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InfiniteUSB-C on Kickstarter can fix the MacBook’s one port problem

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Even though the new MacBook from Apple has proved popular enough that there are stock issues all over the world, it isn’t without its problems. One of the most innovative, but oft criticised features is its use of a single USB-C port, which is leaving those with lots of devices in a difficult spot. Enter InfiniteUSB, a Kickstarter project that looks to end those woes with a simple, affordable device.

InfiniteUSB has been campaigning on the crowd funding site for almost a month now and has easily hit its goal by offering more traditional type A USB headers of various types, as well as Lightning support. However, its drawn a lot of additional attention with its newly announced InfiniteUSB-C.

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Whether you pick up one of the new type C cables or one or the more traditional ones, the idea behind InfiniteUSB is that with a male and female connector and extension cable, you can daisy chain as many USB devices as you like. While that’s useful on most laptops, it becomes doubly so with the new MacBook, since it has just one port.

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And chaining so devices shouldn’t lead to any issues with power. While older USB standards could only output up to 10 watts, USB-C is much more capable and can output up to 100 watts (though it’s unlikely to do so through the MacBook, since its power adapter doesn’t deliver that much juice). Still, powering or charging multiple devices from a single port shouldn’t be a problem.

Current pricing for the brightly colored accessory is just $18 per cable, though that is limited to the first 200 (166 left at the time of writing), so get in fast if you want to take advantage. Final retail cost is listed at $22 for the “essential,” non-colored version, so if you want to get a few it might be best to stock up now.

The campaign will finish up in five days, with cables expected to ship out in June or July.

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Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale
Computing Coordinator
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
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