30-pin

iExpander iPhone case adds SD, extra battery, 30-pin connector

If you glance at your iPhone wish list, you may see things like longer battery life, expandable SD memory, a better flash, and an old school 30-pin connector for your shiny new iPhone 5. You can have all those things if you're willing to pledge $75 to the iExpander project on Kickstarter.

The iExpander is a jack-of-all-trades case that crams a whole lot into a relatively small size. You're still going to add 6.3mm of chunk to your sleek phone, but the trade-off is pretty tempting.

Let's start with the flashy stuff. The case has an ultrathin CAP-XX supercapacitor that powers an LED flash that can make a big difference in the quality of your low-light photos. … Read more

Apple now shipping Lightning to 30-pin adapters

iPhone 5 owners who ordered one of the new Lightning to 30-pin adapters may soon have one in hand.

Apple has just starting shipping the adapter, say MacRumors readers who received e-mail notices from the company. The users chiming in so far all appear to be from Australia, but presumably buyers in other countries will be on the shipping list as well.

Apple's accessories page shows the adapter as available to ship in October, while one MacRumors reader said the e-mail notice pointed to a delivery day of October 9.

The new adapter is a requirement for iPhone 5 … Read more

Lightning-to-30-pin adapters for iPhone 5 land on Amazon, eBay

Third-party versions of the new Lightning-to-30-pin adapter cooked up by Apple are now selling via Amazon and eBay.

Amazon shows generic versions being sold through two companies -- Nanotch and iTronz. Nanotch is offering the 7-inch cable adapter for $17.95, a part that Apple sells for $39. iTronz is selling the smaller stub adapter for $9.99, for which Apple charges $29.

Both items are available for preorder, with the cable adapter scheduled to be released September 30 and the stub adapter September 26. Nanotch has a 94 percent positive review on Amazon, while iTronz has scored a thumbs-up … Read more

Apple to iPhone 5 buyers: No free 30-pin adapter for you

iPhone 5 buyers won't be getting a Lightning to 30-pin adapter on the house after all.

Reports that the new phone would come with the adapter surfaced today after some of Apple's online stores listed it as packaged with the iPhone 5.

The information on Apple's U.K. iPhone 5 order page specifically said that "your phone includes a Lightning to 30-pin Adapter for connecting 30-pin accessories to devices featuring the Lightning connector."

But it seems Apple committed a bit of a gaffe here. Customers who called or chatted with Apple reps about the adapter … Read more

Apple to sell Lightning adapters for HDMI and VGA, says report

Apple may be adding to its lineup of Lightning adapters.

The company will sell Lightning to HDMI and Lightning to VGA adapters in "the coming months," an Apple spokesman reportedly told The Verge.

The two new adapters would join the Lightning to 30-pin adapter for Apple's new iPhone and iPods.

The 30-pin adapter already will come in two variations: a $39 7-inch adapter cable and a $29 stub adapter. Both are listed as shipping in two to three weeks, which would mean around early October.

The Apple Web site does confirm that the Lightning to 30-pin adapter … Read more

Possible reference to 9-pin dock connector found in iOS 6 beta

The latest evidence that Apple is ready to abandon its iconic dock connector in favor of a smaller solution comes in the form of a reference to a 9-pin connector in the code for iOS 6 beta.

The code string was uncovered by 9to5Mac and directly conflicts with several other reports of the possible size of a smaller dock connector. Reports of the number of pins in the new dock connector have ranged from as few as 8 to as many as 19 (or simply retaining the 30 it currently sports).

Important to keep in mind is the fact that … Read more

New iPhone plug? There's an adapter for that, says report

If Apple does, in fact, have a new plug in the bottom of its next iPhone, car kits, and other third-party accessories won't be left in the dust thanks to an adapter, according to a new report.

Citing the same sources that gave it the hint about a smaller, pill-shaped adapter earlier this year, iMore says Apple will have an adapter ready to go with the launch its next iPhone that lets the new plug work with the existing 30-pin accessories.

As iMore points out, Apple offered a similar adapter with the introduction of its newer MagSafe power technology … Read more

Rumor: Apple's iOS dock ports headed for a diet

What's one thing that's basically stayed pretty much the same throughout the entire lifespan of iOS devices? The dock port.

But that could change soon, according to a new report. iMore says that Apple is on the cusp of switching to a smaller version as part of a move to save space and make room for other components in its portable devices.

How soon that change is headed to a device is as unclear as ever though. iMore suggests it won't be the next iPad, but could be the next iPhone. … Read more

European standards groups agree on micro-USB

Two European standardization bodies have agreed to make micro-USB the standard interface port for smartphones in Europe.

Though Apple currently uses its proprietary 30-pin dock connector for transferring data and charging its iPhone, iPad, and iPods, CEN-CENELEC and ETSI announced yesterday they have agreed that an adapter is suitable for compliance.

The commission "made available the harmonized standards needed for the manufacture of data-enabled mobile phones compatible with a new common charger. This is the most recent development in the process toward a global common mobile phone charger initiated by the European Commission."

Apple, along with mobile phone … Read more