European iPhone Chargers Prone To Overheating

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European iPhone Chargers Prone To Overheating

Posted by Soulskill on Friday June 13, 2014 @06:30AM from the marketed-as-the-only-incendiary-device-you'll-ever-need dept.

jones_supa sends word that Apple has launched an exchange program for European iPhone USB power adapters. The company says its A1300 adapters were bundled with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S models, and were also sold on their own from Oct. 2009 to Sept. 2012. The reason for the recall is that the adapters "may overheat and pose a safety risk." No further details are provided (a YouTube video shows a teardown of the device).

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That sucks. by B33rNinj4 · 2014-06-13 06:34 · Score: 4, Funny

Looks like global warming is impacting everything now.
"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Kenja · 2014-06-13 06:40 · Score: 1

Anyone have a real world example of these overheating?

--

"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
1. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by i+kan+reed · 2014-06-13 06:55 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Usually they don't issue recalls over completely unsubstantiated hypotheticals.
2. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:08 · Score: 0
  
  "May" is legalese for "don't panic but bad things happened". It's like saying "_allegedly_ you flashed that woman".
3. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by gstoddart · 2014-06-13 07:10 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Apple obviously does.
  This isn't a 3rd party saying it, this is Apple themselves.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
4. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:27 · Score: 0
  
  Even still the term prone is a gross exaggeration meant to generate click bait.
5. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Desler · 2014-06-13 07:32 · Score: 0
  
  Apple did not say any such thing. Their exact words were:
  
  Apple has determined that, in rare cases, the Apple 5W European USB power adapter may overheat
  http://www.apple.com/uk/suppor...
  Nowhere did they use the word "prone". Rare cases != prone. It's a troll bait title.
6. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Desler · 2014-06-13 07:38 · Score: 1
  
  Apple didn't even say "may". They said "in rare cases". Sure, that is CYA wording but twisting that into saying it is prone to overheating is simply baiting.
7. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by i+kan+reed · 2014-06-13 07:38 · Score: 1
  
  I think you're mistaking prone for meaning "more likely than not" or some other highly specific threshold. That's not the definition.
  adj. Having a tendency; inclined: paper that is prone to yellowing; children who are prone to mischief.
  That's a totally reasonable usage of the word, and not even remotely hyperbolic.
8. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:47 · Score: 0
  
  I think you're mistaking prone for meaning "more likely than not" or some other highly specific threshold. That's not the definition.
  adj. Having a tendency; inclined: paper that is prone to yellowing; children who are prone to mischief.
  Prone means "likely to do, have, or suffer from something" (Merriam Webster). Something that happens in "rare cases" does not match any definition of prone.
  
  That's a totally reasonable usage of the word, and not even remotely hyperbolic.
  It is extremely hyperbolic. But you're blinded by hate of Apple and desperate for a gotcha.
9. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by thetoadwarrior · 2014-06-13 07:48 · Score: 1
  
  It's spanned 3 generations of the iPhone with no mention until now so it can't be that frequent that you'll find someone on here with a real world example.
10. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by i+kan+reed · 2014-06-13 07:49 · Score: 1
  
  No, I'm "blinded" by basic respect for the conventional understanding of the English language, and not being literally insane.
  What the hell is wrong with you?
11. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by jedidiah · 2014-06-13 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  On the one hand, I have used cheap generic chargers bought in the US with no problems in European outlets.
  On the other hand, there are different electrical standards in play here.
  Still. I've used the cheapest parts I could lay my hands on and never managed a fire or explosion.
  
  --
  A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
12. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:01 · Score: 0
  
  Since when did "may" get downgraded to "seldom"?
  You seem to think "may" means that it happens only rarely. "May" can mean "9 in 10" just as much as it can mean "1 in 10".
  For example "Redheads may need to choose stronger sunscreen" vs "Future Apple phones may not be jailbreakable".
13. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:43 · Score: 0
  
  You're right. "May" simply means it is possible, with no indication as to the probability of that possibility. Yet the headline uses "prone to," which DOES indicate a high probability. Hence the OP's asking if anyone has ever seen this happen - given that there are tens of millions of these chargers out there in Europe and nobody has heard of this before, the probability of this happening must be extremely low. "Prone to" is therefore poor wording and possibly trolling/click bait.
  
