Lightning
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Ford EV owners can now use Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada
Ford EVs will gain access to Tesla's Superchargers across the US and Canada starting today, becoming the first non-Tesla vehicles to do so.
Apple is now selling the USB-C AirPods Pro case separately
Apple is now selling the USB-C AirPods Pro case separately. So if you have $99 to spare and really want to get rid of your Lightning cables, it could be worth picking up.
High-powered lasers can be used to steer lightning strikes
Scientists have used a laser to guide lightning strikes, and the tech could help protect rockets and forests.
Astell & Kern's latest mobile DAC brings 32-bit audio with fewer sacrifices
Astell & Kern has unveiled a new phone-friendly DAC that delivers 32-bit audio without as many compromises.
All Apple AirPods and Mac accessories could feature USB-C by 2024
Apple will more widely adopt USB-C across its product portfolio over the next few years, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
A USB-C iPhone could be part of a broader move away from Lightning for Apple
Apple may be planning a broader move away from its proprietary Lightning port than was initially suggested in reports earlier in the week.
Engineer's USB-C AirPods give a glimpse at a Lightning-free paradise
After creating the world's first iPhone with USB-C, engineer Ken Pillonel decided to complete his quest by making the world's first pair of USB-C AirPods.
An engineer just made the world’s first Android phone with a working Lightning port
After creating the world's first iPhone with a working USB-C port in 2021, engineer Ken Pillonel has now flipped the script for his next project: an Android phone with a Lightning connector.
The USB-C iPhone becomes a reality thanks to a robotics engineer
A robotics engineering student has proved that its possible to replace the iPhone's Lightning connector with a USB-C port.
The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is now available separately for $149
A version with a number pad is available for $179.
EU votes in favor of choosing a common charging cable standard
European Union lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to legislate manufacturers to adopt a shared charging cable standard. In a 582 to 40 vote, the European Parliament said it wants the European Commission, the body that drafts the EU's laws, to ensure consumers don't have to buy a new charger each time they upgrade their phone. The Commission has a relatively short deadline to put something together, with lawmakers saying they want the body to table legislation by July at the latest.
Apple says EU push for universal phone charger would 'stifle innovation'
The European Parliament has renewed its push for a phone charger standard through an amended draft law, and it won't surprise you to hear that Apple has raised objections. The iPhone maker has issued a statement arguing that rules dictating a common connector in phones "stifles innovation" and would hurt the public more than it helped. To support its claims, the company commissioned a study from Copenhagen Economics claiming that a common charger move would cost €1.5 billion (about $1.7 billion), more than negating the €13 million ($14.4 million) in potential environmental benefits. It even suggested the EU might create an environmental problem by "disrupting" hundreds of millions of people who use Apple devices with Lightning ports.
Apple may ditch the Lightning port on a 2021 iPhone
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is known for his frequently accurate Apple predictions based at least in part on supply channel connections... and if he's on the mark this time, he might raise some eyebrows. Kuo has claimed that the "highest-end" 2021 iPhone will ditch the Lightning port in favor of a "completely wireless experience." While there have been portless concept phones before, this might be one of the first production devices (certainly the first iPhone) to go without any cables.
Spare a thought for the guy with Lightning headphones
It was a questionable decision to opt for headphones that work with two devices. Nevertheless, I do love the Audeze iSINE 10s that I've used every day for the past year and a half. Sure, I can't charge and listen to music at the same time, but thanks to a Lightning cable feeding data and power to Audeze's in-line DAC, they sound fantastic on both my iPad and my iPhone. Unfortunately, I'm now stuck with some wonderful headphones that are roughly half as useful as they were yesterday, as Apple has just switched from Lightning to USB-C for its latest iPad Pros.
Square finally has a Lightning card reader for newer iPhones
If you have a newer iPhone, it's been a pain to take payments from magstripe cards using a Square reader -- without a native headphone jack, you've had to plug in a dongle and hold it steady while you serve a customer. Isn't Square overdue for a more iPhone-friendly version? Thankfully, it's here. You now have the option of a magstripe reader with a Lightning connection instead of the usual 3.5mm plug. There's nothing new apart from the port compatibility, but the identical $10 price makes it an easy choice if you run an iPhone-centric shop.
iOS update adds security-focused USB restricted mode (updated)
Apple just released iOS 11.4.1 with an improved Find My AirPod feature and some stability fixes. It also appears to include USB Restricted Mode, a feature that was part of the 11.4.1 and iOS 12 betas. Though it wasn't in the release notes that popped up on your iOS device, we have confirmed that the mode is included.
Belkin power bank charges with your iPhone's Lightning cable
The need to use proprietary Lightning cables with your iPhone creates some complications, including for external batteries -- you'll have to carry a separate cable just to top up your power pack. We can't guarantee that Apple will solve the problem by switching to USB, but you can get the next best thing. Belkin has unveiled the Boost Charge Power Bank 10K, the first Apple-certified external pack that can charge from a Lightning cable. That could save space in a crowded bag, but it's also helpful if you have a load of other Lighting devices -- you can charge the Boost Charge from an iPhone dock if you like.
Belkin's 3.5mm to Lightning cable delivers retro connectivity
Apple doing away with the iPhone's headphone jack was supposed to make life a bit more streamlined, and while in many cases it has, it still presented something of a headache for those who wanted to use their device to listen to music in the car, or even just to use their favourite headphones while charging their phones. Finding a decent 3.5mm cable with a Lightning connector is no mean feat, which is likely why Belkin has stepped up to the plate with its latest cable offering.
Tangled 'particle' helps scientists model rare ball lightning
Ball lightning (those bright spheres of light during some thunderstorms) remains mysterious despite decades of study. But how are you supposed to get a better look at it in a lab? Researchers might have discovered how through a happy accident: create a tangled atomic mess. They created a Shankar skyrmion, a quasiparticle whose artificial magnetic field, it turns out, mimics the electrical and magnetic fields of ball lightning. The team applied a magnetic field to a Bose-Einstein condensate (a state of matter for boson gas cooled to near absolute zero), in this case made of rubidium, to get the atoms to spin along the surface of a ball yet twist inside that ball.
Stripe will stop accepting bitcoin in April
Stripe announced today that it will stop supporting bitcoin payments in April. The company started accepting bitcoin payments in 2014, but in a blog post, it said today that the cryptocurrency has become way less useful as a method of payment, and as bitcoin revenues have declined, so has its customers' interest in it. "Bitcoin has evolved to become better-suited to being an asset than being a means of exchange," said Stripe, mirroring a belief others have expressed as well.
