Apple Planning $1B Expansion of Reno Data Center [Updated]

Apple is planning a massive expansion of its data center in Reno, Nevada, according to information shared today by Reno-Gazette Journal reporter Anjeanette Damon who covered a Reno City Council meeting Apple attended to discuss the project.

Apple will invest $1 billion in expanding its current data center at the Reno Technology Park, nearly doubling the size of the original project.

Apple’s current Reno data center, via the Reno-Gazette Journal.
Hints of Apple’s plans for a major expansion of its data center first surfaced in February, when building permits surfaced for a new 373,893-square foot data center with a build out of eight clusters plus an administration building, garage, and generator yard. It’s likely that project, dubbed “Project Isabel,” is the expansion being discussed today.

Apple’s first Reno data center, “Project Mills,” was approved in 2012, with construction at the site beginning soon after. Since then, Apple has been expanding at the site. Along with building permits for “Project Isabel,” Apple in 2016 also applied for building permits for “Project Huckleberry,” an addition of several new data center clusters to be built adjacent to Project Mills.

Apple is also seeking to start construction on a $4 million shipping and receiving facility in downtown Reno, with today’s city council meeting also covering those prospective plans.

Apple and the Reno City Council are currently sorting through tax and zoning issues as Apple aims to purchase land for the downtown project. We’ll update this post when the council comes to a decision.

Update: The Reno City Council has approved Apple’s plans to build a warehouse in downtown Reno.
Discuss this article in our forums

iWear – an intriguing but unwieldy mobile theater headset (Review)

In theory, on paper, and even sometimes in practice, Vizux’s iWear Video Headphones are fantastic – a stereo headset that sports twin 720p displays, 3D and VR support, and a built-in battery? Sign me up. It sounds a little like a better version of Cardboard, right? It sounds like a headset you’d pack in your bag for those on-the-go gaming sessions when you don’t want to be bothered by those around you – on a bus or flight, for example.

Yeah, I look good.

In practice, though, iWear is slightly…underwhelming. It’s a bit heavy and unwieldy to wear on the head, and as such isn’t quite as mobile friendly as you’d expect. I ran into trouble trying to test iWear on my three different phones; Nexus 6P, OnePlus 3T, and LeEco LeS3 – incidentally, all Type-C USB phones. It worked just fine on my XBox and on my Laptop, though, and as such my testing session consisted of Destiny, Outlast, and Resident Evil 7 on my XBox rather than an Android, as I’d have preferred. Before we get into my personal gripes and wishlist items for iWear, though, let’s dig into what it does well.

Vuzix’s iWear is a solidly performing device, both audially (made that up) and visually; the 720p resolution of the dual screens is crisp and the colors vibrant, and the audio is rich and deep – what you’d expect from any mid-to-high range headphones. While there’s no Dolby Atmos or Surround support, the actual audio quality is quite good.

A slightly more classy look at the headset.

Unfortunately, this is a circumstance where the overall product is not quite as good as its parts would suggest. iWear suffers from being too versatile – a Jack of all Trades – and, to complete the cliche, master of none. It would have been much better-suited specialization, finding a niche and marketing to them, rather than trying to reach as broad an audience as possible. In order for the iWear to be worth its $299.95 price tag, it would have to undergo some pretty serious structural hardware changes.

First, for mobile devices; while Vuzix advertises the iWear as being compatible with phones and tablets, it’s not exactly…mobile-friendly. The thick, all-in-one cable that’s built-in to the headset is entirely too unwieldy to be used while connected to a phone.

Dual-screens, oversized earcups.

Ideally, the headset would be entirely wire-optional, making use of Wireless Direct broadcast the screen rather than HDMI; further, there should have been a USB port on the headset, rather than a built-in cable.

Second, for desktop and console gaming; in order to be a true option here, the iWear needs to have a microphone built-in to communicate in online games. Voice chat is a staple in gaming these days, and I personally feel naked without it.

At $300, the iWear is a bit steeply priced, but in specific situations, it can be well worth it. In setups where space and audio are at a premium – such as playing late at night or when you don’t want to bother other people – it’s a great option.

Purchase Vuzix’s iWear either from Amazon or from Vuzix itself.

