Apple's Lightning Cable Contains TI Chip 'Likely' to Have Security Features

[Mr. Retrofire]

Great now I get to update the firmware on the Lighting and Thunderbolt cables. Sometimes a cable just needs to be a cable and not a small freak'in computer!!!

Your Thunderbolt-cable from 2012 has more built-in computational power than your Mac from 2002. ;-)

Why should Apple create compatible, easy solutions for existing problems if they can sell incompatible, non-easy “solutions” for non-existing problems?

 

[darkplanets]

CRC is not "authentication" or "DRM." CRC is a simple checksum. It makes sure that data doesn't get corrupted during transfer.

A chip is simply necessary to make a reversible cable with adaptive pins. Please stop perpetuating this "authentication chip" ********. Apple is clever enough to know that a hypothetical "secret chip" would never prevent third party manufacturers from producing copies.

This times a million. I hate when news sites propagate this sensationist garbage.

Variable pins = data shuffling. I'm glad they have CRC... can you imagine a cable like this without it? Ouch. For everyone having such a hissy fit about a proprietary cable.... this isn't the first (or last) time it'll happen. I expect to see more on cable functionality in the future.

 

[MH01]

Price is never a concern to an Apple customer.

Boy do they have you trained.

 

[MattInOz]

The biggest complaint I'm hearing is paying $19 just for a second cable to keep in the office or car to charge your phone.

I could see someone making a cheap "charging only" cable. That would solve a lot of problems.

It would have been so much better if Apple put an extra cable or two in the box and left out the USB wall wort. We already have 10's of them already.

That was the part the EU was trying to stop going to landfill so the removable cable is great but pointless if you still get one new with every device. Plus the weight and space saving on shipping would have been massive. So it would have the right time to say no more wall worts.

 

[michelepri]

the complexity of this cable and the non USB compliance is the very reason nobody in my family is getting an Iphone 5

 

[Michael Scrip]

the complexity of this cable and the non USB compliance is the very reason nobody in my family is getting an Iphone 5

Surely the benefits of the iPhone platform must outweigh the consequences.

Have you ever owned an iPhone, iPod or iPad? Those cables weren't standard either.

Yet somehow people managed...

 

[gaximus]

There is always one.....

Unless its a really sucky article.

 

[MartiNZ]

Here in NZ they're not even selling spare cables yet ... I'm really not sure what would have happened if my purchase one had been faulty. Should be soon anyway, all I want is one spare . Not really bothered by the change; actually makes me glad I didn't buy into the iPad ethos before now, so with logic everything should be on the same page when/if that does happen.

 

[Mizhou]

Please stop perpetuating this "authentication chip"

I couldn't agree more. I have never believed in that "authentication" thing. As m0dest wrote, there is a need for CRC in some types of communication, and that is for error checking, not encryption.

I don't know if it's true, but I have heard somewhere that there won't be any need for a special adapter to attach a DSLR camera to the iPhone. Due to a limitation of USB, there has to exactly ONE bus master on a USB bus. If you attach the iPhone to a computer, then the computer is the bus master. The iPhone can't be a bus master for that reason, and neither can the DSLR, hence the special adapter, that looks like a bus master for both the iPhone and the attached camera.

From what I've heard the iPhone 5 doesn't need that adapter, so the cable has somehow to determine if it's connected to a computer, that will be the bus master, or if it's connected to some DSLR or other device, and the iPhone has to act as a bus master.

It this is true, then that will require som chip to implement this stuff.

 

[aerok]

Boy do they have you trained.

He's the king of sarcasm lol

Far from being a blind fanboy

 

[nevir]

the complexity of this cable and the non USB compliance is the very reason nobody in my family is getting an Iphone 5

What does non USB compliance even mean? Realize that the other end of the cable looks like this:

I'm pretty sure your computer wouldn't be very pleased if that wasn't USB compliant.

 

[badNameErr]

crc is not "authentication" or "drm." crc is a simple checksum. It makes sure that data doesn't get corrupted during transfer.

A chip is simply necessary to make a reversible cable with adaptive pins. Please stop perpetuating this "authentication chip" ********. Apple is clever enough to know that a hypothetical "secret chip" would never prevent third party manufacturers from producing copies.

+1

 

[nagromme]

"Scattered reports have indeed indicated”

Reports? With what evidence?

