When Apple introduced the MagSafe power adapter on its laptops almost 10 years ago, it was seen as revolutionary.
Gone was the risk of breaking your $2,000 computer if someone in the library or coffee shop — or even you! — tripped over your power cord. It simply broke free from its magnetized connection. Simple, elegant, convenient, and thoughtful.
But, much to the distress of people everywhere, Apple ditched the MagSafe on its latest laptop: the ultra-light, ultra-slim, and ultra-portable Macbook (which came out last year). In fact, Apple ditched almost every port on the computer, relying solely on one USB-C port for charging, plugging in your keyboard, mouse, and anything else, like an external hard drive.
And yes, people flipped out.
Fortunately, the accessory company Griffin Technologies has come up with a solution: The $40 BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable.
The BreakSafe is a small, magnetic adapter that plugs into the USB-C port on your new MacBook (or Chromebook Pixel, which also has a new USB-C port). It connects magnetically to an included 6-foot charging cable that will safely disconnect from the dongle if someone trips or pulls it, leaving your new computer safe.
Griffin touts the small size of the BreakSafe, writing in a press release that it's small enough to keep plugged into the port when it's not being used (but I don't see why people would do that instead of just keeping it attached to the charging cable).
In any case, try to refrain from tripping over your power cord for a few months — the $40 accessory goes on sale in April.
