Apple lifts block on combo 30-pin+Lightning charging accessories | Hacker News Reader

Apple lifts block on combo 30-pin+Lightning charging accessories

arstechnica.com

75 pointsiProject30 comments

> "... but there were technical issues that prevented accessories from integrating 30-pin and Lightning connectors, so our guidelines did not allow this."

They sure resolved those technical issues pretty quickly, no? So quickly, in fact, that one might have confused them for policy issues completely unrelated to the interoperability of the devices.

Yeah, isn't it cool Apple did this? Even though the kickstarter project totally screwed the pooch by not asking Apple before hand if it was good?

I feel like if they had Apple would have quietly said no, but that since they did get funded and all that they were able to get people to put pressure on Apple. Obviously it's hard to say if things would have played out like that but it's something to consider.

We more then asked Apple we had submitted the project to them through the MFI process. Apple changed their policy and I have to think it is because of the incredible response this story got.

Wow, just wow. I must say Apple customers are amazing, even through their policy on chargers, to lock down their customers on apple (and to prevent universal chargers/ data connectors) is so clearly against consumer interest, now its a sign of greatness if they change their policy in response to the major shitstorm. Apple can't do wrong right? Apple fanbois make me sick, and stop call yourself hackers, you're contemptible.

Nice attitude. Elitism is definitely what the "hacker" community is all about.

I can't even tell if this is sarcasm or not.

It doesn't sound to me like they have resolved the technical issues, but rather they realized that they only apply to the control and/or data aspects of the connectors, and so have updated the guidelines to allow using both when they are only being used for charging.

They mentioned that the exclusion was only for _charging_.

Kind of reminds me when they removed 4Chan elite ($2.99) from the marketplace and my account for "adult content" despite the fact that you can browse there just fine with Chrome (adult content warning included). This is how walled gardens work.

I hope these guys http://edisonjunior.com/about.html know what they are doing with lithium batteries, and POP is made out of fire-resistant materials and includes proper battery management system.

These days you can get a single chip that nearly does all the "battery management" for you.

example: http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?dDocName=e...

The example that you've given is is a single cell, linear charge management controller.

For a 26Ah (what voltage?) LiIon (LiPoly?) pack you need a lot more than that. Balancing, temperature monitoring, overcharge/over-discharge protection, current limit.

That isn't the only chip microchip makes for recharging, but it's probably the cheapest. There are more complicated (larger) chips that do everything from overcharge protection, temp monitoring, etc. Some applications don't need all that fancy stuff. The chip I linked is 4 years old, but they make new versions of the chip almost every year.

Man I bet those guys are pissed after manually processing 1000 refunds and now Apple changes their mind...

I don't think they've actually processed any refunds yet.

Luckily we had not done the refunds yet. That would have really sucked...

http://sivers.org/itunes

" I decided to refund everybody's $40, with my deepest apologies. With 5000 musicians signed up, that meant I was refunding $200,000.

Since we couldn't promise anything, I couldn't charge money in good conscience.

I removed all mention of iTunes from my site.

I removed the $40 cost to make it free.

I changed the language to say we can't promise anything.

I emailed everyone to let them know what had happened.

I decided to make it a free service from that point on.

The next day, we got our signed contract back from Apple, along with upload instructions."

"We got very strong feedback saying we should still make a product that just has USB," Siminoff told Ars before Apple decided to update its guidelines, "but I still feel good about the decision to just refund everyone's money, because we just wanted to make a product that we believed in."

This is bordering on pedantic. There is a difference between being honorable and being reasonably flexible. This is not art. This is a product that people use. His own customers told him that they wanted something with "just USB" that they could use, and he refuses it?

What will happen when he can't injection mold his case the same way he 3d printed it? What happens when X Y or Z happens? He'll just throw in the towel?

> Apple lifts block on combo 30-pin+Lightning charging accessories

This is so impressive. It sounds like the UN is lifting an embargo on some dangerous and forbidden tech.

"In an unexpected development, the DPRK acquired some Lightning Charging Accessories that it plans to use against the West."

What an interesting story. Project goes awry and recovers by using the refund story to build interest for new venture. Apple sees hand and raises. Users throw down 4 aces and collect giant pot of cash. Sounds like wins for everyone.

I bet $10 the POP charger is getting cancelled anyway. Those guys really felt like they were just looking for a reason to cancel their kickstarter.

I am Jamie Siminoff the inventor of POP. We are in the process of confirming if the changes that Apple PR told the press are true. If they are then POP will be made and I look forward to delivering it to all of the doubters out there.

@Devilboy, I hope you order one as I will hand deliver it and take that $10:)

I hope your product ends up in the Apple store someday. (I'd join the kickstarter, but it's closed; if you re-open at some point, great, otherwise I'll just buy it at retail.)

I must say I enjoy your company's forthright communication style. Glad apple's control freak diva routine didn't stop your project.

Did your original Project (and the pop charger people pay for) contemplate the use of a lightning port? It didn't. Then why cancel the project when you cannot add it?

Even if you are not allowed to use the 30 pin... Why don't you just use an USB port on the device?

Or just avoid the "Made for iPhone" sticker. I have plenty if iPhone accessories that aren't certified but work nonetheless.

We did which is why we felt we had no choice but to refund if we could not support it.

I'm curious, are you going to apologize for calling them assholes in print?

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