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If you miss the safety aspect of MagSafe, Griffin Technology sell a USB-C charge cable for the 12" Macbook with a magsafe-like magnetic breakaway connector: ht

by cstross 10y ago

If you miss the safety aspect of MagSafe, Griffin Technology sell a USB-C charge cable for the 12" Macbook with a magsafe-like magnetic breakaway connector: https://griffintechnology.com/us/breaksafe-magnetic-usb-c-power-cable https://griffintechnology.com/us/breaksafe-magnetic-usb-c-po... It's not Thunderbolt 3 compatible yet but making a version that is would appear to be a no-brainer.

phamilton 10y ago
Well... Anything that requires more than 3 pins (which is apparently all that power requires) is going to much harder to build. A 24 pin, magnetically aligned connector seems pretty difficult to me.
chx 10y ago
As I noted in another comment, it's 60W rated while the new charger is 87W http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MNF82LL/A/87w-usb-c-power-adapter http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MNF82LL/A/87w-usb-c-power-.... Confusion indeed.
- rangibaby 10y ago
  I don't think it matters. I charge my MBP using a smaller MBA charger and vice versa with no ill effects.
  - lowboy 10y ago
    It does matter that you're putting more current over the cable than it's designed for. Overloading conductors can be a melty, flamey time.
    - seanmcdirmid 10y ago
      I think it just charges slower, it doesn't magically pump 87 watts over the cable, just 60.
      - prodmerc 10y ago
        Only if it detects it uses a 60W cable. Which I really doubt. You can pump 100 watts through a 60W rated cable - it will probably work because the rule is "users are dumbasses, rate it for 60 on paper and 120 in reality". Or it could heat up, maybe to the point of damage.
        liuhenry 10y ago
        It's a whole 60W A/C adapter package, not just the cable. The adapter isn't pumping out more wattage than it's rated for.
        lowboy 10y ago
        It doesn't look like it. All of the pictures show just a cable, and the description has > In the box: BreakSafe USB-C cable with quick disconnect magnetic connector
        seanmcdirmid 10y ago
        Yes, just because you charge up a computer with a 60W A/C adapter but it can take 87W, doesn't mean the A/C adapter is all of a sudden putting out 87W. The cable itself doesn't create more or less flow.
        jsjohnst 10y ago
        You guys really should spend a few moments doing a quick google search before responding. USB doesn't just magically deliver power, its negotiated between the device and the power source. In the case of USB-C, the cable is involved in the negotiation. See slides 7&9 here specifically: http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/PD_1.0_Introduction.pdf http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/PD_1.0_Introduct... More details here: http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/ http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/
        voltagex_ 10y ago
        Until that negotiation doesn't quite work right. https://plus.google.com/+BensonLeung/posts/TkAnhK84TT7 https://plus.google.com/+BensonLeung/posts/TkAnhK84TT7
    - jakobegger 10y ago
      USB cables use resistors to indicate how much current they are rated for, so the charger would limit the current to avoid melting your cable. (That's why out-of-spec cables are dangerous)
- DominikR 10y ago
  Phil Schiller stated in the presentation that the new LG USB-C monitors provide enough power with 60W to charge the new 15" Macbook Pro models. The charger offers 87W because it is meant to be able to provide enough power to charge the battery while the CPU/GPU/external devices run at 100%. The worst you are going to experience with 60W while everything is running at 100% is that the battery isn't charging or charging very slow.
  - r00fus 10y ago
    I have my MBPr (2013) running fine with a MB 60W Magsafe charger for overnight charging (think it's from my 2008 unibody MB). Been this way for 2 years, no problems.
    - liuhenry 10y ago
      If you're charging it overnight, you probably won't notice, but it does charge more slowly. If you're running on the dedicated GPU with high load, a smaller adapter might not have enough power to charge the battery at all.
    - lathiat 10y ago
      Yeah. You will notice that if the battery is dead flat it won't let you turn the laptop on for a bit with a 60W charger but with the 85W or whatever it is it will power up immediately.
kobayashi 10y ago
That's a really big wart on the outside of the computer. Hopefully it won't need to be that big on the Mac.
r00fus 10y ago
As I've mentioned before, they really should have recessed this port so a solution like BreakSafe could be done and not stick out like an exposed wart. Ideally such a device would also be first-party (with 3rd party version available to reduce price).
inopinatus 10y ago
Wattage issue aside, it's half an inch of protruding metal. What I really want (and I'm prepared to pay up to $100 for) is a low-profile (near-flush-mount, maybe 3mm max) Magsafe 2 female to USB Type-C male adapter that I can leave permanently in one of the ports. I've read that Apple have consistently declined to license the Magsafe patent, so I'd settle for a magsafe-like solution.

