Something else to WATCH out for when using USB patch cords here.What I find interesting is that at least with USB 1.1 and 2.0 if you overload the USB Bus it will protect itself and cut out WITHOUT cooking anything and give you a warning that the USB Bus is overloaded. I have seen this before on SYSTEMS way back with too many USB devices drawing.

I can only imagine a laptop burning up if you back feed power into the USB port of the laptop such as if you somehow plug a wall adapter meant for an iPhone to the USB port of a laptop and the two 5 volt sources fight it out.

Additionally I have had USB devices fray and all 4 wires cross and no fire or damage to computer, just the USB BUS overload message.

First I heard of this USB-C ... looked it up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_Type-CUSB Type C is neat - My phone has it.

The article's accuracy is a bit suspicious - None of the stuff it discusses is specific to type C - Drawing too much current is the same as it does with older USB generations - Devices should regulate how much they are drawing and the device that is providing the power should detect over current on the USB port. What it only very BRIEFLY mentions that this "destroying laptops" occurred to a Google Engineer who tests cheap USB type C cables. The particular cable in question was in fact incorrectly wired so the full voltage was provided to the data pins of the laptop - This is nothing specific to USB type C - I doubt a regular USB device would particularly like having 5v applied across the data pins! The issue is probably just more common with cheap type C cables because they are a new thing and therefore the factories that mass produce the cheap cables haven't YET perfected the process.