have so many cords that they burst out behind your TV stand or below your desk. Play video games for any length of time and you'll acquire all sorts of cords you don't know what to do with. For just a few bucks you can rein that mess in though and make some sense of the cyberpunk sprawl lurking behind your TV or monitor.

Nobody likes unruly cables covering their walls, but sometimes they're a necessary evil. One clever way to reduce the eyesore is to creatively hide the cables with unique arrangements. Unclutterer Forums member M Poush has provided another design inspiration.

Power strip are a large, awkward, and difficult if you need to use your gadgets while you charge them. The PowerCube ditches the bulk, and gives you plenty of outlets in a compact package, making it easy to plug in your devices while you use them around the house. Here's why I love it, and why I think you will, too.

Did you know there's a special way to wrap your cables that not only keeps them neat and tidy, but also makes them perfectly unfurl without tangling when you're ready to use them? It's the de facto way to store cables in the video, film and music industries, and it can also help lengthen the life of all your cords.

Video: Even basic networking gear gets messy really quickly, if the pile of unorganised cables under my desk right now is any indication. Mounting your hardware to a simple wall or desk-mounted board can keep it much cleaner.

I'm in the process of upgrading my antique PC from six years ago. Progress is slow but I've started to dismantle parts for replacement. It's at this time that I'm forced to reassess the way I've approached cable management -- something that is easily neglected -- inside my PC. Armed with more insight than my inexperienced past self, here are some tips you may find useful in keeping your PC cables neat and tidy.

Video: Weave zip ties around a group of cables to keep them organised and neat.

Long, multi-outlet powerboards are usually found in tech-heavy places like IT department workbenches and server rooms, but there's no reason you can't buy and install them on the underside of your desk at home. I have one, they're relatively cheap, and they offer a slim, minimal profile that's easy to corral cables around.

Dear Lifehacker, I have a few gadgets around the house (a portable hard drive, netbook and a mouse, to name a few) that I've lost the proprietary power adaptors for. I've searched everywhere but can't find anything that fits. What's the best way to replace them?

You may have heard somewhere that poor cable management inside your PC's case can block fans and air pathways, making your CPU and GPU's temperatures rise. This video puts that theory to the test, and proves that most mid-size cases do just fine with or without decent cable management.

It's not just the iMac: Many monitors place their USB ports in the back, where they're difficult to get to. Use Sugru and magnets to hide an extension cable within easy reach.

Charging cables break often enough, it seems they should just go ahead and make them a subscription service. But with a bit of mild DIY, you can boost the durability of your cables with a nylon wrap and give them a distinctive look at the same time.

Moving is a lot easier when you streamline your packing. But many of us just toss our junk in boxes and say we'll figure it out when we get to the new place. On more than one occasion, I've ended up with a box of unidentifiable cords. An easy fix: simply label those cords.

We've shown you many different ways of getting your cables tidy. Most of them are about keeping your rat's nest of wires organised, but when you've got a lot of similar cables running to a location, labelling them is a big help. That's where drinking straws come in.

When you're running at least two extension cords to power something, a rough tug on the line can easily separate them. A carefully placed carabiner fixes that.

If you're tired of the mess that your modems, routers and cables are making on your desk, this simple frame design offers a nice-looking alternative for better organisation. Better yet, it's easy to make it fit in with your existing decor.