by cstross 10y ago

phamilton 10y ago

Well... Anything that requires more than 3 pins (which is apparently all that power requires) is going to much harder to build. A 24 pin, magnetically aligned connector seems pretty difficult to me.

chx 10y ago

As I noted in another comment, it's 60W rated while the new charger is 87W http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MNF82LL/A/87w-usb-c-power-adapter http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MNF82LL/A/87w-usb-c-power-.... Confusion indeed.

rangibaby 10y ago
I don't think it matters. I charge my MBP using a smaller MBA charger and vice versa with no ill effects.
- lowboy 10y ago
  It does matter that you're putting more current over the cable than it's designed for. Overloading conductors can be a melty, flamey time.
  - seanmcdirmid 10y ago
    I think it just charges slower, it doesn't magically pump 87 watts over the cable, just 60.
    - prodmerc 10y ago
      Only if it detects it uses a 60W cable. Which I really doubt. You can pump 100 watts through a 60W rated cable - it will probably work because the rule is "users are dumbasses, rate it for 60 on paper and 120 in reality". Or it could heat up, maybe to the point of damage.
      - liuhenry 10y ago
        It's a whole 60W A/C adapter package, not just the cable. The adapter isn't pumping out more wattage than it's rated for.
        lowboy 10y ago
        It doesn't look like it. All of the pictures show just a cable, and the description has > In the box: BreakSafe USB-C cable with quick disconnect magnetic connector
        seanmcdirmid 10y ago
        Yes, just because you charge up a computer with a 60W A/C adapter but it can take 87W, doesn't mean the A/C adapter is all of a sudden putting out 87W. The cable itself doesn't create more or less flow.
      - jsjohnst 10y ago
        You guys really should spend a few moments doing a quick google search before responding. USB doesn't just magically deliver power, its negotiated between the device and the power source. In the case of USB-C, the cable is involved in the negotiation. See slides 7&9 here specifically: http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/PD_1.0_Introduction.pdf http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/PD_1.0_Introduct... More details here: http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/ http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/
        voltagex_ 10y ago
        Until that negotiation doesn't quite work right. https://plus.google.com/+BensonLeung/posts/TkAnhK84TT7 https://plus.google.com/+BensonLeung/posts/TkAnhK84TT7
  - jakobegger 10y ago
    USB cables use resistors to indicate how much current they are rated for, so the charger would limit the current to avoid melting your cable. (That's why out-of-spec cables are dangerous)
DominikR 10y ago
Phil Schiller stated in the presentation that the new LG USB-C monitors provide enough power with 60W to charge the new 15" Macbook Pro models. The charger offers 87W because it is meant to be able to provide enough power to charge the battery while the CPU/GPU/external devices run at 100%. The worst you are going to experience with 60W while everything is running at 100% is that the battery isn't charging or charging very slow.
- r00fus 10y ago
  I have my MBPr (2013) running fine with a MB 60W Magsafe charger for overnight charging (think it's from my 2008 unibody MB). Been this way for 2 years, no problems.
  - liuhenry 10y ago
    If you're charging it overnight, you probably won't notice, but it does charge more slowly. If you're running on the dedicated GPU with high load, a smaller adapter might not have enough power to charge the battery at all.
  - lathiat 10y ago
    Yeah. You will notice that if the battery is dead flat it won't let you turn the laptop on for a bit with a 60W charger but with the 85W or whatever it is it will power up immediately.

kobayashi 10y ago

That's a really big wart on the outside of the computer. Hopefully it won't need to be that big on the Mac.

r00fus 10y ago

As I've mentioned before, they really should have recessed this port so a solution like BreakSafe could be done and not stick out like an exposed wart. Ideally such a device would also be first-party (with 3rd party version available to reduce price).

inopinatus 10y ago

Wattage issue aside, it's half an inch of protruding metal. What I really want (and I'm prepared to pay up to $100 for) is a low-profile (near-flush-mount, maybe 3mm max) Magsafe 2 female to USB Type-C male adapter that I can leave permanently in one of the ports. I've read that Apple have consistently declined to license the Magsafe patent, so I'd settle for a magsafe-like solution.