Submitted by Frank Macey on
Every iPhone from the 3G in 2008 until the iPhone 11 in 2019 was packaged with a 5W USB Power Adapter in the box. While Apple has stopped including a charger with its iPhones, the company continues to sell the classic adapter. This may not be the case for long, as the slow 5-watt charging speed and its USB type-A connector is going the way of the dinosaurs.
Submitted by Fred Straker on
A new breed of malware has been found infecting Macs and iOS devices, spread primarily by compromised apps found in the Chinese Maiyadi App Store. Researchers at Palo Alto Networks have reported that hundreds of thousands of users could be affected. Named WireLurker, the malware also has a Windows variant and could be the largest scale infection of its type.
WireLurker lurks on a computer and when an iOS device is connected via USB, it attacks the mobile device. Private data such as messages and contacts can be compromised. iOS devices do not need to be jailbroken to be vulnerable. While WireLurker may not be a concern for those who never use third-party app stores, checking for infection is relatively simple. Apple has already taken steps to combat the malware by blocking the affected apps.
Submitted by Frank Macey on
Rumors are flying that Apple plans to release a Lighting cable with a fully reversible USB plug connector alongside the iPhone 6. This would bring the convenience factor of dual orientation connectors to both ends of the Lightning cable, saving users plenty of time in the process. After all, when left to chance, current USB plugs are turned the wrong way 50 percent of the time.
This frustration becomes a thing of the past with a simple design change. Instead of using a thick plastic core that fills half of the USB plug, connection pins are provided on both sides of a thin center plate. With this redesigned USB cable, the probability of getting it right every time is 100 percent. What is possibly the most incredible fact about this redesign is how long it took for a manufacturer to bring the concept to market.
Submitted by Marshall Walker on
VitaminWater has figured out a way to make your daily commute better by turning bus shelters into charging ports.
iPhones have made waiting for the bus a little more tolerable, and now you can charge your device at bus stations in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. The ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky invented the "Alternative Energy Source" -- an ad campaign to promote the VitaminWater Energy drink by offering USB ports for charging mobile devices at bus stations. Now there are two reasons to walk a few extra blocks to find a bus shelter, to stay out of the rain and to charge your iPhone.
Submitted by Bob Bhatnagar on
Your iPhone has plenty of storage space, only thing is every time you connect it to your computer iTunes runs the show. Wouldn't it be great to carry your files around with you and not have to worry about a separate USB drive? iPhone Explorer is free software for Mac and Windows that makes this possible.
The application opens up the flash memory of your iPhone into simple-to-use drag and drop folders. Files can be transferred to and from your computer hard drive right over the USB connection. iPhone Explorer is compatible with all iPhone models and works with OR without a jailbreak.
