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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,471
30,691



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.

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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.

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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
 

bwillwall

Suspended
Dec 24, 2009
1,031
802
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).
 

whammink

macrumors newbie
Oct 12, 2011
22
0
Twin Cities
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

macrumors 6502
Jun 28, 2010
323
17
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.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,056
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
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).
 

KylePowers

macrumors 68000
Mar 5, 2011
1,688
197
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

macrumors 65816
Mar 3, 2008
1,031
217
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

macrumors newbie
Sep 17, 2012
28
0
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

macrumors newbie
Jul 20, 2011
3
0
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

macrumors 6502
Feb 15, 2007
391
10
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

macrumors 68000
Oct 1, 2004
1,901
208
Mountains of Vermont
No, Pledges are Not Investments

"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/sugarmtnfarm/building-a-butcher-shop-on-sugarmountainfarm

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
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
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

macrumors regular
Apr 3, 2007
176
11
New York City
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.
 
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