Apple changes tact on Lightning licensing after Kickstarter dock row

Apple has apparently had a rare change of heart over the licensing of its Lightning cable tech following the row over a popular Kickstarter project.

The company's refusal to license the tech for an accessory that also features its 30-pin connector, had put the kibosh on the POP mobile charging dock concept, which raised $140,000 on the crowd sourcing site.

The POP's creator had, on Friday, lashed out at Apple in an expletive-laden rant, calling the Cupertino-based giant a 'bunch of a**holes'.

However, CNET has learned that Apple has decided to change the tech specifications for the Lightning tech so both types of connector will work in a single accessory.

This means the POP charger, whose enthusiastic backers doubled its funding goal - will now go ahead after all.

Unexpected

Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told CNET: "Our technical specifications provide clear guidelines for developing accessories and they are available to MFi licensees for free.

"We support accessories that integrate USB and Lightning connectors, but there were technical issues that prevented accessories from integrating 30-pin and Lightning connectors so our guidelines did not allow this."

Naturally, Edison Junior CEO Jamie Siminoff was delighted by the unexpected change.

"It's great news. It's crazy," he told CNET.

"If you had asked me yesterday morning 'what did we think was going to come out of this?' I wouldn't have even thought anybody - not even a line-level employee - would have seen this at Apple."

Sales of the POP will now recommence.

Via CNET