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Comment by FriedPickles | Hacker News Reader

I got annoyed that my MacBook case would slightly buzz when plugged in, so I worked with a factory to make these grounded Apple adapters: https://www.amazon.com/Grounded-Duckhead-Apple-Mac-Adapter/d...

They've been selling consistently to others annoyed by the problem or who want to ground their MacBook for other reasons.

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> Grounds or "earths" your body whenever you use your computer! Earthing is good for your health.

You're really hitting all of the applicable target markets there. Love it.

Can't say I personally believe that claim, but there are a fair number of people out there who do. One person even sent formal test results showing that the adapter drastically reduces EMFs coming off the case. Not sure what to make of it but I found it interesting.

The concept of grounding devices is a safety feature, broadly speaking. /shrug

It's a stretch, maybe an oversimplification, but I don't think it's a lie.

Glad they are selling for you. It's a known issue, so I just went to the Apple store and since my MacBook was brand new, they gave me a three-prong adapter for free.

Can you share more info about the creation? Did you register a patent? What was the MOQ? Have you sold out? Did you have to comply to any electrical regulation?

Kudos!

Wonderful idea! I never considered that a grounded power adapter could solve the buzzing issue. But now that I think about it, that's the reason why I don't get the buzz when my MacBook is connected to my monitor.

You should made this for other plug types as well and sell it in other countries!

Amazing! I feel the tinge on my left palm when it's plugged in. Bought.

It looks like you've invented British plugs.

Note grounding your MacBook is likely to result in you constantly zapping your MacBook with static electricity if you wear rubber sole shoes, which is likely to not be good for the MacBook and may randomly damage the electronics. This may be why they did not put a grounding pin the first place.

I usually discharge my static buildup in the office sink.

Apple supports grounding as a first-party offering by using their extension cables that plug between the wall and the power brick. So this product isn’t doing something untested and unsupported.

I had wondered about this, because my 2013 MBP was grounded (it came with this cable) and it used to zap me constantly. But I did not put 2+2 together.

The grounding lug exists on the charger body itself because some of Apple's first party plug adapters are grounded.

Exactly. The Apple extension cord is grounded. They likely didn't include a grounding pin on the stock adapter because (1) it'd be really hard to make it fold down and (2) you lose the option of which direction to plug it in (potentially blocking a plug). So it's a design call.

Note only USA adapters are bi-directional like you say.

Wrong.

https://www.adapterelaptop.com/images/Apple-61W-USB-C.jpg

Note that that plug is not grounded, and eu plugs thatare grounded are also bidirectional, unlike us grounded plugs

Depends. German are, French are not bidirectional.

Even the bidirectional ones (with the little "tabs") are WAY more massive than the ungrounded plugs.

I know it grounds inside the brick but does the connector have a third pin?

The adapter connects the outer metal part of the connector for both USB-C and Magsafe to to ground, thus grounding the metal shell of the MacBook.

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