Apple’s Lightning Authentication Cracked, iPad Mini to Be WiFi Only?

With the introduction of new iPhones, Apple has also brought a few new cables and adapters for Lightning to the market. As we all found out a few weeks ago, these cables have authentication chips to keep people from developing their own cheap Lightning cables. But Chinese firm iPhone5mod has already introduced a new iPhone 5 Flash Lightning Dock. It seems they have obtained cracked chips that bypass Apple’s authentication functions.

The above mentioned dock has two parts: a lighted USB to Lightning cable and a white dock similar to the ones we have seen in the past. It was only a matter of time before hackers found a way around Apple’s restrictions. Apple is still not making the process of copying its cables easy. It will be interesting to see what else the company will do to keep people from releasing cheaper Lightning cables.

We are only a week from the rumored announcement event for the iPad mini. The device is expected to have a 7.85 inch screen and A5 processor. It will be cheap enough to give Apple the chance to put a lot of pressure on Amazon and other 7 inch tablet makers. Here is one problem though: The Guardian is reporting that the new iPad will be WiFi only.

Industry sources have told the Guardian that Apple won’t be releasing a 3G version of the iPad mini this time around. This is supposed to be a cost-saving measure but it does limit the potential for the device. An updated version of the 3rd generation iPad is expected to be released too. Apple has not commented on these rumors. The company is expected to make its next product announcements on October 17th.