  The fact that people are trying to defend this obviously poor wording rather than saying the usual "ha ha slashdot editors are idiots" indicates a vested interest on the part of those who have been hooked by the troll.
14. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by jones_supa · 2014-06-13 09:53 · Score: 1
  
  Submitter here, thanks for the feedback.
15. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by mirix · 2014-06-13 10:19 · Score: 1
  
  I think 'Prone to' is fine here. Apparently the iPhone chargers are more prone to starting on fire than a standard charger would be expected to. It's a relative thing.
  Ford Pintos were prone to starting on fire. Not even a small minority of them actually did, though.
  
  --
  Sent from my PDP-11
16. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 10:34 · Score: 0
  
  No. "More prone" is a relative thing, because the "more" imbues the relativity. "Prone" on its own does not imply anything relative to anything else.
17. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 10:53 · Score: 0
  
  "prone" from Latin "pronus" = leaning forward, as in leaning toward overheating. Something leaning doesn't necessarily topple - see Pisa - but it is inclined (literally!) toward it.
  The odd thing is that I came into this thread thinking that maybe you were right and my understanding of "prone" was wrong, but then I thought back to my Latin class, checked the full OED and contrasted with the abridged American English dictionaries on the web, and realised this is one of those cases where the Internet English has taken the nuances out of words, preferring an extreme interpretation.
  Now I prefer someone who works English with a scalpel rather than a jackhammer, so I'm aligned with the article writer's use.
18. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 12:23 · Score: 0
  
  A multinational company admits that something bad with their product can happen at all.
  I think it is pretty safe to extrapolate that to that it is common enough to be a problem.
  If it was something that was rare it would probably be disregarded as the user holding it wrong or something.
19. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 19:59 · Score: 0
  
  what's the matter? angry that your overpriced, limited function idevice spontaneouly bursts into flames?
  
  sucker
20. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by zwarte+piet · 2014-06-13 21:50 · Score: 1
  
  They may have been tested insufficiently for use on 240V wallsockets or they try to save a buck by using 250V caps in Murica instead of the proper 400V ones.
21. Re: "May" is not a synonym for "prone". by cerberusss · 2014-06-14 03:48 · Score: 1
  
  I used to buy cheap chargers but after reading this article, I changed my mind: www.righto.com/2012/03/inside-cheap-phone-charger-and-why-you.html
  
  --
  8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
22. Re:"May" is not a synonym for "prone". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-22 03:09 · Score: 0
  
  what's the matter? angry that your overpriced, limited function idevice spontaneouly bursts into flames? sucker
  But he said he didn't buy a Samsung - http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/galaxy-s4-burns-out-samsung-says-it-will-replace-unit-after-user-pulls-video-report-456867
Sigh by ledow · 2014-06-13 06:54 · Score: 5, Funny

From the "geniuses of design" that brought you "drag the cd to the wastebin to eject it", "no physical cd eject button", "imacs with power buttons you can't feel on the back of them", "phones that you lose signal on if you hold while using them to call" and more...
Now we have "over-stuffed proprietary charger that overheats".
1. Re:Sigh by jones_supa · 2014-06-13 07:15 · Score: 1
  
  What I found surprising is that the iPhone home button has no LED to illuminate it.
2. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:17 · Score: 0
  
  But this "fault" serves a critical function; if it burns your house down, you will most likely never leave a recharger unattended.
3. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:18 · Score: 0
  
  What I found surprising is that the iPhone home button has no LED to illuminate it.
  Good. That's a waste of battery life for something that's completely unnecessary.
4. Re:Sigh by gstoddart · 2014-06-13 07:21 · Score: 0
  
  Neither does a clitoris or a nipple, but people have successfully used them for millennia. ;-)
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
5. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:25 · Score: 1
  
  Neither does a clitoris or a nipple, but people have successfully used them for millennia. ;-)
  theres no part of the clitoris or the female orgasm that is necessary for anything.
6. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:27 · Score: 0
  
