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Apple recalls older three-prong AC power adapters
Apple is recalling a batch of three-prong AC wall plug adapters. The company is aware of six incidents worldwide in which the adapters broke, creating a risk of electrical shock. As a precaution, Apple is allowing customers to exchange the potentially faulty plugs for a new version. It's not clear, though, just how many devices that could be.
Meet Hive's gorgeous new thermostat and smart home devices
Google's Nest, Honeywell, Netatmo, Tado and others have made heating our abodes that bit simpler, but a smart thermostat does not a smart home make. British Gas' Hive launched its take on the smart thermostat two years ago -- and now, 200,000 installs later, it's time for a sequel. This time around, though, Hive doesn't just want to make your heating smarter, but the rest of your home as well. In addition to its brand-new £249 thermostat, the Hive brand will include soon smart plugs, a whole host of motion sensors and eventually, lightbulbs too.
Here's an all-in-one travel adapter for your MacBook charger
Road warriors who carry a MacBook may already have Apple's world travel adapter kit, or even Twelve South's PlugBug for that extra USB port; but both products require swapping plugs for different regions. Konnext's OneAdapter Twist, however, caters to the slightly lazier travelers: It's essentially a chunky all-in-one travel adapter that sits atop any MacBook charger, though it also works just fine by itself. To switch plugs, simply twist the ring in the middle until it clicks. There's also a 2.4A USB socket (PlugBug's is only 2.1A), and if you need more, you can slot an optional three-socket USB hub in between. The OneAdapter Twist won't be launching until June for around $29 to $39, but for now, we have a quick demo video of a prototype after the break.
TUAW Origin Stories: Elphi
Sadly this origin story ended before it began. While at WWDC we spoke to the creators of Elphi, a smart, remote-controllable AC outlet. Last night their Kickstarter project ended almost $30,000 shy of their goal. It's a shame, since this looked like a really promising product that would have been quite useful to a great number of people. We wrote it up almost immediately, to no avail. Check out the video below to learn more (here's hoping they can try some other method of funding?). Also, check back on Fridays for more TUAW Origin Stories, where we talk about why developers create their apps.
Chevrolet replacing 120-volt power cords on most Volt automobiles
If you're one of the 10,000 or so folks who pay insurance on a Chevrolet Volt, you may have a new cable coming your way. According to The Detroit News and Yahoo! Autos, General Motors will soon be sending out replacement 120-volt charging cords for Volt automobiles, which are said to "offer some more consistency in charging," while also making it more durable. We're told that some of the newfangled chargers have shipped with recent Volts, but the majority of customers were sent home with the older model. Of note, GM won't be swapping out any of those optional 240-volt cords, and the company won't consider this a recall or safety issue. As for getting your replacement? Owners are slated to be notified directly in the "next few weeks."
Toyota premiers smart charging G-Stations in Japan, world instantly jealous
Recharging tired EVs and plug-in hybrids in Japan just got a little more exciting thanks to Toyota's upcoming G-Station charger, which relies on contact-less smart-cards to identify vehicles and owners. Toyota's Windows Azure-powered Smart Center drives the machines, which allows users to connect to the internet and use smartphone apps to find chargers, receive notifications, and check usage history. The G-Station will be coming this July in two flavors, creatively named Type A for the standard and Type B for the more advanced model. Pricing for the aforementioned units will be 280,000 yen ($3,469 USD) and 448,000 yen ($5,549 USD) respectively. Toyota is expecting to sell around 3,000 units by the end of 2012, making these stations available to its retail car dealers, shopping malls and restaurants. Soon the outside of pachinko parlors will be just as electric as the inside.
Netgear's Universal WiFi Range Extender now available for balding home networks
Few things in life are more aggravating than WiFi dead spots -- especially when you've just settled in to stream the latest Game of Thrones episode, after a long and excruciating week of tech blogging. Good thing that Netgear's Universal WiFi Range Extender, first spotted at this year's CES, is now available for shipping. This discrete white cube promises to bring connectivity to remote regions of your lair by automatically mirroring the wireless signal emitted from your gateway. Just use the device's LED indicator to find the area where the extender would optimize its reach, plug it into any ol' AC outlet, and those ugly pockets of wireless death will suddenly spring back to life (think of it as Rogaine for your WiFi router). It also supports 802.11 b/g/n and is compatible with WEP, WPA and WPA2 security standards, in case you were wondering. You can find the extender at retailers located all over this green Earth, where it'll be priced at around $90. If that tickles your fancy, head past the break for the full PR.
