iLounge

1

Is it just me, or does this adapter look like a USB extension cable

Posted by asdf on August 24, 2007 at 4:05 PM (PDT)

2

Click the link and look at the pictures

Posted by Sonyc on August 24, 2007 at 4:12 PM (PDT)

3

Is this a joke? This is just a USB extension cable that’s so short you wouldn’t even call it an extension.

Posted by Ian on August 24, 2007 at 9:15 PM (PDT)

4

Ya so I clicked on the link, and why don’t they have the mini-windup-cable pictured, instead of the USB extension that comes with it?

-Brian

Posted by Brian Kaempen on August 24, 2007 at 9:49 PM (PDT)

5

Looks are deceiving—that’s the only charging adapter in the industry that can retrofit a regular USB charger to power an iPhone.  It bridges the gap between a generic USB car or wall charger to the iPhone provided cable so you don’t have to re-buy new chargers for the iPhone.

[full disclosure—I work for BoxWave]

Posted by Wing on August 24, 2007 at 10:41 PM (PDT)

6

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…. I don’t get it.

Posted by AZ on August 24, 2007 at 11:13 PM (PDT)

7

Wing, could you please elaborate on how this works or what benefit it brings? It seems to me that I could easily take my iPhone charging cable and plug it into any USB port or charger and have it work just fine with my iPhone…

Posted by PK on August 24, 2007 at 11:27 PM (PDT)

8

And it comes packaged in a cushy layer of iAir…free for a limited time only!

Posted by mcdj on August 26, 2007 at 10:17 PM (PDT)

9

Yes, I too still do not understand the use of this. I currently use apple usb chargers as well as 3rd party iPod charger with my iPhone and they work fine. I’ve even bought “cheap” iPod chargers that are almost no-name and they work fine also.

Posted by presodent on August 27, 2007 at 8:16 AM (PDT)

10

Agreed. All of my old iPod chargers work with my iPhone. What is that about?

Posted by repmek on August 27, 2007 at 10:06 AM (PDT)

11

It’s pretty common knowledge that Apple, in an attempt to make things propietary-ish, doesn’t allow the use of standard charges with the iphone. I think it’s something funny with the output.

Posted by Niceguy301 on August 27, 2007 at 11:28 AM (PDT)

12

Most likely, this charger adds pull up resistors on both D+ and D- lines of the USB, which the iphone seems to require in order to charge.

The USB spec does not define this, and therefore many USB chargers do not have this resistor, and therefore do not work.

Posted by Michael Ducker on August 27, 2007 at 1:31 PM (PDT)

13

Thanks for chiming in Niceguy and Michael—you guys have touched on some of the common backwards compatibility problems we were alleviating.  We appreciate it.

Have a good one,

Wing Yew

Posted by Wing Yew Lum on August 27, 2007 at 2:11 PM (PDT)

14

Wing yew,

Why didnt you just say something like that then? Still seems like a pointless waste of money to me though.

Posted by matrixsjd on August 27, 2007 at 4:42 PM (PDT)

15

My apologies for not elaborating the technical points—I mistakenly assumed the charging problem was well known.

Take care,

Wing Yew

Posted by Wing Yew on September 20, 2007 at 12:13 AM (PDT)

16

This charger does not work with the iPhone 3G. Buyers beware! I tried emailing Boxwave for a refund but haven’t heard back.

Posted by Mike on September 16, 2008 at 1:55 PM (PDT)

17

Mike: It does work with the 3G. Boxwave also guarantees the compatibility…

Posted by Leila on June 8, 2009 at 6:57 PM (PDT)

18

I have an iphone with the original usb sync cable for charging the iphone.  The cable is too short so I tried to plug in a usb extension cable into the pc and then plug the apple cable into the extension cable.  It did not work.  Will this work to basically make the original usb cable longer or is there another longer cable that would work to extend the length of the iphone usb cable.  Thanks

Posted by Chris Smith on August 19, 2009 at 12:45 PM (PDT)

19

Since this cable has pullup and pulldown resistors on D+ and D-, I don’t think this can be used as a data extension cable, or a charging cable from the original iPod and/or iPhone USB outlet, because the D+ and D- in this cable would collide with those in the USB connector.

Posted by John Park on January 5, 2010 at 9:46 AM (PDT)