  I won't defend Apple's more memorable UI decisions, but this sounds like a simple case of precision engineering when over engineering is appropriate. If you get the spec that EU power uses 230 volts and you build and test your adaptors to 230 volts, things may go poorly when you run into the 240 volt lines. Just due to the statistics of bulk orders, many adaptors will survive 250 volts without any damage, but some will be close to the fail/pass line with very little tolerance for the variation across EU power lines.
7. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:34 · Score: 0
  
  I clearly remember the Macs at my school NOT having a CD eject button.
8. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:37 · Score: 0
  
  ...said the butthurt iPhone user.
9. Re:Sigh by Desler · 2014-06-13 07:39 · Score: 1
  
  Butthurt over what? Care to show that even 1% of 1% of iPhone users have even voiced such a complaint?
10. Re:Sigh by jellomizer · 2014-06-13 07:45 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Wow for a multi-billion dollar company.
  6 Problems over the course of 20 years. Not too bad.
  And a lot of these Problems you stated are just your personal gripes not actually real problems.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
11. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:52 · Score: 0
  
  My Oldschool macpro g5 lacks an eject button.
  Technically one could slide the faceplate out of the way and try to access the eject button on the hidden cdrom drive, but it is not easy.
  http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/creative-hardware/opinion-why-apple-needs-overhaul-mac-pros-dated-design/
  perhaps you can show us where the "eject" button is?
  Why post "every mac ever made" when this is clearly not the case?
12. Re:Sigh by thetoadwarrior · 2014-06-13 07:52 · Score: 0
  
  It does have a physical cd eject button. It's on the keyboard. I've never had an issue with power buttons either but then again I use the things rather than just repeat things I've heard online.
13. Re:Sigh by thetoadwarrior · 2014-06-13 07:53 · Score: 1
  
  It never moves so why would I need it?
14. Re:Sigh by king+neckbeard · 2014-06-13 08:04 · Score: 1
  
  That appears to not be an eject button, but a manual override. It would typically require something like a paperclip to operate, which is different from an eject button.
  
  --
  This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
15. Re:Sigh by newcastlejon · 2014-06-13 08:04 · Score: 2
  
  perhaps you can show us where the "eject" button is?
  Top-right hand corner of the keyboard.
  
  --
  If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
16. Re:Sigh by jedidiah · 2014-06-13 08:05 · Score: 1
  
  THAT is not an eject button.
  Tell your average granny or joe sixpack off the street to go take a paperclip to that stupid little hole an they will look at you like you've got a second head.
  
  --
  A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
17. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:07 · Score: 0
  
  perhaps you can show us where the "eject" button is?
  You already know where it is
  
  Technically one could slide the faceplate out of the way and try to access the eject button on the hidden cdrom drive, but it is not easy.
18. Re:Sigh by jedidiah · 2014-06-13 08:13 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  Clearly you have a problem with the English language. Or perhaps it's just the "1984" mentality that infests the Apple hive mind.
  A special key that sits on an external peripheral is not a "physical CD eject button". It's not even a proper electronic switch mounted on the device. It's just another key on the keyboard that you HOPE some intermediate software will take as a hint to eject the CD.
  Fanboys go to interesting lengths to twist reality to suit their brand fixation.
  
  --
  A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
19. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:17 · Score: 0
  
  I got news for you. That button on the front of a cd drive relies on software too.
20. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:19 · Score: 0
  
  It's a button that ejects disks. That makes it an eject button.
21. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:23 · Score: 0
  
  Third having the system do the ejecting is far better design than allowing retarded design of allowing people to screw up their system by manually ejecting media.
  I strongly disagree. I hate the fact that stupid applications eject CDs on their own when done ripping or burning because I always have a lot of stuff on my desk and would prefer that the tray on my laptop would never open without me pressing the button by hand. When I press the button, I automagically also remove any objects that might be in front of the tray but if it's unexpectedly opened by the system, the tray might in the worst case cause a coffee cup to spill or break itself if something heavy prevents it from opening (the former has been much too close for comfort but the latter is just what I expect flimsy plastic servos to do). Maybe you're thinking of floppy drives? Those could supposedly damage the floppy if you ejected it when it was still in use. But I'm too young to have enough experience of floppies to know. However, I suspect that the babies of today will have even less experience of using any physical media for the purpose of moving data around. Possibly physical devices that complement passwords for accessing data in the cloud if cheap and reliable biometric IDs don't become available.
22. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:28 · Score: 0
  
