{"id":26582,"date":"2017-05-17T07:12:03","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T11:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/?p=26582"},"modified":"2017-05-12T10:42:45","modified_gmt":"2017-05-12T14:42:45","slug":"dont-get-burned-by-bad-cables-literally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/dont-get-burned-by-bad-cables-literally\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Get Burned by Bad Cables\u2026 Literally!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It can be hard to ante up for a quality Lightning or USB-C cable when just a little searching reveals cables that cost only a couple of bucks each. \u201cSurely,\u201d you might think, \u201cthe cheap cables might not be as good, but so what if they wear out sooner?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Points for frugality, but this is one place you don\u2019t want to skimp too far. With some types of cables, the worst that could happen is that the cable would stop working. But with any cable that carries power, like Lightning cables for iOS devices, a short could cause sparks, smoke, and even a fire. This isn\u2019t a crazy concern: there have been numerous reports over the years of fires started by charging smartphones, both iPhones and models from other manufacturers. Apple even has a page that helps you <a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/HT204566\">identify counterfeit or uncertified Lightning cables<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro with USB-C ports, fire hasn\u2019t been an issue, but bad cables have been. In 2015 and 2016, <a href=\"http:\/\/bensonapproved.com\/\">Benson Leung<\/a>, an engineer at Google, made it his mission to identify out-of-spec USB-C cables after a bad USB-C cable fried his Chromebook Pixel laptop. To summarize his findings, stick with cables sold by name-brand manufacturers like Apple, Tech Armor, and Belkin\u2014others may be fine, but you\u2019ll need to do research to be certain.<\/p>\n<p>With Lightning cables, the same advice applies\u2014buy cables only from well-known manufacturers like the ones mentioned above. You\u2019ll pay a little more, but the cables will not only likely last longer, they\u2019ll be less likely to damage your iPhone or iPad, or burn down your house. \u00a0Keep in mind that\u00a0all lighting cables sold at Computer Advantage are licensed through Apple&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/MFi_Program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Made for iPhone\/iPad <\/a>(MFi) program.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, any cable, if sufficiently mistreated, can short out and cause problems. Follow this advice to protect your devices from cable-related issues:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When coiling your cables, avoid wrapping them tightly around something. A tight wrap can cause kinks that will degrade the wires inside.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t create sharp bends in the cable, especially near the connector. Sharp bends can eventually break the insulation and reveal the wires inside.<\/li>\n<li>When unplugging your device, pull from the plug instead of the cord. That avoids stress near the connector.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-pull-from-plug.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-pull-from-plug.jpg 640w, https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-pull-from-plug-300x165.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Keep the Lightning connector\u2019s pins clean and away from liquids; crud or a drop of water on the pins could cause a short circuit. USB-C cables are less susceptible to such problems because of their metal jackets, but still be careful.<\/li>\n<li>If a cable\u2019s insulation ever breaks such that you can see the wires inside, wrap it with electrical tape right away, and replace it as soon as you can.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-frayed-cable-1024x514.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-frayed-cable-1024x514.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-frayed-cable-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-frayed-cable-768x385.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-frayed-cable-1080x542.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bad-cables-frayed-cable.jpg 1280w\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/514;\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Don\u2019t freak out about cable safety\u2014although there have been problems, hundreds of millions of people have never experienced any trouble at all. But it\u2019s still worth buying quality cables and taking good care of them.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are easier ways of getting to know your local fire department than using cheap charging cables. We recommend buying quality cables (and taking cookies to the firefighters).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[39,175,7,52,204,5,105,205,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-cable","category-ipad","category-iphone","category-lightning","category-mac","category-maintenance","category-safety","category-usb-c"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bad-cables-photo-1080x675.