Nomad Wants to Make a 3" Apple-Certified Lightning Cable for Your Keychain

[MacRumors]

The Nomad Lightning Cable for iPhone 5 and iPad mini is a 3" Lightning to USB cable that's trying to become a real product via social crowd funding website Kickstarter. The cable is designed to attach to a keyring and uses an Apple certified lightning connector.

Kegan and Roberto, the duo behind the Nomad, say in the pitch video on their Kickstarter page that having bought unofficial Lightning connectors and having them not work inspired them to buy their connectors directly from Apple-certified manufacturers. Recently, there have been a number of unofficial lightning cables springing up.

The prototypes were built by a Chinese manufacturer that produces iPhone accessories, according to the Kickstarter page. The duo will choose one of three Chinese manufacturers to produce the final products once funding is complete.

The project is about $16,000 away from its $29,000 goal with about 20 days to go to become a reality. Kegan and Roberto are taking pledges starting at $1 for the project. Backers who pledge $5 or more receive a Nomad, although the lower-end pledge tiers are sold out ($5, $9, $10 and $15 tiers at the time of this writing). Pledging support for the Kickstarter project is more like an investment and does not always mean that you'll receive the final product, as there's no guarantee that the project succeeds and becomes a reality. Pledges aren't charged unless they hit their target goal.

More details on how Kickstarter works can be found in its Frequently Asked Questions.

Article Link: Nomad Wants to Make a 3" Apple-Certified Lightning Cable for Your Keychain

[Loyalty4Life]

My keychain already has too many things on it!

[mrsir2009]

Good idea - I'm sure it'd come in handy

[bwillwall]

Pretty cool, except I could never see myself using a cord so short, I couldn't even move my computer without awkwardly holding my phone right next to it (or unplugging it).

[ConCat]

I like your writing style. I can see why you were recruited as an MR writer. What did you do before this if I may ask?

[MacTouch786]

Originally Posted by ConCat

I like your writing style. I can see why you were recruited as an MR writer. What did you do before this if I may ask?

Thanks! I interned at Gizmodo and did/do some writing for a film site.

[whammink]

Originally Posted by ConCat

I like your writing style. I can see why you were recruited as an MR writer. What did you do before this if I may ask?

Agreed. A lot of the writing on MR seems rushed (obviously some is necessarily rushed), but this is superbly written and immediately understandable.

[orangebluedevil]

Does anyone actually know where you can find "Apple Approved Mfi" vendors? They mentioned that on the page but I was unaware of that certification.

[troop231]

How about a Thunderbolt flash drive instead?

[Jessica Lares]

YES PLEASE! Although I very much like my USB stick bracelet that I have at the moment. So I hope something like that can be done now that the connector is small enough. Would like one for my keychain and then one to loop around my purse handle (like I do now).

[bkushner]

Worried the product will detach from the cap too easily and be gone. I would prefer this idea.
http://www.scosche.com/consumer-tech/product/2214

http://www.scosche.com/consumer-tech/product/1906

[ConCat]

Originally Posted by MacTouch786

Thanks! I interned at Gizmodo and did/do some writing for a film site.

Ah. Well clearly you have talent. Thanks for writing!

[gmanist1000]

Originally Posted by MacTouch786

Thanks! I interned at Gizmodo and did/do some writing for a film site.

Gizmodo?! Uh oh. They have some pretty immature journalists. The quality of that website has deteriorated quickly.

[ConCat]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

Gizmodo?! Uh oh. They have some pretty immature journalists. The quality of that website has deteriorated quickly.

Well, he's not working there now, so that must be good news.

[Mr. Chewbacca]

I imagine I wont use it a lot but when I do it will be nice to have it. I chipped in 20.00, hope they can make it.

[Cougarcat]

I prefer this one:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...d-charging-iph

Same thing, except it's built into the (3mm!) case so you won't loose it. And there's a version with detachable magnetic lenses.

[KylePowers]

They should have made the lightning end right angled, so then at least it's oriented toward you (assuming you're not a fan of the landscape orientation, which only works in some apps)

[batchtaster]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

Gizmodo?! Uh oh. They have some pretty immature journalists. The quality of that website has deteriorated quickly.

They're not actual journalists, so unfortunately they can be as immature as they like.

It's up to us, the readers, to weigh it appropriately as a blog/opinion piece, rather than automatically treating it as fact (cos, like, it's on the internet, so it must be true).

[Smallworld69]

Wow... Just when we thought the OEM cable was to short.... I wouldn't pay 5 bucks for a 3" USB anything, much less the 10-20 they will want.... Why would you need to tote a 3" cable around on your keychain?

[leathers123]

My thoughts were to produce the 30pin to Lightning adaptor with a keychain hook on it. At least this way you could always borrow someones older cables as everyone pretty much has one in their house.

[ladeer]

But I don't have a key chain! My house is entered using the built in garage remote of my car. My work is all badge RFID. My car is just a fob in my pocket so when my hand touches the door it opens. We live in a keyless age now in fact I don't even need my wallet since every day I pay for my lunch at Starbucks using its app on my phone.

[pubwvj]

"Pledging support for the Kickstarter project is more like an investment"

Wrong answer. Pledges are not investments. They are pre-buys. If the project reaches the funding goal then your credit card gets charged. If the project ships then you receive your product. This has nothing to do with investments. You do not own part of the project. As a backer you do not get a financial return on your money. You get a product. Or as Kickstarter likes to call it, a reward.

We ran a very successful Kickstarter project for our family's on-farm butcher shop. We raise pastured pigs and deliver year round to local stores and restaurants as well as individuals. Initially we had funded our project in part through CSA Pre-Buys of pigs (http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa). This spring we did a Kickstarter project to raise $25,000 more in funds to help with construction. We got $33,000 in backing. Some of that (10%) goes to Kickstarter and Amazon. About half of it goes to fulfill rewards which consists of shipments of our pastured pork once the butcher shop is up and running. The remainder is what goes into equipment and concrete to make our project happen.

If you are curious about the outcoming of a successful (Macintosh based no less) project check out:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...armountainfarm

and you can read more about our butcher shop at:

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop

Monday we make our final structural concrete pour when we'll pour the upper bond beam and ceilings of our building. Then we get to work on the interior during the winter.

It is important to understand that Kickstarter projects are pre-buys of product and they are not investments. This is both a legal and an economic distinction.

Cheers,

-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm

[jessica.]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

Gizmodo?! Uh oh. They have some pretty immature journalists. The quality of that website has deteriorated quickly.

So are you saying his write up is "immature?" "Some" immature (more likely one or two) writers does not make all writers immature. Do you really think this site would employ a writer who has a track record of being shady in his/her journalism? No.


I'd love something like this despite how much I shy away from putting crap on my key chain. It would be good in emergencies.

[rydewnd2]

Personally, my lightning enabled iOS devices never get plugged into my laptop (unless that's the only charging device I have nearby). I've never synched with iTunes as my devices are restored from iCloud backups and my media is in the cloud via spotify Netflix etc and until recently iTunes Match. Just my personal usage, but this looks cool if you do sync with a laptop.

[OrangeSVTguy]

Good luck using it on a Mac mini