  What do you think would happen to a cd if you could hit the eject button during the middle of a burn and have that cd eject?
  Having a OS decide when it's safe to eject media is a far better than allowing the user to eject when ever they want. If you need a more recent example, look at all the problems people have with ripping out USB sticks.
23. Re:Sigh by jones_supa · 2014-06-13 08:28 · Score: 1
  
  I dunno, the position just screams for a LED. The button "looks dead" without it.
24. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:34 · Score: 0
  
  I bet your car looks like this.
25. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:40 · Score: 0
  
  It's a button that ejects CDs. Just because it's meant to be used only in emergencies doesn't make it not an eject button.
  A button is a knob on a piece of electrical or electronic equipment that is pressed to operate it. What you are referring would be the manual eject hole. On all the internal PC drives I've installed they come with both the eject button and the manual eject hole.
26. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:41 · Score: 0
  
  With floppy drives, it was a physical button that worked whether the computer power was on or off. With CD/DVD drives, there may be some software involved.
27. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:43 · Score: 0
  
  With floppy drives, it was a physical button that worked whether the computer power was on or off. With CD/DVD drives, there may be some software involved.
  Any many, many floppy drives were ruined by that retarded design of allowing someone to manually eject them. Thank fully apple was smart enough to fix that flaw in their Macs.
28. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:50 · Score: 0
  
  Herpa derp. TIL proprietary charger = USB wall wort.
29. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:51 · Score: 0
  
  That manual eject hole is a "knob on a piece of electrical or electronic equipment that is pressed to operate it."
  It's a button here is a better definition.
  : a small part of a machine that you push to make the machine work
30. Re:Sigh by mythosaz · 2014-06-13 09:00 · Score: 1
  
  Home plate is base after third in baseball.
  Players run from third to home when they score.
  As such, those are all home runs.
  Also, you're an idiot.
31. Re:Sigh by ArcadeMan · 2014-06-13 09:07 · Score: 2
  
  Tell your average granny or joe sixpack off the street to go take a paperclip to that stupid little hole an they will look at you like you've got a second head.
  I know how that feels.
  signed,
  Zaphod Beeblebrox.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
32. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:08 · Score: 0
  
  Home plate is base after third in baseball.
  Players run from third to home when they score.
  As such, those are all runs.
  Definition of a home run. "a fair hit that allows the batter to make a complete circuit of the bases without stopping and score a run."
  Therefore a running from only third base to home is not a home run.
  Definition of a button. "a small part of a machine that you push to make the machine work"
  The manual eject on a cd drive is a small part of a machine that you push to make the machine work. There for that manual eject is a button.
33. Re:Sigh by MikeMo · 2014-06-13 09:11 · Score: 1, Informative
  
  Here's a bit of history for you. Way back in the computing dark ages (you know, the early 80's), all desktop computers had a common problem: people would remove the floppy disks (sometimes the boot volume) in a rather rude way. They would simply push the eject button. Sometimes, this resulted in computer crashes. Sometimes, it resulted in corrupt files, as the system had not yet flushed all of the data to the floppy and closed the file.
  
  Along came Macintosh, and Apple was determined to do things "right". They removed the eject button and made it a software action. This way, silly humans could not remove the floppy (or any other disk) unless the software allowed it - no open files, no application in use, not the boot volume, etc. Even when CDs came along, this still made sense, as you could be running a program from that very CD.
  
  Now, personally, I always thought the trash can thingy was confusing, but there was also an "Eject Disk" menu. The drag to trash can is a short cut.
  
  The point is, the lack of an eject button was not some stupid aesthetic thing, something to make the computer look better - it grew out of a very real problem that needed solving.
  
  Now get off my lawn!
34. Re:Sigh by ArcadeMan · 2014-06-13 09:12 · Score: 1
  
  Disconnect data cable from CD/DVD drive. Power up PC. Press eject button. It works.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
35. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:14 · Score: 0
  
  Correct it works all thanks to software embedded in the drive.
36. Re:Sigh by thetoadwarrior · 2014-06-13 09:15 · Score: 0
  
  You fucking idiot. Your CD drive button relies on software too. It's no different except it's on the drive and both the cd drive button and the keyboard eject button rarely fail when operated by a human and no some basement dwelling rage turd angry at life.
  
