USB Micro

Apple’s Lightning to Micro USB Adapter hits US online store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple's been an avid supported of USB for years. With USB 3.0, not so much - at least not until first Mac notebooks with USB 3.0 support began rolling out of assembly lines last year. The company, however, never adopted the industry-standard Micro USB connector. Instead, and much to the horror of the multi-billion dollar accessory biz, it chose to replace its own bulky, decade-old proprietary 30-pin dock connector with Lightning, another proprietary connector similar in size to micro USB (there's a reasonable explanation for that).

So, if you fancy connecting your Lightning-enabled mobile devices to micro USB cables and chargers to sync and charge, Apple comes to the rescue with its official Lightning to Micro USB Adapter. Originally released in Europe in September due to regulations mandating that all mobile phones be charged via commonplace micro USB adapters, it's now finally available to U.S. customers. How much? Just $20. I know, don't start...

Engineer explains why Apple went with Lightning instead of Micro USB

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 29, 2017

Among the many changes found in the iPhone 5 is the new Lightning dock connector. For months we've been expecting Apple to replace the aging 30-pin port in its new handset, and it did.

The change has caused a bit of controversy, because folks don't understand why it was necessary, and they don't know why Apple didn't go with the more popular Micro USB connector.

As it turns out, Micro USB isn't smart enough...

AViiQ Ready Clips brings tangle proof USB cables for your iPhone

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

Simply, I hate tangled cables. The most worthless item in your bag is a knotted-up bunch of charging cables and, if you've really got a bird's nest, it can take forever to untangle. Thankfully, everyone at AViiQ shares the common tangled-disaster-pain that ravages the world of technology and decided to do something about it. Ready Clips are here as the antidote and they fit quite nicely in a travel bag...

Apple Unveils New Micro-USB Adapter for European iPhones

Cody Lee ∙ October 4, 2011

Apple has been rumored to be working on a micro-USB cable for quite some time now. Last year, the Cupertino company agreed to comply with a European campaign to standardize cell phone chargers, but it has yet to ante up.

Well amongst the onslaught of announcements today, Apple made good on its promise. The company quietly rolled out a micro-USB adapter for its standard 30-pin dock connector, which enables the two interfaces to work together...

Purported Apple Branded Micro USB Cable Surfaces

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

If you take a look around at all of the latest handsets from other manufacturers, you'll notice they all have one thing in common — the charging port. It seems most mobile phone-makers have settled on the micro-USB cable as a standard.

Apple, however, has continued to go with its proprietary 30-pin connector for all of its mobile gadgets. But a recent report from German-based blog iPhone-ticker suggests that that could all change this Fall...

How to Watch Live ESPN3, Amazon VOD, And More With a Jailbroken Apple TV 2

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Yep, that's a picture of a live football match running on my Apple TV 2. Interested in the ability to watch live sports, stream movies from Amazon VOD and Hulu? Then you've come to the right place.

In our third and final tutorial in our Apple TV jailbreak series, we show you how to cut the cable cord completely, and gain access to all sorts of streaming goodies, courtesy of that tiny black miracle box.

If you've already taken the steps to jailbreak your Apple TV with Seas0nPass, and install aTV Flash (black), then check inside for the final piece of the puzzle — installing XBMC and streaming content from a PlayOn instance running from your Mac or PC...

How to Install aTV Flash Black on the Apple TV 2

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 17, 2012

If you've successfully followed our previous jailbreak tutorial for the Apple TV 2, you're likely thinking, "now what?"

A jailbroken Apple TV on its own isn't much to look at. In fact, there's no way to discern a stock Apple TV from a jailbroken Apple TV with the naked eye.

Fortuantely, the folks at FireCore have created an insanely easy way to tap the power of a jailbroken Apple TV using an application called aTV Flash Black.

aTV Flash Black is an app available for Mac or Windows users, that adds a new 'Maintenance' menu to your Apple TV. Think of it as Cydia for the Apple TV. If your Apple TV is jailbroken, and you're wondering what to do next, check out the following video tutorial that shows you how to install aTV Flash black...

How to Jailbreak the Apple TV 2 With Seas0nPass

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 24, 2011

Are you a part of the recent cable cutter movement? Have you ditched your satellite service in favor of Boxee, an HTPC, or an Apple TV? Well if so, this series of Apple TV tutorials is definitely for you!

Eventually, I'm going to show you how to watch Amazon VOD, Hulu, and yes, even live ESPN games on your Apple TV 2. The first step in accomplishing this feat is to, yep, you guessed it, jailbreak your Apple TV.

Folks, it really can't get any easier than this tutorial. In it, I show you how to untether jailbreak your Apple TV 2 with Seas0nPass. Check inside for the full step-by-step video tutorial...