The general speed of development and arrival of new gadgetry in the tech world is generally considered to be a good thing – e.g. for creating an excuse to get the latest spec or design beasts in your pocket as soon as they arrive. However, the current trend of companies introducing new devices in all categories — typically twice a year — does create problems as well. New models of phones, for example, often bring new types of connectors, which also creates a need for new accessories – such as portable speakers and so on. Basically this updating scenario leaves the users with a couple of choices – they can either hide the old accessories in the back of their obsolete tech cupboard, sell the used ones for often a tenth of the original price and get a new suitable adapter – branded or non-branded – or upgrade everything deemed necessary at the same time.
However, the last alternative could hardly be considered rational in any way nor eco or wallet friendly – especially when the old accessories are still fully functional – even though on an emotional level the purchase decision might feel like a no-brainer for a tech-savvy or self-conscious user.
To help solve a specific issue related to this ‘to upgrade or not to upgrade’ problem, Sculpteo has designed a solution falling into the adapter category – a customizable 3D printed iPhone 5 dock adapter. It supports a vast selection of older non-Apple docking equipment and speakers and lightens your wallet by €13/$17. Naturally the new Lightning adapter – compatible with the dock pins – is still needed to be bought from Apple (or other manufacturer), but the overall results is still clearly on the plus side, compared to buying a whole new set of speakers or other accessories.
Check out the full list of supported devices by hitting the source link.
Source: Sculpteo