NVIDIA’s first Volta-powered GPU sits in a $149k supercomputer

If you’ve been waiting for NVIDIA to finally take the lid off of Volta, the next generation of its GPU technology, your day has finally come. Today at its GPU Technology Conference, the company announced the NVIDIA Tesla V100 data center GPU, the first processor to use its seventh-generation architecture. Like the Tesla P100 the processor is replacing, the Volta-powered GPU is designed specifically to power artificial intelligence and deep learning so, naturally, it’s flush with power. Built on a 12nm process, the V100 boasts 5,120 CUDA Cores, 16GB of HBM2 memory, an updated NVLink 2.0 interface and is capable of a staggering 15 teraflops of computational power. Naturally, it’s also the GPU that drives the company’s updated DGX-1 supercomputer, too.

The new Volta-powered deep-learning machine is a lot like it’s predecessor — staggeringly powerful, surprisingly compact and built specifically to train artificial intelligence — it’s just that the new DGX-1V is a lot more powerful. NVIDIA CEO and Founder Jensen Huang says the DGX-1V is powerful enough to replace 400 servers, and has enough oomph to do a week’s work of computations in a single shift. That’s probably because it has eight of the company’s new Tesla V100 chips pulsing at its core lending it 960 TFLOPs of power spread over 40,960 CUDA cores.

That AI powerhouse is available for $149,000, starting today — but developers eager to jump into deep learning on a smaller budget are in luck. NVIDIA also announced what it’s calling a “personal AI supercomputer” called the DGX Station. Basically, this $69,000 is a small, watercooled tower with four Tesla V100 GPUs — giving it about half the power of the company’s regular DGX-1V. If buying hardware simply isn’t an option, NVIDIA offers one more option: the cloud. The company’s new GPU Cloud Deep Learning Stack promises to let AI developers offload their neural network machine learning tasks to an online catalog of integrated and optimized deep learning frameworks running on Titan Xp, GTX 1080 Ti or DGX systems in the cloud.

That’s a lot of supercomputer news to drop in one day, but it’s fitting keynote for this year’s GTC. The conference is flush with companies showing off the fruits of deep learning AI — from facial recognition software to farming equipment that automatically sorts crops from weeds while spraying herbicide. “Machine learning is one of the most important revolutions ever,” CEO Jensen told attendees. “Now algorithms write algorithms. Software writes software. Computers are learning by themselves. It’s the era of machine learning.”

Watch Microsoft’s Build keynote in under 14 minutes

Thousands of analysts, journalists and developers came to the Washington State Conference Center in Seattle today to see what Microsoft had to unveil at its three-hour-long Build conference. As it turns out, there wasn’t a lot of interesting news for non-developers. In other words, if you had played a drinking game with the trigger words being “Azure,” “Microsoft Graph” and “Visual Studio,” you would have needed two kegs of liquor. To be fair though, Build is an event for developers.

Still, there were updates around new Cortana skills, artificial intelligence for the workplace and a PowerPoint translator tool that may have useful applications for consumers. We’ve distilled the highlights for you in the 13-and-a-half-minute video above, so you don’t have to sit through an excruciatingly long recap. Be sure to come back tomorrow for our coverage of the second-day keynote, which we’re expecting to be far more exciting for consumers.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from Microsoft’s Build 2017.

No more wrinkled suits on the road — this garment bag folds to laptop-case size

Why it matters to you

If you want to travel comfortably but still look sharp for business or formal events, this bag might do the trick.

Business travel can be exciting and fun … the first trip. Subsequent trips rapidly lose their luster, particularly with air travel’s increasingly draconian carry-on luggage rules enforcement. In an effort to save money on baggage charges and avoid the delays and too-frequent suspense of checked luggage, we stuff our business clothing into the teeniest bags possible. When we finally reach our destination, however, our business suits and dresses are often rumpled and wrinkled — not a great look for meeting with clients.

British business writer Patrick Tatham founded Pliqo in 2015. Because of his own frustrations with business travel and its affect on his comfort and clothing, Tatham started the company specifically to develop travel goods for frequent flyers and commuters.

The company’s first product is the Pliqo Bag, which Tatham calls “the smartest garment bag in the world.” Pliqo launched a Kickstarter campaign promising bag deliveries to backers in October 2017.

According to Tatham, the fully open 49-inch by 42-inch garment bag folds to a 16 x 12 x 3-inch laptop bag-sized “personal item.” Tatham says the bag can be carried into cabins of most major airlines in addition to a conventional carry-on.

Even if you’re not traveling by plane, the company claims the folded Pliqo bag will fit into many motorcycle and bicycle panniers, backpacks, messenger bags, and even briefcases to protect business apparel or formal wear while you travel in more comfortable clothing.