Scattered random claims invented out of thin air is all I’ve seen. And this latest isn’t much better: seeming “evidence,” but it doesn’t add up to much in the end.

Yes, it’s a shocking tragedy that accessories are few and delayed, but this time of agony will pass. Options are coming.

A chip is simply necessary to make a reversible cable with adaptive pins. Please stop perpetuating this "authentication chip" ********.

Does anyone else remember almost this EXACT same “gate”/scandal with the regular dock connector a few years back? I think it involved Apple facing the limit of 30 non-adaptive pins, and therefore removing some less-used stuff (Firewire at the time) to enable newer/better video output (HDMI IIRC). Yet it got “reported” as some kind of authentication scheme to lock out 3rd party accessories. Pure fiction, I remember that much!

Apple doesn’t want to lock out 3rd parties. They SELL 3rd-party accessories. In fact, they make FEWER 1st-party accessories now than they did for the old dock connector.

 

[BigJohno]

A little too overdone on cables, no? Come on Apple, focus on newer iMacs and other upcoming, game-changing products.

So what if some company makes their own cables?

They are man. They haven't been released. Chill

 

[djwindsor]

It's been a little difficult obtaining the lightning cables. Lucky for me, I have many Apple stores around where I live (NY Metro area). Anyway, take a look at eBay and you'll see the opportunists selling the cable for nearly twice what Apple is charging. Ironically, people are paying!!!!!!

 

[Analog Kid]

Silliness

Well, Chipworks managed to generate a lot of traffic for themselves with this nonsense. CRC isn't a security function, it's an integrity function.

The chip's a ROM. If I had to guess, it's how the phone knows that it has a USB cable plugged into it.

It's amazing how ignorance reinforces ignorance. This is getting reported all across the web, and the end result is that half the world is taking it as confirmation that Apple is doing something untoward in their cables rather than discrediting Chipworks as a bunch of silly hacks.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Really hoping that's sarcasm...

Why shouldn't they sue to protect their IP? They sue Samsung and everyone else with cheers of approval here so why should this be any different? Just so people can save a few bucks on a cable?

Boy do they have you trained.

He's the king of sarcasm lol

Far from being a blind fanboy

 

[nick_elt]

Good move by Apple. Hopefully they can prevent others from making knock off cables and selling them for a lower price. They should sue anyone who does this.

Please tell me your kidding

 

[Laird Knox]

Really hoping that's sarcasm...



Yes it is. At least to those who buy Apple products, but aren't "Apple zombies" who buy a product just because Apple released a new product and think its the coolest thing ever.

Hook

Line

Sinker

 

[AppleScruff1]

Please tell me your kidding

Then it's safe to assume that you are against Apple's lawsuits against Samsung and it's battle with Android?

 

[Zunjine]

Really hoping that's sarcasm...



Yes it is. At least to those who buy Apple products, but aren't "Apple zombies" who buy a product just because Apple released a new product and think its the coolest thing ever.

Don't feed 'em.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Don't feed 'em.

But I make a valid point, don't I? If it were Samsung, Google, Microsoft, etc, it would be looked upon with scorn by most users here. But if they save $10 on a ripped off cable, it's ok. A bit hypocritical, don't you think?

 

[Winni]

DRM is NOT a security feature.

And Stallman is right, the correct spelling is Digital RESTRICTIONS Management, not Digital Rights Management.

 

[TC25]

I just want a damn adapter so i can use my phone in my car. couldn't apple at least not make us wait a month for their own if no one else can make one? grrr

Since YOUR car can't support the iPhone5 without an adapter, why didn't YOU wait until the adapters were available to buy an iPhone5? No, it's Apple's fault.

 

[Boomish69]

the complexity of this cable and the non USB compliance is the very reason nobody in my family is getting an Iphone 5

Thats got to be one of the worst reasons I've ever read not to get an iPhone..
(no offence meant but seriously?)
I love my family having iPhones as there are features like Find My friends, where I can see where all my family is on a map, thats nice knowing their safe.
We use Whats app every day and have family conversations posting pictures and funny things so even though were miles apart we can still know what we are all doing. My wife & I share photo streams..lots more I can't remember now.
But we have iPhones form a 4s to a 3GS none have this new cable obviously but even if they did I wouldn't be fussed,(apart form the cost) it's a pain having to get the power lead the right way round at night when I go to bed and all work with USB and iCloud very well.