Globalscale D2 Plug offers HD video, 3D graphics in little Linux / Android machine
So it's not going to replace your big-boy PC anytime soon, but Globalscale's latest plug computer, the D2 Plug, does deliver some decidedly desktop-like traits. The latest lilliputian Linux / Android kit touts Marvell's PXA510, a 1GHz ARMv7 processor that supports 1080p video playback and 3D graphics. According to its makers, the D2 Plug runs on two watts and features 1GB of DDR3 memory, 8GB of NAND flash, an SD card slot, eSATA port and multiple points of connectivity, including two USB 2.o ports, gigabit ethernet, HDMI, and VGA. It measures a mere 6.7 x 3.22 x 1.3 inches, and sports a $249 price tag -- not exactly a small price, but there are plenty of other mini PCs in the sea.
Apple granted patent for a 'reduced size multi-pin connector,' namedrops USB 3.0 and DisplayPort
Apple has just collected the US Patent Office's approval to add another to its vast hoard of patents. This one, numero 7,918,689 in the USPTO annals, describes a multi-pin male plug connector and a corresponding female receptacle, with the innovation being a reduction in size thanks to a single row of contacts. You can think of it as Apple's next generation of 30-pin connectors, or rather the next generation as the company envisioned it back in late 2008, the date of filing for this document. Back then, while the age of the click wheel was still upon us, Apple wanted to transfer USB 3.0 and DisplayPort signals over its newfangled plug, aspirations that were codified in claim 11 of its patent. We may now be a solid 30 or so months removed from that doc hitting the Patent Office's inbox, but the desire to have advanced data transfer tech integrated straight into the company's proprietary connectors is unlikely to have withered. Would it be a stretch to expect Apple's now working on a similar solution for the Thunderbolt interconnect -- whose plug looks identical to the one used for DisplayPort -- that is presently gracing its MacBook Pro line? %Gallery-120503%
HP Veer too small for 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port, gets magnetic connectors instead
Ah, fiddlesticks! It was bound to happen sooner or later with phones becoming increasingly anorexic, but we can't say that HP's solution to not having room for a 3.5mm headphone jack or a microUSB port is... um, awesome. Just as consumers had their voices heard when HTC decided to require an ExtUSB adapter to use standard headphones with the T-Mobile G1, we're guessing that quite a few potential Veer buyers will be soured by the idea of carrying around yet another dongle just to have access to a very basic port. After all, what's the point in toting around the world's smallest webOS device if you're also forced to lug around one (or two) of the world's most annoying adapters? According to Pre Central, the Veer will ship with a pair of these clips -- one of 'em attaches a USB cable for charging, while the other adds a headphone jack. Of course, Bluetooth listeners needn't worry over the latter, but those who'd rather not mess with a Touchstone will need to be extra cautious when it comes to packing your charging cable and USB nub. We'd obviously prefer the oxygen we breathe to simply recharge our gizmos in a feat of perpetual engineering, but till then, it looks like Veer owners will be tied tight to at least a couple of accessories.
Double USB concept ends your fear of USB plug rejection
Maybe there are greater aggravations in your life, but the symmetrical-on-the-outside, asymmetrical-on-the-inside USB connector has been a source of frustration since its introduction. To combat the problem of USB plug rejection, Ma Xi Xuan has developed the Double USB connector that works right side up or upside down thanks to twin spring-loaded plastic connectors on its interior. The design seems more robust than previous solutions we've seen, but sadly the switch-hitting plug is only a design exercise at this point. We can only hope that company will exercise some common sense and make these plugs a reality. Tomorrow works for us.
Dell Streak procures a hacked-up mini USB adapter, gets friendly with your dusty cables
Even if you can look beyond the SIM lock and the aging Android 1.6 OS on the Dell Streak, there's still one irksome problem: the lack of a mini or micro-USB port (Dell clearly missed the USB party last summer). Dissatisfied with this state of affairs, John from Linux Slate decided to build an adapter for his tabletphone's dock connector, which he confirmed to be PDMI instead of a proprietary design. The procedure was simple: John cut up his Streak's cable plug, soldered a mini USB socket onto the board, and housed the new assembly within the Streak's cable clip. Voilà! Until third-party USB-to-PDMI cables start to show up in the stores, it's either this mod or cough up $20 for a spare cable from Dell. See the adapter in action after the break.
UltraTek Flipper USB plug can't be stopped
Thanks to our good pal Murphy, we're fairly certain that over our past decade or so of interaction with the Universal Serial Bus we've attempted to plug the way-too-symmetric connector in upside down at a rate far above 50 percent. However, it seems we might at last have a solution to this horrific problem: UltraTek's new "Flipper" male USB connector lets you plug it in any way you choose. There's that standard metal housing you know and love, but instead of it being half filled by plastic with connectors on one side, there's a thin male connector in the center, with connectors on both sides. You'd think that would cause a bit of unwanted tension on the plug, but we're hardly engineers over here. Check out the video after the fold to see it in action.
