As (according to the article) all of these cables carry little chips broadcasting the standards they support – couldn't this be just some little software app which just reads out that cable info?
The article is actually wrong on that point: many USB-C cables do not have any chip, only the ones which have extra capabilities (like being able to carry 5A of current instead of only 3A) need to have a chip.
I think you misread the article. It consistent refers to the connector on the cables as "cable end", and the places you plug these cable ends into as "ports". It says that the ports are the ones that broadcast the capabilities.
