This Kickstarter promises a magnetic charger for the iPhone [feedly]

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This Kickstarter promises a magnetic charger for the iPhone
// Mobile

Apple's laptop charger, the MagSafe, is wonderful. Few other hardware makers have such an elegant way to charge their devices. Apple's Lightning cable is pretty well-designed too, but what if iPhones could also use a magnetic charger ? That's what a new battery case Kickstarter called Cabin is promising.

Cabin is primarily a new battery case: its main product adds an 2200mAh external battery to your device, as other battery cases available on the market do. But it also comes with two very interesting accessories. First, there's something called MicroAdapter, a little plug-in for the iPhone's lightning port that turns it into a magnetic socket. That pairs very well with MagAdapter, which plugs into the end of a Lightning cable. Plug a MagAdapter-equipped Lightning cable into an iPhone with a MicroAdapter, and you've got yourself a bootleg MagSafe-style setup.

Of course, you won't be able to plug a MagAdapter-equipped Lightning cable into a Macbook. Even if the MagAdapter were to fit into MagSafe sockets, it still wouldn't work, because laptops need much higher voltage than a USB can provide.

At the time of publication, the Cabin Kickstarter has raised $70,000, more than the $50,000 it was seeking to raise, aalthough it's not a sure thing that it will make it to market. The product needs a variety of security certifications and licenses before it can be sold commercially. And in the past Apple has put an end to MagSafe ripoffs fairly quickly — especially if they're manufactured in places like Shenzhen, which Cabin is.

Still, a magnetic charger for the iPhone could be pretty nice. If you're willing to take the risk, backing the Kickstarter to the tune of $99 will net you a Cabin battery case, a MicroAdaptor and a MagAdaptor.

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