back to article Apple recalls iPhone 3G power adaptors

Got an iPhone 3G purchased in the US, Canada, Mexico or Japan? Then you'll own one of Apple's latest USB power adaptors, and the company wants it back. Apple yesterday announced it was recalling all of its "Ultracompact USB Power Adapter" because "under certain conditions the... power adapter's metal prongs can break off and …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Rushed to market?

    Reception problems

    Security holes

    Untested mains connector

    Looks like Apple rushed the 3G iPhone to market. Don't be surpised to see othe issues, like no proper sat nav or A2DP in the future as we'll find Apple's OS wont allow this and that etc

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Shocking!

    .....groan.....

  3. Sergie Kaponitovicz
    Go

    Macs suck

    ... a total non-story from yet another el-reg hack, hell-bent on slagging off Macs.

    Keep it up Tony Smith, and you may yet get an offer from The National Enquirer, or the Daily Mail for scare-monger of the year award.

    More to the point, keep it up, and shout it loud and proud. The more that we Mactards are discriminated against, the more that you Wintards will receive the trojans etc.

    Works for me!

    Macs suck! Pass it on.......

  4. Anonymous John
    Coat

    because "under certain conditions

    Like the user being ham-fisted?

    Mine's the one with the missing buttons.

  5. bill
    Coat

    I'll get me coat...

    I knew there was still a reason to be proud to be British: the most robust, solid mains electricity power connectors in the world....

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    re: Mac sucks

    Oh shut up - its a proper story and should be known

    Macs are shit. End of.

  7. Ed
    Alert

    @macs suck

    ummm mate

    "Apple yesterday announced it was recalling" <--- apple them selves annouced it

    "metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet" <--- Yeah thats a non story

    and Your calling the REG biased Rofl time for a reality check mate

  8. Gildas
    Thumb Up

    @Sergei

    The pins of a power adapter snapping off in a mains socket (even if the user is ham fisted!) is hardly a non-story. Reporting on Vaio power packs going up in flames is not anti-Sony, reporting on Dell fitting the wrong keyboards is not anti-Dell. Reporting on 3G iPhone power adapters breaking while in use is not anti-Apple, it's news...

    from Webster's Dictionary you twit...

    news singular noun 1 information about recent events, now especially as reported in newspapers, on radio or TV, or via the Internet. 2 (the news) a radio or TV broadcast report of news. 3 any fresh interesting information. 4 a currently celebrated person, thing or event • He's big news in America. that's news to me colloq I have not heard that before.

    ETYMOLOGY: 15c, meaning 'new things'.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Careful now bill

    The Americans didn't save our asses in WW2 just so we could laugh their flimsy and totally inadequate power connectors.

  10. ari

    Not a non story

    As a mac user (not a complete fanboi but prefer doing my daily work on my mac, less hassle. Also a WinXP, Win2003server, Solaris, Ubuntu... you get the picture)

    Something like this is a serious issue and must be corrected. We all know that apple can bit a tad annoying regarding non-dangerous flaws, but they are pretty responsive on stuff like this.

    As for the other iPhone issues, I have a iPhone3g and have not had any serious issues, did experience a few dropped calls but firmware upgrades have solved my problems. Only complaint would be battery life, but I knew that beforehand.

    As for apple fanbois and apple haters. Really, grow up, all of you. They are just another company selling their idea of how things should be done. It won't suit everyone or every task but seems pretty good for many tasks.

    This tendency of making hardware and software into religions is not constructive and silly. Zealotry in any direction is stupid and destructive (that goes for you too Linux fanbois)

  11. Ted Treen
    Boffin

    Modern manufacturing

    Everyone manufacturing in electronics buys in items, or subcontracts them to the far east. The manufacturer of these faulty items undoubtedly also supplies Dell, Acer, etc., and probably a host of others who use mains transformers. It keeps prices down - if all was manufactured in the USA or the UK, with stringent quality control, prices would double or more.

    Get a grip on reality - and fair play to Apple for their public announcement and recall.

    Most of the gloating idiots complaining about ANY company issuing a recall almost certainly couldn't run a whelk stall, or organise festivities in a place of ale production, so we are fully entitled to completely ignore them.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    @Careful now bill

    Dont even start down that route, the americans lent there military hand in the last stages of the war we may not have won but we wouldnt have lost either and by the time the Americans got really involved the Russians where ready to do there job. Course post war Main land Europe would have been very different and they did supply vast amounts of munitions...for a charge of course.