3 Pin British Plug: go ahead and yank it
Yanking cords out of sockets is a terrifically satisfying way to take out your aggression on electronics, but it's not very safe. This British-only concept solution seeks to change all that, with some internal fortification and an external ball attachment to show you where to grip. Why not make a ritual out of rebellion?
Tok Took Power Plug has a silly name, smart concept
The last concept we saw from designer Soon Mo Kang was a simple but innovative power strip that, with a light press, could automatically send your bulky AC adapters flying. Kang is back with another idea for plugging in and, while it's in much the same vein, it takes easy unplugging down to the individual level. The Tok Took Power Plug takes inspiration form a retractable pen: push in the back to extend the prongs, then push the back in again to retract them. This makes unplugging very easy (as demonstrated after the break), and also means you can toss it in a bag without gouging everything else in there. It's another simple but smart idea that, sadly, we're not expecting to see in the wild any time soon.
Infinite USB plug is a big idea for small conveniences
In a classic case of "why didn't we think of this first," Chinese design student Gonglue Jiang has shown us a new way for overcoming the limitations imposed by the scarcity of USB ports on some computers. Instead of forcing you to constantly hot swap devices into that one port, Gonglue's Infinite USB plugs keep all your cables connected, thereby facilitating those smartphone syncs, spy camera recharges, and -- for the ultimate irony -- maybe even a USB hub. If you're thinking this would be brought down by a bout of bandwidth starvation once you start some USB multitasking, you're probably right, but power shortages shouldn't be an issue as the author has also come up with an external power connector that joins into his Infinite chain of connectivity. If only this wasn't just a concept.
AT&T zeroes in on energy waste with Zero cellphone charger
Plug your cell phone charger into the wall. Feel it. Is it warm? Then like it or not, you're wasting electricity. AT&T would like to change all that with this new Zero charger, a tiny black brick which automatically cuts power to itself whenever your cell phone is disconnected. While it's not quite as amusing as an ejector seat, it's certainly more practical, and the wall wart's modular USB design means you can charge almost any mobile with interchangeable cables (sold separately, of course) while you wait oh-so-patiently for the cellphone industry to finally stop using proprietary ports. If you've got a vampire draw problem, let AT&T be your garlic this May.
UK Folding Plug takes home design award, emerges in USB-infused flavor
It's far and away one of the most genius concepts we've seen in the past year, and we couldn't possibly be happier for one Min-Kyu Choi. Said designer, who recently graduated from the Royal College of Art, was recently showered with laud after the above-pictured Folding Plug nabbed the gold in the Brit Insurance Design contest. Unfortunately, we're still no closer to understanding when some moneyed manufacturer will pick this up and start producing it, but hopefully this prize will reinforce its awesomeness and catch someone's eye. In related news, we're also seeing for the first time a Folding Plug version with USB ports on the exterior, which would be just about perfect for UK-based gadget junkies. Here's hoping this dream doesn't die just before reaching the conveyor belt, yeah?
Leech Plug disconnects when your gadget is charged, does Ma Earth a favor
The TrickleStar line of products does a good job of killing vampire power drain already, but all of those still require you to lift a finger and flip a toggle switch to "off" in order to stop the flow of energy when nothing is there to be charged. Conor Klein's Leech Plug, however, does the dirty work for you. Thanks to an integrated timer circuit and a mysterious array of "electromechanics" within, his AC outlet physically ejects the charging cord when the device on the other end is done charging; granted, that leaves you with quite a mess in your dining room floor, but hey, at least you're doing your small part to keep this fragile planet from imploding on itself, right? Peek the video after the break. [Thanks, Kevin]
DisplayPort 1.2 receives final VESA blessing, grows into a real standard
VESA might've been a bit tardy with finalizing it, but DisplayPort v1.2 is now all official and it comes with an impressive tally of numbers to get your attention. Doubling the data throughput of v1.1a (from 10.8Gbps to 21.6Gbps), the latest version will be able to support multiple monitors via only a single output cable, allowing you to daisy-chain up to four 1920 x 1200 monitors, for example. It can also perform bi-directional data transfer, which will permit USB hubs, webcams, and touchscreen panels integrated into displays to communicate over the same cable as the video signal. Backwards compatibility with older peripherals is assured, but you'll naturally need a v1.2-capable computer to exploit all this newfound goodness. You'll find the full PR after the break.