  Protip: Cheetos dust isn't good for electronics.
37. Re:Sigh by ArcadeMan · 2014-06-13 09:17 · Score: 1
  
  Aren't we supposed to call embedded software "firmware"? You're grasping at straws here, anyway. It's a physical button that's part of the drive, talking to a controller that's also part of the drive.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
38. Re:Sigh by sjames · 2014-06-13 09:19 · Score: 1
  
  That is not a button, it's a HOLE. It says so right in the picture.
39. Re:Sigh by sjames · 2014-06-13 09:21 · Score: 1
  
  Push the eject HOLE with your finger and see what (doesn't) happen.
40. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:22 · Score: 0
  
  Firmware definition
  "Permanent software programmed into a read-only memory."
41. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:24 · Score: 0
  
  Through witch you operate a button.
42. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:28 · Score: 0
  
  It is not a button but a mechanical lever.
43. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:29 · Score: 0
  
  No where in the definition of a button does it saw it must be operated by a finger.
44. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:36 · Score: 0
  
  Lever definition
  "a rigid bar resting on a pivot, used to help move a heavy or firmly fixed load with one end when pressure is applied to the other."
  Nope not a lever.
45. Re:Sigh by thetoadwarrior · 2014-06-13 09:45 · Score: 1
  
  Thinking about it, I can't think of any phone that's had an led in the button. I'm kind of glad too, I'm not sure if that would look tacky or not.
46. Re:Sigh by jones_supa · 2014-06-13 09:49 · Score: 1
  
  There is this Android thingy.
47. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 09:54 · Score: 0
  
  theres no part of the clitoris or the female orgasm that is necessary for anything.
  Much like your good self then.
48. Re:Sigh by AmiMoJo · 2014-06-13 10:07 · Score: 2
  
  If only it were those six... Overheating CPUs due to excessive thermal paste, moisture sensors that invalidated your warranty due to high humidity, using cheap 6 bit panels but claiming "millions of colours", batteries that die quickly due to having to support an inadequate charger during heavy loads, being able to crash any app by typing "file:///"... Of course many other companies are no better, the point being that Apple screw up as much as anyone.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
49. Re:Sigh by thetoadwarrior · 2014-06-13 10:08 · Score: 1
  
  Neither me or my friend's android phones had buttons that lit up. Unless it's an optional thing they disliked. But still I don't think it's that big of a thing.
50. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 10:09 · Score: 0
  
  I just can't believe how goddamned stupid you are. I give you credit for sticking to your guns though, no matter how fucking wrong you are.
51. Re:Sigh by AmiMoJo · 2014-06-13 10:12 · Score: 1
  
  It's the worst possible solution to that problem. The route everyone else took of putting a physical eject button on the CD drive that made the drive's firmware spit the disc out is the correct way to go. The computer gets notified and burners won't eject during a write, and most importantly even if the computer locks up or won't boot you can always get the disc out. Apple even forgot to make the emergency eject hole accessible.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
52. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 10:12 · Score: 0
  
  Looks like what? Pics or it didn't happen.
53. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 10:19 · Score: 0
  
  Steve is dead. You can stop sucking his cock. It isn't gonna get you anywhere.
54. Re:Sigh by jones_supa · 2014-06-13 10:20 · Score: 1
  
  It is a common thing in the Android platform.
55. Re:Sigh by Hamsterdan · 2014-06-13 10:46 · Score: 1
  
  Tell that to g5 iMacs, intel iMacs, all powerbooks, all macbooks, the mac mini, and ibooks
  
  --
  I've got better things to do tonight than die.
56. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 11:06 · Score: 0
  
  I would take lift-your-finger-and-press-the-button eject over find-and-bend-a-paper-clip-then-poke-through-the-little-hole eject any day. It is so much more user friendly.
57. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 11:07 · Score: 0
  
  but back in the days, that was for a CDROM with no write access. So the worse case that can happen if the user pop the disc out while it is read is to simply ask the user to reinsert the disc again. Not like it is going to corrupt the data on a read only media or anything.
58. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 13:05 · Score: 0
  
  theres no part of the clitoris or the female orgasm that is necessary for anything.
  Well, with an attitude like that, you'll never get laid and move out of your moms basement.
59. Re:Sigh by MikeMo · 2014-06-13 13:40 · Score: 1
  
  The computer does get notified (sometimes) but the disk is already gone - the open and incomplete file is not fixable, the OS the system booted on is no longer available. Maybe you weren't there, as I can tell you this was one of the big issues being debated in the industry - how to solve this very problem - and Apple was the first and only company to fix it.
  
