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by jeffwilcox 3028 days ago
I've seen this especially in the power charger category... Apple power chargers I end up always just having to go to the Apple Store for now. Sigh. I want to use Amazon, but have had so many sketchy "Apple" products sent my way.
2 comments
dahdum 3028 days ago
It’s outright dangerous to buy that type of product from Amazon, even if you buy “ships and sold from amazon” their inventory mixing means you can get counterfeits just as easily.

If selling fake solar eclipse glasses didn’t hit them with the clue bat, I’m not sure what will.

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coatmatter 3027 days ago
This is good article you've probably already read on the topic of counterfeit eclipse glasses: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/09/science/eclipse-glasses-r...

Perhaps the worst thing in my mind about the lack of education (for one reason of another) with reference to eclipse glasses is that good pairs can easily be shared around with minimal planning (I always buy extra new pairs as souvenirs more than anything). The partial phases just aren't things that anyone stares at for minutes on end, and totality requires that eclipse glasses be removed.

Hopefully there'll be more experience at hand and education by 2024 to avoid a repeat of 2017 (which in the grand scheme, was mostly isolated cases of poor outcomes - for most people, the biggest risk would have been driving to an eclipse site).

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osterwood 3027 days ago
It's really anything branded as by "Apple" on Amazon.

Look at the reviews of the Apple Thunderbolt Cable [1] -- 40% are 1 star reviews and many mention the cable being fake.

Similar story on the Apple USB Ethernet adapter [2]. I bought one a few years back and it identified itself with Chinese lettering in System Preferences.

Ken Shirriff did an amazing teardown of fake Apple chargers [3] and found a number of safety hazards relating to high voltage isolation. Teardown of the USB Adapter [4] found it used a part that doesn't exist (label does not match any known package for that IC).

1: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Thunderbolt-Cable-2-0-White/dp/...

2: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-USB-Ethernet-Adapter-MC704LL/dp...

3: http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pr...

4: http://projectgus.com/2013/03/anatomy-of-a-cheap-usb-etherne...

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