    Sorry, rant over, back to slagging dodgy Apple production and inadequate power connectors.....

  13. Scott Silver badge
    Boffin

    Weird US wiring

    As a child, I lived in some 3rd world countries that were unlucky enough to follow American wiring 'standards'.

    As far as I could see, the whole system was designed by manufacurers with no input from customers, governments or safety organisations.

    I don't think that it is Apples fault that US wiring is inherently shoddy. The good news is that their mains voltage is 110v so that they can avoid having 3 prong plugs. Customers may have had a shock, but they are still alive.

  14. Dave
    Jobs Halo

    Non Story?

    "... a total non-story from yet another el-reg hack, hell-bent on slagging off Macs."

    Pins snapping off and remaining in power outlets ain't a non story. Its dangerous you idiot!

    Consumer programmes in the UK, have brought companies very bad publicity for less than that!

    Apple have had to recall this quickly before they get their arses sued.

    Class action anyone?

  15. Simon Taylor

    Re: Bill

    I agree, the UK is the only country in the world with proper electricity safety laws!

    ...such as the requirement for a fuse in every plug.

    When ive been on holiday in Europe before, I've sometimes come across live sockets in hotel rooms that are falling off the wall cos they're just clipped on without screws.

  16. A J Stiles
    Flame

    British vs American Electrics

    At 110 volts you need twice as many amps to get the same number of watts as you do at 230 volts, and that causes the wiring to get hotter -- not just twice as hot, but four times. So although you may be less likely to get a fatal shock from 110 volts than from 230 (and that's pretty unlikely now we have earth leakage circuit breakers), 110 volt electrics are more likely to start a fire.

    Not only that, but American houses are often built out of nice inflammable wood and paper .....

    BTW: The ring main system which requires a fuse in every plug is a unique Britishism. The whole ring, with an unlimited number of socket faceplates but not serving more than 100m² of floor area, is fused at 30 amps and there are two connections back to the fusebox, effectively doubling the cross-sectional area of the cable. The fuse in the plug is to protect the appliance flex, which may not survive the current required to blow the 30A fuse if the appliance develops a fault. In less-civilised countries, each socket faceplate is wired directly to its own separate fuse or circuit breaker, but there are no switches on faceplates.

  17. Rob

    Macs are shit?

    Quite what the fragility of a mobile power adapter has to do with a range of computers is beyond me, you guys must be aware of some magical technology shared by the two (other than electricity)

    Obviously never tried to produce a song on a windows machine have ya?

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Scott

    the 3 pronged plug is a SAFETY feature. the 3rd prong is to provide a path to earth instead of relying solely on the neutral connection to do the job. Plus as A J stiles points out at 110v you need more amps to do the same job. Death by electric shock is NOT caused by the voltage, you could have 10000v pass straight through your body as long as there is a path to earth without suffering too much damage. It is the Amps that kill you, so more amps = higher chance of death making the British system far safer than the American setup.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    UK vs US mains

    I remember one of my friends emigrating to the US, the engineers he worked with saw some of his ker-ay-zee UK plugs and took the piss about clunky tech, right up until he asked them how many mains shocks they had had. The general response was 'loads', I don't know anyone who has ever had a shock from a UK plug/socket.

  20. andy gibson
    Unhappy

    @ AC and three pronged plugs

    If it's supposed to be a "safety feature to provide a path to earth" how the hell does it do it when:

    a) the prong is plastic

    b) you break open the plug and only find the live and neutral wires running to the device?

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Andy Gibson

    You don't have to have an earth connection on all equipment. If your device is a metal box, it will (usually, basically not if it's an amplifier or VCR etc) have an earth connection. If it is in a plastic box it may well not have an earth connection hence lots of the earth pins are actually plastic or not connected. The earth pin does have a 2nd function as key safety device in that the live and neutral holes are blocked off until the earth pin, which is slightly longer is inserted. This prevents kiddies sticking things into the socket and killing themselfs.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Studio for sale

    >Obviously never tried to produce a song on a windows machine have ya?

    Damn ! All these years Ive been recording/mixing etc. on PC's and now I find I cant do it !!

    Anyone want to buy a small recording studio ?

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