  You CAN get the disc out on a Mac, two ways: 1) Power up while holding down the mouse button. This causes the boot firmware to eject the disc; and 2) use the paperclip in the ol' hole method, which is exactly the same as pushing the physical button on a PC, just a bit harder to get to.
60. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 14:14 · Score: 0
  
  Try opening up a CD/DVD drive that has one of those holes and see what you find on the other side of the hole ;)
61. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 19:31 · Score: 0
  
  So what you're saying is that Apple couldn't write a few lines to detect a CD has been ejected and prompt for its reinsertion, so instead had to redefine "removable media" to mean media removable by the OS rather than by the user. Apple Logic is a giant ball of wtf.
62. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 19:43 · Score: 0
  
  What do you think would happen to a cd if you could hit the eject button during the middle of a burn and have that cd eject?
  You'd have to start writing again, unless it was a CD-R and the disc layout doesn't have provision for re-attempts, in which case your voluntary decision to ignore the warning not to eject the CD has just produced you a coaster.
  
  Having a OS decide when it's safe to eject media is a far better than allowing the user to eject when ever they want.
  If the OS does not make it possible to remove removable media at any time, there is a problem with the OS.
  
  If you need a more recent example, look at all the problems people have with ripping out USB sticks.
  If the OS is not writing synchronously to a USB stick by default, there's something terribly wrong with its robustness philosophy.
  Your argument comes down to, "We should take away user options because they would involve more work for the people writing the software, so we'll explain why you're an idiot and that options are bad for you." Hm, pretty much a core Apple philosophy.
63. Re:Sigh by thegarbz · 2014-06-13 20:13 · Score: 1
  
  The point is, the lack of an eject button was not some stupid aesthetic thing, something to make the computer look better - it grew out of a very real problem that needed solving.
  False and you have proven that when you mentioned that CD's also have that "problem". The presence of a button means nothing at all. Try ejecting a CD while burning it, or while ripping an ISO, or while doing any action with any software that has the sense to lock the eject button.
  Post floppy disk, all eject buttons ARE software actions in control of the OS, hence the physical hole next to the CD which allows you to override the locking mechanism with a paperclip.
64. Re:Sigh by jrumney · 2014-06-13 21:23 · Score: 1
  
  My guess is cheap universal chargers, that are designed to provide sufficient charging current at 100V (as used in Japan), and anything in excess above that results in excess power being dumped as heat. 240V is just a worst case.
65. Re:Sigh by MikeMo · 2014-06-13 22:11 · Score: 1
  
  No one could. I don't know how many Windows crashes I've seen caused by this. Heck, Windows didn't even used to notice when you changed the disk without a refresh. You, sir, are a dolt. Exactly what do you expect the OS to do when the OS itself has been physically ejected? How can a program write to and close a file that is no longer in the drive?
66. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-16 04:50 · Score: 0
  
  On everything save old floppy drives eject buttons are all soft anyway. (Except mac floppies)
  You know that, right?
  Macs just prevented users from doing dumb things, like ejecting media before it was unmounted. Which is a sure-fire way to get data corruption.
67. Re:Sigh by ledow · 2014-06-16 05:56 · Score: 1
  
  It's not a question of it being soft or not. It was a question of getting it out when the machine crashed. The models in question would not let you eject the discs even on boot-up (unlike every other CD drive I've ever seen - supply power, push button, out comes CD - worst that happens is you have be quick before the OS sucks the drive tray back in, or press Pause/Break on the BIOS to give yourself time).
  That's not even counting the fact that ALL non-Mac CD drives have a MANUAL emergency eject hole. Paperclip to the rescue.
  There were numerous incidents with many models of Mac where people basically had to have the machine physically repaired to get their CD back out because there was no way to open it.
  And, as pointed out, a read-only medium? Who gives a shit. Even read-write, sometimes you still need to tug it and the OS should know that. That's what the write-cache options are FOR and why they're disabled for removable media (even though that's a huge performance drag).
Samsung will go one better! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 07:04 · Score: 0