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6YLEm-6UK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26214,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/understanding-the-relationship-between-thunderbolt-3-and-usb-c\/","url_meta":{"origin":26582,"position":0},"title":"Understanding the Relationship between Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C","author":"computeradv","date":"January 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Apple\u2019s new MacBook Pro models sport both the snazzy Touch Bar and Thunderbolt 3 ports. But since Thunderbolt 3 uses USB-C connectors, many people are confused about how to connect older peripherals. If that\u2019s you, head over to our blog for an explanation of the relationship between Thunderbolt 3 and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ThunderBolt 3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Thunderbolt-3-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Thunderbolt-3-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Thunderbolt-3-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Thunderbolt-3-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Thunderbolt-3-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27289,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/the-best-apple-related-gifts-for-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":26582,"position":1},"title":"The Best Apple-Related Gifts for 2017","author":"computeradv","date":"November 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s that time of year again, when many of us start wracking our brains for gift ideas for our loved ones\u2014or for our own wish lists. If your special someone is an Apple user, we have a few suggestions. Chargers, Cables, and Adapters, Oh My! We know that giving someone\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AirPods&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AirPods","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/airpods\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/gift-guide-adapter.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":28287,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/the-best-apple-related-gifts-for-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":26582,"position":2},"title":"The Best Apple-Related Gifts for 2018","author":"computeradv","date":"November 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Black Friday and the start of the holiday shopping seasons are nearly upon us. If you\u2019re looking for gift ideas for your Apple-using loved ones, we have a few suggestions that are guaranteed to be popular. Apple Watch The new Apple Watch Series 4 may be the gift hit of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AirPods&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AirPods","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/airpods\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gift-guide-Apple-Watch-Series-4-fall-607x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gift-guide-Apple-Watch-Series-4-fall-607x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gift-guide-Apple-Watch-Series-4-fall-607x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26429,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/use-your-magsafe-power-adapters-wings\/","url_meta":{"origin":26582,"position":3},"title":"Use Your MagSafe Power Adapter\u2019s \u201cWings\u201d","author":"computeradv","date":"March 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"For many years, Apple has shipped MagSafe power adapters with Mac laptops (although the 12-inch MacBook and 2016 MacBook Pro laptops have different adapters with USB-C ports). Many people have never realized that the MagSafe adapter has two \u201cwings\u201d on the corners on either side of the integrated cable. Flip\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Magsafe power adapter wings","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/tip-MagSafe-wings-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/tip-MagSafe-wings-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/tip-MagSafe-wings-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/tip-MagSafe-wings-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/tip-MagSafe-wings-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29905,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/you-can-now-access-flash-drives-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-heres-how\/","url_meta":{"origin":26582,"position":4},"title":"You Can Now Access Flash Drives on an iPhone or iPad\u2014Here\u2019s How","author":"computeradv","date":"November 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"An unexpected and useful feature of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 is also nearly invisible, and for most uses, requires a special adapter. With this feature, the Files app now can \u201csee\u201d external storage devices. That\u2019s huge\u2014now you can move data to and from an iPhone or iPad using standard\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Article&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/you-can-now-access-flash-drives-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-heres-how.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/you-can-now-access-flash-drives-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-heres-how.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/you-can-now-access-flash-drives-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-heres-how.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/you-can-now-access-flash-drives-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-heres-how.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/you-can-now-access-flash-drives-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-heres-how.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30167,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/need-to-move-lots-of-data-between-macs-try-target-disk-mode\/","url_meta":{"origin":26582,"position":5},"title":"Need to Move Lots of Data Between Macs? Try Target Disk Mode","author":"computeradv","date":"December 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"If you ever have to move tens or hundreds of gigabytes of data between Macs, give Target Disk Mode a try. It\u2019s fast, easy, and reliable.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Article&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/need-to-move-lots-of-data-between-macs-try-target-disk-mode.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/need-to-move-lots-of-data-between-macs-try-target-disk-mode.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/need-to-move-lots-of-data-between-macs-try-target-disk-mode.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/need-to-move-lots-of-data-between-macs-try-target-disk-mode.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/need-to-move-lots-of-data-between-macs-try-target-disk-mode.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}