The USB Implementers Forum, in charge of developing the standards for USB interfaces have developed software which can confirm the authenticity of a USB device or USB charger before allowing power to pass over the connection.  This is intended to prevent the death of another Pixel, or any other device which might charge over a Type C connection thanks to a dodgy cable.  It is not yet released but was written with the intention enabling it to be distributed as a patch to your OS as it was designed with a proper signature and certificate to ensure it is not easy to tamper with.  The Register has more on this story as well as information on Google's WebUSB protocol which will allow a connected USB device to communicate with connected networks.

"The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced the "USB Type-C Authentication specification", a set of software-defined rules that a device can use to protect itself from potential sizzlage."

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