They'll come out with a charger that explodes!
Obviously... by Fire_Wraith · 2014-06-13 07:04 · Score: 5, Funny

They're holding it wrong.
1. Re:Obviously... by mu51c10rd · 2014-06-13 08:01 · Score: 2
  
  They're holding it wrong.
  Quite incorrect. I believe the late Steve Jobs would tell them they are charging it wrong.
2. Re:Obviously... by Tablizer · 2014-06-13 08:05 · Score: 1
  
  Careful there, this is a family website.
  
  --
  Table-ized A.I.
3. Re:Obviously... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:32 · Score: 0
  
  Careful there, this is a family website.
  it's only been a family site since i fucked your mother
In Europe by rossdee · 2014-06-13 07:53 · Score: 1

Didn't the EU mandate that phones had to charge with microUSB connectors?
That has to be the stupidest thing since GWB invaded Iraq
1. Re:In Europe by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:14 · Score: 1
  
  Somewhat, it's not mandatory at this point, it is something you can opt into (which Apple did however). It will become mandatory later. Apple meets the microUSB obligation by offering for sale an adapter (and marketting models with the adapter included) between microUSB and lightning. The adapter is 35€ IIRC.
  Strangely, that adapter is one of Apples worst selling accessories.
2. Re:In Europe by Blaskowicz · 2014-06-13 18:12 · Score: 1
  
  Strangeely that costs more than a whole phone plus USB charger and cable.
I thought I was going crazy by Bitbyte_x · 2014-06-13 08:05 · Score: 1

I really did think I was going crazy that after a 6 hour charge my I phone charger long pin was burning hot
1. Re:I thought I was going crazy by ArcadeMan · 2014-06-13 09:13 · Score: 1
  
  After six hours of use, my long pin would be burning hot too.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
Prices by MrL0G1C · 2014-06-13 08:14 · Score: 0

Lol, Ebay charger Â£1, Apples charger Â£15:
Apple 5w usb plug charger
eBay 5w usb plug charger

--
Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
1. Re:Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 08:52 · Score: 0, Interesting
  
  As many teardowns and analyses have discovered (http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pricey.html), Apple's chargers are much better engineered, more robust, safer, and put out better quality power than the cheap alternatives. That doesn't mean the cheap ones don't work fine for most people, and it doesn't mean Apple's are flawless, but it does mean you're getting a more robust product with less chance of failure and safety issues for the extra money. Whether that is worth it to you or not is up to you - but don't pretend both products are equivalent.
2. Re:Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 10:24 · Score: 0
  
  Less chance of a failure....isn't this story exactly because of failure which can surely be pinned directly on those better engineering engineers.
3. Re:Prices by mirix · 2014-06-13 10:33 · Score: 1
  
  The $1 iphone charger I took apart was such a poor design and construction. Very little isolation, so unsafe. two transistor resonant style switching setup, cheapest there is. Too small output capacitors making the output very noisy. Though it claimed 1A, it was dropping out by 300mA. Not even close. No input filtering at all. no fuse. I'm surprised the things work at all, really.
  That's not to say that it isn't possible to make a good charger for less than a .. whatever ripoff pricing apple charges, $30? There should be room to profit on a $5-10 charger, and meet all standards... But the $1 ones are absolute garbage, and no one should use them, ever.
  
  --
  Sent from my PDP-11
4. Re:Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 10:43 · Score: 0
  
  less chance != zero chance, you dumbfuck retard
5. Re:Prices by Hamsterdan · 2014-06-13 10:53 · Score: 1
  
  Sure, because all power supplies are created equal, right?
  Like a 29$ walmart DVD player is built the same as 150$ one.
  
