WebProNews

Tag: USB adapter

  • Apple Will Replace Your Third Party iPhone Charger With Official Hardware Later This Month

    You may have seen recent reports of people either being killed or shocked into a coma by an electrical charge emanating from an iPhone charger. It’s a PR disaster for Apple even if the chargers used were cheap third-party knock-offs. That’s why the company is now offering cheap official chargers for everybody using fake knock-offs.

    Apple announced a new program today called the “USB Power Adapter Takeback Program.” In short, it allows you to trade in any third-party USB charger you own for the iPhone, iPad or iPod, and get an official Apple USB charger for only $10.

    So, when can you start to get cheap official chargers? Apple says the program will start on August 16 and last all the way through October 18. To qualify, you must bring a third-party charger and your iOS device to any Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. From there, they will check your iOS device’s serial number to make sure you’re a legitimate customer, and then sell you an official power adapter on the cheap.

    The best part about this program is that Apple is accepting all third-party power adapters, even the non-faulty ones. The company says that it would too much of a hassle to test every power adapter they get in so they’ll just sell you a cheap official Apple charger upon trading in any third-party adapter.

    Apple may be doing this to save face, but it’s an excellent opportunity for everybody to get cheap official hardware. The official hardware only costs $19 normally, but you’re still saving $9. That’s worth a trip to a local Apple store to toss away that cheap power adapter you bought from a shady guy in an alley.

    [h/t: 9to5Mac]

  • The Mu Is The Future Of Plugs

    The Mu Is The Future Of Plugs

    I like to think that the USB outlet adapter that my Android gets its power from is already pretty small. A team in the UK has made it even smaller.

    Say hello to the Mu, a transformable folding USB adapter for your phone. It’s a pretty neat little accessory that fits in your pocket and folds out to handle all your recharging needs.

    The device was made by Made in Mind, a team made up of Min-Kyu Choi and business partner Matthew Judkins. Choi created the concept of a “folding plug” back in 2009 and has applied the technology to the current Mu device that we see before us now.

    Choi talks about the inspiration for the Mu:

    “I was frustrated by the dimensions of the traditional plug, and felt that the existing unit which dates back to 1947, was out of touch and incongruous with modern design. My idea was very simple – redesign the plug to bring it in line with the clean look and feel of today’s technology; without compromising functionality.”

    The Mu itself reduces the traditional plug size by a whopping 70 percent. When not in use, it folds into a shell that’s only 14mm thick.

    muside

    mufront

    muplug

    It’s an impressive device and one that I would totally buy, if I could. Unfortunately, the Mu is only available for our friends in the UK at the moment. The team said that that they are hoping to bring the product to other markets in the near future.

    While I don’t normally buy into this future design stuff, the Mu is actually pretty cool. It has a nice futuristic design that isn’t obnoxious.

    It’s only £25 and available for pre-order on the manufacturer’s Web site.

    Here’s the original video that showcased the first folding plug that Choi invented: