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Mar 02

Apple’s Lightning AV Adapter packs an ARM SoC, may use AirPlay-like decoding

The developers at Panic didn’t start their days with the intention of ripping open a Lightning Digital AV Adapter, but that’s exactly what happened once they suspected it held some secrets. At first, the group hooked the cable up to various iOS devices expecting 1080p mirroring, but were greeted with 1,600 x 900 as the highest possible resolution. A bit bewildered, they noticed MPEG artifacts, which led them to believe the dongle was acting as a small AirPlay-like receiver that supports streaming and decoding. Now entirely suspicious, the team tore the cable asunder and exposed an ARM SoC apparently packing 256MB of RAM. According to the devs, it’s possible that the Lightning connector’s small number of pins prevented Cupertino from delivering raw HDMI output, so they were forced to improvise with the added silicon. We’ve reached out to Apple to nail down just how the cable works.

Filed under: Peripherals, Apple

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Via: Apple Insider, The Next Web

Source: Panic Blog

Mar 02

Panic cracks open Lightning Digital AV Adapter, makes unexpected discovery

Posted in: Today's Chili

Over at Panic, a mystery developed as the folks there attempted to do a little bit of video capture via “various iOS device.” Apple‘s digital Lightning AV adapter for the iPad mini and the iPhone 5 is supposed to be capable of full 1080p, but when utilizing the device, they discovered its maximum resolution was only 1600×900. In light of this incongruity, they put on their sleuthing hats and began searching for the answer.

In addition to the lower resolution than they were supposed to get, the folks over at Panic also noticed poor video output quality, with noticeable artifacts around text. Neither the low resolution nor the artifact problem were present when using the old AV adapter, however, adding to the mystery, and so they began to speculate about what could be different between the two.

They developed the theory that the Lightning Digital AV Adapter was actually functioning as something akin to an AirPlay receiver, rather than directly sending a nice clean HDMI signal to the output display. This seemed unlikely, however, not only because of the strangeness of it, but also because of the small size of the device. And so they did what any reasonable people would do – they got a hacksaw and gutted it.

As it turned out, their guess was (possibly) right. Inside the adapter, they discovered a whole lot of tiny components, as well as an ARM chip with the part number H9TKNNN2GD with 256MB of RAM. There’s a good chance, then, that some type of streaming is going on rather than plain ol’ HDMI-out. The obvious question now is “why?” No one knows. The only thing that is certain is that you shouldn’t expect good quality video output.

[via Panic Blog]

Panic cracks open Lightning Digital AV Adapter, makes unexpected discovery is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Feb 28

The Aurora Lamp: Simple Can Be Sweet

Posted in: Today's Chili

The Aurora Lamp is simple. It can either sit on a table or hang from the wall with just one screw. More »

Feb 14

Apple releases shorter 0.5-meter Lightning cable for $19

Posted in: Today's Chili

Taking a page from its Thunderbolt cable book, Apple has released a shorter Lightning-to-USB cable that measures just 0.5 meters long. Aimed at those who only need a couple feet of cable to charge their devices, this shorter offering will still set you back the same $19 that the 1-meter Lightning cable costs.

While it’s odd to see no price different between the two cables with different lengths, it provides users another option if they’re seeking out less cable clutter. This shorter cable is half the length of the regular Lightning cable that ships with newer iOS devices. Of course, while a shorter cable could be handy in some situations, we personally don’t see the problem with just wrapping up your normal Lightning cable in order to make it shorter.

Nevertheless, if you’re after a shorter cable, similar to the Thunderbolt offerings, Apple has you set. Furthermore, the company also updated its in-ear headphones with a redesigned mic switch to make it match the design Apple’s recently-released EarPods. The in-ear headphones will still cost you $79, and there doesn’t seem to be any changes to the headphones themselves.

While Apple is known for holding special events when announcing updates to their product line, it’s also not rare for them to quietly make changes and update their products without telling anyone for the most part. Case in point: the company recently updated its MacBook Pro and Air lineup yesterday, stuffing in faster components and cutting the price down a bit.

[via MacRumors]

Apple releases shorter 0.5-meter Lightning cable for $19 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Feb 14

Scosche Adds To Your iPhone 5 And iPad Charging Options With New Lightning Line

Posted in: Today's Chili

Once upon a time I thought I would be very short of charging solutions for my iPhone 5 thanks to the switch to Lightning. Now, for various reasons, I have an abundance of Lightning cables. One might even say an overabundance. But they do lack variety, and that’s what a new line of charging accessories from Scosche aims to address.

The new Scosche line offers both 5W and 12W dedicated car and wall chargers, an industry first for Lightning cables. The car chargers in particular are a nice addition to the line, since they’re designed to be low-profile with curled cables to keep them out-of-the-way when not in use, which has an advantage in a car versus a combination standard-issue Lightning cable combined with a car outlet adapter.

Finally, a retractable model fills out the new line, hiding a 3 foot charge and sync cable that remains coiled in a small package when not in use. I know a lot of gadget aficionados who will appreciate a Lightning version of this design, which has propagated like an unchecked bunny population in ideal mating circumstances over the past few years.

The Scosche cables range in price from $24.99 to $34.99, and are available from Scosche’s website and also from AT&T, Wal-Mart, Staples, Fry’s and other retailers soon. They’re MFI-certified, too, which means Apple has given sign-off on their designs, unlike a lot of the knock-off chargers and cables coming from Chinese accessory manufacturers. I may already have an overabundance of cables, but let’s be honest, you can always have more.

Feb 12

God Strikes Vatican With Furious Lightning Right After Pope’s Resignation

Posted in: Today's Chili

Something must not have been to the liking of the Almighty if He decided to strike St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome with not one, but two major lightnings moments after the soon-to-be-ex-Pope Benedict XVI announced that he wants out. More »

Jan 29

Orobis Transform offers Apple Lightning and micro USB in one cable

Posted in: Today's Chili

If you travel with multiple gadgets, it can be a pain having to carry a bunch of different cables. The good news is that many gadgets all share the same charging port in the form of a micro USB port for charging for synchronizing. The bad news if you use an iPhone 5 or the iPad mini is that Apple switched to a proprietary Lightning cable.

orobis

A new product has turned up on Indiegogo that aims to let you take one cable to work with both micro USB devices and devices needing the Apple Lightning cable for charging and synchronization. The product is called the Orobis Transform. The product is a cable with a special adapter on the end that flips over the top of the micro USB connector and locks in place.

That adapter turns the micro USB connector into the Apple Lightning connector needed for the latest Apple gadgets. To make the system work, the micro USB looks a bit different than you’re probably used to seeing. Almost half of the micro USB connector is open allowing the exposed prongs to touch the Lightning adapter when you need the charge or sync Apple devices.

The Orobis Transform comes in a standard 1 m cable length. The cable will be available in black or white colors, assuming the project funds on Indiegogo. The team is seeking money to bring the cable the market and notes that the open micro USB connector is especially expensive to produce. The project is seeking $25,000 and has 42 days left. So far, it has raised $2889. Interestingly, there is no mention on the product page about licensing fees for Apple’s Lightning connector.

Jan 10

Zoom iQ5 professional stereo microphone hands-on

Posted in: Today's Chili

Earlier at CES, we got our hands on the Rode iXY 30-pin stereo microphone iPhone add-on that left our Lightning users a bit sad. Cheer up! The folks over at Zoom got us over to their booth to take a peek at the company’s new iQ5 professional stereo microphone. The iQ5 is a different beast than its aforementioned competition in that it works in conjunction with native iOS applications. What this means is that you can use it while recording video on your iOS device. The microphone itself rotates for this specific purpose, allowing for both horizontal and vertical audio recording in raw, 90- and 120-degree field positions. The recording resolution is capped at a respectable 16-bit/44.1kHz — though slightly less than we were hoping.

We didn’t get a chance to actually hear an audio sample from the iQ5, but we’re pretty confident it’ll sound better than the standard mic equipped on any of the supported devices. The Zoom iQ5 lacks a bit in customization department as well as build quality — we’re generally not fans of the cheap plastic construction, which is unlike most other Zoom products. The spec sheet certainly leaves us wanting, but it’s a start in the right direction for current-gen iOS devices. The iQ5 will set you back $100 and will start shipping Q2 of this year — until then check out the gallery to hold you over.

Gallery: Zoom iQ5 stereo microphone hands-on

Filed under: Peripherals

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Jan 07

iLuv unveils the Aud 5: a Lightning speaker dock with Bluetooth connectivity for non-Apple wares

Posted in: Today's Chili

Lightning speaker docks have started popping up on the regular and now iLuv is looking to join the party. The outfit has outed the Aud 5, a speaker dock that connects to the latest iPhone and iPod while sporting both Bluetooth and 3.5mm aux connections for the rest of your gadget arsenal. Touch controls get cozy up top for track adjustments and “high power amplification” for the sound output. While pricing details haven’t been released, we do know that you’ll have to wait until May to snag one.

Continue reading iLuv unveils the Aud 5: a Lightning speaker dock with Bluetooth connectivity for non-Apple wares

Filed under: Home Entertainment

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Source: iLuv

Jan 06

Ion outs its Lightning-compatible iDJ 2 Go Plus, we take a close look

Posted in: Today's Chili

Cupertino’s Lightning connector has put a few DJ peripherals out of the running for new iOS devices, but Ion’s iDJ 2 Go Plus is up for the task. The portable rig supports Apple’s new connector, features two scratch wheels, a crossfader, a handful of backlit buttons and a collection of knobs for music junkies to do their thing. As for software, the hardware can take advantage of the firm’s free iDJ 2 Go app or other software, such as Algoriddim’s Djay. As of now, details on price and availability are scarce.

Minimalist DJs can mix with the outfit’s Scratch 2 Go: a collection of knobs, two turntables and a crossfader that attach to an iPad via suction cups. According to Ion, the low-key kit also functions with popular DJ apps in addition to their own offering. Price and availability details are nowhere in sight, but you can catch a hands-on with both setups in the bordering galleries.

Gallery: iDJ 2 Go Plus with Lightning hands-on