Skip to main content

Apple may breathe new life into its much-missed MagSafe connector

“How many of you have ever had your notebook go flying off its work surface when somebody caught your power adapter cord in their foot … whether it’s your pet or your kid or your roommate?” These were the words of one Steve Jobs more than 10 years ago when he unveiled Apple’s MagSafe connector for the tech giant’s laptops.

The audience cheered wildly when Jobs revealed the magnetic connector, and while that’s par for the course for Apple events, perhaps this particular episode of hootin’ and hollerin’ was a little more heartfelt than usual, for the MagSafe connector really did seem like a fine idea, superb in its simplicity, exceptional in its execution.

Recommended Videos

Multiple MacBook models incorporated MagSafe, with the cord flipping out whenever it was inadvertently snagged by something. But then along came the 2016 MacBook Pro, and to the disappointment of many, the connector was gone. Along with all the other ports.

The replacement USB-C port means business as usual when it comes to cord entanglement, which really isn’t what you want with such a pricey machine.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

It seems, however, that Apple may be considering a solution for those individuals still weeping over the loss of MagSafe. A recently revealed Apple patent spotted by Mashable shows an adapter that provides MagSafe functionality. And it wouldn’t be limited only to MacBooks. Apple suggests it could link to “connector receptacles on various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, cellphones, smartphones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, remote control devices, chargers …” In other words, everything.

If, under your breath, you’re already muttering, “Yes, but it’s another dongle, I’ve had enough of dongles, no more dongles please, can’t you see I’m dongled out?” then we hear you. It’s not a perfect solution, and similar devices are already on the market, albeit with less functionality than the one suggested in the patent.

As usual with such filings, there’s no guarantee Apple’s MagSafe dongle will become a thing, but it at least shows the company hasn’t ditched the design completely and is apparently considering how it might be brought back. In the meantime, just watch where you leave your MacBook Pro cord.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Apple’s Vision Pro headset may try to alter your emotions during movies
The Apple Vision Pro reveals the wearer's eyes on a front-facing display.

The Vision Pro headset is totally new territory for Apple, so it’s no surprise that the company has been dreaming up some unusual ideas for how it will work. But new information has come to light that seems pretty out there even by the Vision Pro’s standards.

That’s because the headset might be able to gauge your mood and physiological state, then change what you see in order to create a specific emotional reaction. In other words, if it detects you’re getting too stressed out by whatever is on the screen, it might automatically change your content to something more palatable. That sounds a lot like another idea Apple had that would send you on a mood-altering trip while wearing the Vision Pro.

Read more
Apple may be working on a crazy modular MacBook with 3 screens
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air placed on a desk.

The Framework laptop has shown that modular laptops can offer something really compelling to customers, and it seems that Apple might have taken notice. That’s because a newly granted patent (number 11709527) suggests the Cupertino, California company is considering a modular MacBook that could let you come up with all kinds of crazy combinations of screen, keyboard, and more.

For example, some of the illustrations in Apple’s patent document show a device with two displays, with the MacBook keyboard replaced entirely by a second screen. This display could be used as an Apple Pencil input area or as a virtual keyboard, something we know Apple is already working on.

Read more
Apple’s next Vision Pro may send you on a mood-altering trip
The Apple Vision Pro reveals the wearer's eyes on a front-facing display.

It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but Apple could be working on a way to let you alter your mood just by telling its Vision Pro headset how you want to feel. That’s according to a recently granted patent (number 11703944) that outlines the whole futuristic idea.

It’s a strange concept and one that sounds woven right out of a Philip K. Dick story. In fact, in the author’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? there is a machine that puts users into whatever mood they desire. It sounds as though Apple’s inventors have been reading a little sci-fi in their spare time.

Read more