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Apple's iOS 7 Lightning Connector Authentication Check 'Permanently' Cracked
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Well, kinda similar: My mom bought some REALLY cheap knockoffs and plugged the USB end of one into her Mac. She got a notification (when there was no iPhone attached) saying that the USB device was drawing excessive power. So there's a short in it? I don't know how many computers have USB short protection, but my friend's computer was rendered unusuable for a while because his USB port got shorted.
It's funny that people will spend (the equivalent of) $500 for an iPhone 5, $40 or $50 for a piece of plastic to protect it, but bitch about paying $10 extra for a cable.
$10 extra for 10 cables = $100 extra, and you can get them even cheaper than $10 below Apple's price. Cases are $5; I don't know anyone who pays more than $15 for a case. Mine was free from Apple.
I figure the lightening connector will probably be around for a while. And until thunderbolt is more widely adopted, the other end will probably stay USB as well.
So I'll probably be using this cable for the next 10 years or so, based on Apple's history of changing iPod/iPhone connectors.
Seems to me Apple's price is not unreasonable for a cable if you're going to use it daily, and if it'll last 10 years.
So I'll probably be using this cable for the next 10 years or so, based on Apple's history of changing iPod/iPhone connectors.
Seems to me Apple's price is not unreasonable for a cable if you're going to use it daily, and if it'll last 10 years.
That's fine, but what if you are given the choice between two thieves? Intel and Cables Unlimited: Intel's HDCP protection prevents us from watching movies we legally bought because our TV is outdated, but Cables Unlimited provides a crack for HDCP.
One of the reasons that you have to pay so much for a lightning cable is because apple tried to prevent competition by adding an authentication chip.
A while ago, Lexmark made printers and added special chips to their ink cartridges so that you were locked into buying ink from them. They sued anyone who made a compatible ink cartridge by cracking the authentication under DMCA. The supreme court ruled that you can try to keep people from competing with you with a software lock, but you can't sue for DMCA violation if they can bypass it, since people are buying the ink, not the authentication software.
These are standard anti-competitive practices done by companies who don't want to innovate or compete, but to lock in. It's bad for the consumer.
Apple does something similar with the lightning cables, which they couldn't do with the 20 pin dock connector because it was already out in the wild. For every apple approved lightning cable you buy, apple makes some money off of it because monoprice and amazon etc pay apple a license and approval fee. That's why you can buy a dock cable for $3 and a lighting cable for $20 (15 on amazon).
By bypassing, they can drive down the price. If you don't like or trust the cheap ones, no one is preventing you from paying for the peace of mind of buying an apple cable. Same with people who are worried their monitors won't work well with their mac, they can pay extra for their cinema displays.
I don't think making a charging cable is brain surgery, it is a pretty straightforward process, even with apple adding in all sorts of circuitry to make it confusing. If my iphone 5 lasted more than 12 hours without a charge, i wouldn't need to buy so many lightning cables
The only thing that's wrong here is Apple's endless greed, it's a cable damn it
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It's funny that people will spend (the equivalent of) $500 for an iPhone 5, $40 or $50 for a piece of plastic to protect it, but bitch about paying $10 extra for a cable.
People who buy $5 cables usually buy $1 cases, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Ebay rules
All this discussion for an uncertified cable that will be $10 or so shipped.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD818ZM/A/lightning-to-usb-cable?fnode=45
$19. Not the $30 several here claim. I'll stick with the official cable for $9 more.
So you have 6 chargers? Big whoop. The pricing of Apple's iPod/iPhone cables has been consistent since they moved to the old 30-pin cable a decade ago. What makes you think they'll suddenly decide $20 is 'unreasonable'?
You've been able to get licensed, known-good, cables from a number of different vendors that *aren't* fly-by-night operations pretty much the whole time, including shortly after the Lightning cable was announced. (Yeah, it took a bit longer than I would have preferred, but it's already a reality.) And those cables run from the $10-35 range.
That's one reason. Other reasons include:
- Market maturity - the 30 pin dock connector has been around for about 10 years
- Market size - how many devices are in use today that use a 30 pin connector vs lightning? I don't know the number but I guarantee it's an order of magnitude higher. The lightning connector hasn't even been out for a whole year.
- More companies make the 30 pin cables
- They've been making them longer
- They're simpler to make - there's no electronics, it's just a cable
I don't know what the license fee is for each cable, but it's not the *only* difference between $3 and $20.
Really hard, because all the current cables they make, which are identical to the fake ones would become void too....
Yes, how dare people try to save money.It's funny that people will spend (the equivalent of) $500 for an iPhone 5, $40 or $50 for a piece of plastic to protect it, but bitch about paying $10 extra for a cable.
But he didn't do it with software, isn't that what the article said? He did it with a hardware crack, which would require Apple to change everything, not just release a firmware patch.
I still think it's silly that a cable is so complicated. Is this really better than having one, simple and cheap USB cable with just 4 wires inside for charging and USB syncing, and one special cable/connector with the chip inside for those handful of people who use special docks, accessories and things like that? Those who really need a special cable can buy one if they want, but for most people, it's going to be annoying to pay so much money for a cable that does way more than what they need, with a built-in microcontroller, when all it does is charge the phone...
I used to use VLC to play my DVDs but then realised the error of my ways. I sinned, but try to repent with a daily carving of sad smiley faces into my skin.
I wonder often whether people who make silly statements like this pronounce the China where cheap product are made and the China where their Apple products are made differently? Is ChIna good and ChinA bad?
The phones are a fair bit more than that, at least in the UK - but no, your point doesn't stand
The cost of the phone is completely irrelevant to people's issue with the cable. They cost pence (cents...) to make and are sold at 10000's of % profit. Every manufacturer does and has done the same thing for many years. If I buy a printer for £20 or £2000 at a high street shop, I still have to buy a USB cable that's £1 for 10 on eBay, or £15 for 1 on the shelf next to the printer, I'm irritated either way....
I wonder often whether people who make silly statements like this pronounce the China where cheap product are made and the China where their Apple products are made differently? Is ChIna good and ChinA bad?
Well there is a good and bad china. There is poor working conditions, and good working conditions.
Also, if monoprice is selling $10 authorized apple lightning cables, why can't everyone else? I think this is the case where it might be an economies of scale issue. Suppliers a producing these cables in smaller quantities, which makes them difficult to produce them at the preferred market price. I'm a huge monoprice fan in general though, because they're cable quality is outstanding for studio and pro audio work.
But still not sure about the goldmine. And again, isn't he just ridding people of the nag notification?
No it does not, 'logic' like that justifies a car dealer charges you $300 for the same oil change that costs $50, and BestBuy charging you $50 for a $2 HDMI.
Love the brand, love the product, but don't be their Apple's #####. Apple is a for-profit company and not everything they say is true.
And btw, it is a $650/$750/$850 phone