The Pliqo Bag has an organizer pocket, lateral compression straps, and a detachable shoulder strap. The bag includes a folding garment hanger and a trouser hanger and weighs a little more than two pounds (37 ounces) without any clothing packed. The outer material is coated polyester trimmed with leather and nylon webbing. The zippers and fast-release buckles are made by YKK.

Touting his bag as having a footprint smaller than a weekend newspaper, Tatham sums up his reasons for starting Pliqo and designing the bag, “I want to be relaxed when I’m on the move, not worrying that I will appear in a crumpled suit at the start of my meetings. The Pliqo bag is the solution.”

Cryonic freezing is the coolest employee perk in Silicon Valley — literally

Why it matters to you

If free lunches and a foosball table aren’t enticing work perks, this AI-powered hedge fund is offering new recruits a chance to live forever.

Generous employee perks are as much a part of the tech industry as long work hours, office Nerf gun battles, and people overusing the word “disruption.” But while most firms only go so far as free meals, on-site yoga classes, and maybe the occasional indoor climbing wall, an artificial intelligence-driven hedge fund is taking things to the next level.

The good news? Numerai‘s new employee benefit is — quite literally — the coolest one we have heard about. The bad news? You won’t be able to enjoy it until you’re dead.

“We are allowing employees cryonic body preservation as a benefit,” Richard Craib, founder of Numerai, told Digital Trends. “Employees sign up through a life insurance policy and upon legal death, the life insurance claim is handed over to cryonics provider Alcor.”

While the idea of “whole-body preservation cryonics” being a benefit isn’t necessarily going to appeal to everyone, the hope is that it will appeal to the right kind of people, who will have something to bring to Numerai. That means folks with an interest (and, preferably, plenty of impressive qualifications) in artificial intelligence. “Strong education backgrounds in mathematics and statistics are also advantageous,” Craib continued.

The company is clearly doing something right in this department because it already includes former employees from Apple and Google DeepMind among its (soon to be frozen) ranks.

As to how long successful candidates will be frozen for … well, that depends on a whole lot on scientific advances. According to Alcor’s website, “Revival of today’s cryonics patients will require future repair by highly advanced future technology, such as molecular nanotechnology. Technology that is advanced enough to repair a cryopreserved brain would by its nature also be able to regrow new tissues, organs, and a healthy body for the revived person.”

Don’t expect too much free time to explore your new futuristic home when you are thawed, though, because Craib is joining employees in the cryonics process. The only worse thing than being reanimated years in the future, to find that all your friends and family are long-since dead and you’re a living fossil with outdated 21st-century views? Waking up in the aforementioned scenario, only to immediately be put back to work by your boss.

“I personally signed up for Alcor recently,” he explained. “Many of the other Numerai employees were intrigued as to why and generally agree with the argument that a small chance of eternal life is worth the risk of an unconventional post-death experience. After discussing the idea on “This Week In Startups,” we decided to offer it to all employees.”

Sprint pledges to launch a 5G network for its subscribers in ‘late 2019’

Why it matters to you

Sprint will recruit parent company Softbank and chip maker Qualcomm to develop 5G technologies.

Sprint will launch a 5G network by 2020. That’s according to both SoftBank, the network’s parent company, and chip maker Qualcomm, which announced on Wednesday a plan to develop the technologies that will power the next generation of cell service.

The rough time frame is “late 2019,” according to a brief press release on Sprint’s website. “Qualcomm, SoftBank, and Sprint [will] provide commercial services and devices in late 2019,” a spokesperson for the company wrote. “Additional details will be provided.”

Sprint and partners will deploy spectrum in the 2.5GHz band, using a new standard developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project — a key working group overseeing the development of 5G technologies.

The news comes after T-Mobile, one of Sprint’s chief rivals, paid $8 billion for 45 percent of the U.S. and Puerto Rico’s 600 MHz network spectrum as part of a nationwide 5G rollout.

In February, Verizon launched “pre-commercial” 5G service for homes and offices in 11 cities, following a partnership with Samsung, Qualcomm, and others that saw 5G routers installed in homes.  But it doesn’t expect to widely deploy 5G until 2020.

Webpass

AT&T, another rival, said it will begin streaming DirecTV service over 5G to some residential customers. And more recently, it announced “5G Evolution,” a series of high-speed connectivity trials in 20 major cities.

Entire industries stand to benefit. 5G-enabled cars, Internet of Things (IoT) products, and even virtual and augmented reality headsets will deliver faster, more reliable experiences than the 4G devices of today — at least in theory. And cloud-powered storage like iCloud and Google Drive could become speedy enough to physical hard drives.