  --
  I've got better things to do tonight than die.
6. Re:Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 11:11 · Score: 0
  
  The $29 dvd player was often better.
  My cheapo DVD player would play almost all VCD SVCD and almost all MPEG(2) formats without question.
  The $150 one... DVD ONLY, sorry.
7. Re:Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 12:38 · Score: 0
  
  What teardown did you look at?
  The Apple charger has placed the switch diode and the transformer on different PCBs. It also has an unspecified airgap between the electrolyte on the hot side and the USB coneector.
  It is a bad design both from an EMC perspective and form a safety perspective.
  Heat and age will cause the electrolyte to expand in an undefined manner. (Yes, there is a venting direction, but it will also expand to the bottom causing the capacitor to tilt.)
  There is nothing that guarantees that a worn capacitor wont connect mains voltage with the USB ground. And no, the plastic around the capacitor body isn't specified to withstand that voltage.
  The Apple design has clearly been guided by being as compact as possible. It is obvious that safety and EMC considerations had less priority.
  I can't see how anyone seriously can defend that design. (And no, the counterfeit products aren't better. I would avoid anything that looks like the Apple charger.)
8. Re:Prices by MrL0G1C · 2014-06-13 23:18 · Score: 1
  
  Of course an Apple charger-plug would never over-heat or anything.
  Note that Â£1 ($1.69) includes postage+packing+ebay+paypal fees which means the plug cost...almost nothing, I'm amazed that they can sell it at that price, the charger must only cost a few pennies to make.
  
  --
  Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
9. Re:Prices by Hamsterdan · 2014-06-14 20:34 · Score: 1
  
  Not talking about features, but the way it's built, output quality, and durability.
  
  --
  I've got better things to do tonight than die.
10. Re:Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-22 05:18 · Score: 0
  
  Lol, Ebay charger Â£1, Apples charger Â£15:
  Apple 5w usb plug charger
  eBay 5w usb plug charger
  LOLer - Samsung USB charger £20
Too late to matter by johnjaydk · 2014-06-13 08:18 · Score: 1

That shit is almost ancient. Who gives a damn?
If something that old haven't burned your house down yet then it's likely to be safe.

--
TCAP-Abort
They should have used genuine Apple chargers. by Moskit · 2014-06-13 08:20 · Score: 0

Apple themselves warn that non-genuine chargers can lead to overheating and other problems:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT...
Apple even still recommends Apple chargers.
http://www.apple.com/support/u...
"we recommend getting an Apple USB power adapter."
Talk about throwing rocks, glass houses, shooting yourself in a foot...
1. Re:They should have used genuine Apple chargers. by jones_supa · 2014-06-13 08:33 · Score: 1
  
  There's also an interesting Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown by Dave Jones.
Not surprising by Emperor+Tiberius · 2014-06-13 09:47 · Score: 2

I had a PowerBook charger nearly catch fire back in the day. Had I not caught the burning smell, I might have lost my whole house.

I'm always a little cagey about leaving laptops plugged in unattended nowadays.
1. Re:Not surprising by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 11:24 · Score: 0
  
  I leave my laptop plugged in all the time, but I don't leave the battery in it. It's been plugged in going on seven years now...
Janusz Muzykant by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 11:29 · Score: 0

I saw some funny Quotes about iPhone on WordReaders.com
Only if you have the original iPhone by dZap · 2014-06-13 20:20 · Score: 2

The page says "We will need to verify your iPhone serial number as part of the exchange process so please bring your iPhone with you." so if you don't have the iPhone the charger came with they will not replace it. They are still dangerous and still made by Apple so why not replace them?
1. Re: Only if you have the original iPhone by KevReedUK · 2014-06-14 05:49 · Score: 1
  
  It's even worse than that, when you consider that (as stated in TFA) Apple sold them separately, too! How do you show the store clerk the S/N of the iPhone the charger came with, when it was purchased as a standalone, after-market accessory?
  
  --
  Just my $0.03 (At current exchange rates, my £0.02 is worth more than your $0.02)
Micro USB by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-13 21:43 · Score: 0

What a good job they didn't go for Micro USB like everyone else.
1. Re:Micro USB by zwarte+piet · 2014-06-13 21:52 · Score: 1
  
  ... not cool enough. Everyone has them....!
jailbreak your i phone by Anonymous Coward · 2014-06-16 04:04 · Score: 0

go jailbreakallios.blogspot.com