“With 5G, we’ll see computing capabilities getting fused with communications everywhere, so trillions of things like wearable devices don’t have to worry about computing power because the network can do any processing needed,” Asha Keddy, general manager of mobile standards for advanced tech at Intel, told Quartz in an interview ahead of 2017 Mobile World Congress. “There will be an underlay network with computing and communications, so not everything needs to go through backhaul because lots of capabilities will be available close to where [they’re] needed.”

That will depend on the implementation, of course. AT&T expects its 5G deployment to reach 400Mbps in the next few months, improving to 1Gbps by the end of the year. In lab testing, it achieved 14Gbps in a test in early 2016 — the equivalent of downloading a 15GB file in nine seconds.

And then there’s the fact that the 5G standard hasn’t been finalized. The International Telecommunications Union, the governing body behind mobile specs, isn’t expected to publish a definition until November 2017.

But carriers like T-Mobile seem confident it will come around.

“We’re going to run at it and run hard,” T-Mobile chief technology officer Neville Ray told USA Today in an interview.

How Alcantara faux suede went from Lamborghini seats to lining Microsoft laptops

At Microsoft’s education event earlier this week, the company unveiled its brand-new Surface Laptop. The device employs various design flourishes intended to set it apart from the crowd, but its implementation of a material called Alcantara stands out.

Alcantara has been around for over forty years, and over that time it’s become well established as a luxurious, high-quality fabric. By understanding where the material came from, and what its strengths are, we can see why Microsoft chose to make it such a prominent part of its new laptop.

It came from Japan

The story of Alcantara starts in Japan, in a lab belonging to multinational synthetics specialist Toray Industries. In the mid twentieth century, the company enjoyed a period of prosperity because of its successful creation of a process for creating nylon, shortly after the material was invented by Wallace Carothers of DuPont in 1935.

However, by the 1960s, Toray Industries’ best and brightest were once again in search of the next great advance in synthetic fibers. Working in conjunction with Dr. Toyohiko Hikota, a scientist named Dr. Miyoshi Okamoto discovered a method of creating ultra-fine fibers that maintained a continuous filament type, something that previous attempts by other companies had failed to accomplish.

The result was microfiber, a material that’s still used to this day for athletic apparel, cleaning cloths, and lots more. Okamoto continued his research, using a scanning electron microscope — then a cutting-edge piece of technology — to analyze leather and suede. The result of his efforts was a synthetic substitute dubbed Ultrasuede, which was marketed by Toray as “what nature had in mind.”

In Robert Kanigel’s book on synthetic materials Faux Real, Okamoto recalled hearing Ultrasuede described as “the biggest invention since nylon.” It would certainly prove to have an enormous impact on Toray’s business interests outside of Japan.

Two years after its invention in 1970, Toray entered into a joint agreement with Italian oil and gas company ENI. The process that spawned Ultrasuede was repackaged as a luxury material called Alcantara, to be manufactured in Italy.

Alcantara was basically the same product as Ultrasuede, but re-branded. The two materials were meant to co-exist, with the former’s Italian manufacture intended to establish the material as a luxury item. That simple marketing decision added a dimension to Alcantara’s appeal. Okamoto was later presented with the Leonardo award, in recognition of Alcantara’s contribution to the worldwide appeal of products made in Italy.

Fit for purpose

“This is a product imported from Italy,” said Microsoft’s devices chief Panos Panay as he expressed his admiration for Alcantara at the company’s education event on Tuesday. “It’s premium, it’s durable, it stands the test of time.” Clearly, the Alcantara brand established decades ago remains alive in well, and that’s true because of a consistent effort to place it in high-end, cutting-edge products.

“This is a product imported from Italy. It’s premium, it’s durable, it stands the test of time.”

From the outset, Alcantara was envisaged as a luxury brand. The fashion industry was responsible for some its first applications shortly after its conception, as it was used in various types of high-end accessories. Its unique feel made the material stand out from anything else available at the time.

However, it was soon adopted by another industry that always has a need for opulent materials. Automotive manufacturers have been using Alcantara in cars for decades, with Fiat and Audi emerging as early adopters in the late 1970s. The material’s carefully curated luxury status means that it’s right at home in a top-of-the-line vehicle, though it also offers certain practical advantages.

The suede-like texture of Alcantara offers a subtle grip and hold. This is an attractive trait in the context of a car interior, as many drivers appreciate the material’s ability to maintain their position in their seat when compared to the more slippery feel of leather.

The way that Alcantara feels to the touch provides similar benefits to the Surface Laptop. The contrast between the smooth surface of the keys and the material that surrounds them will help users maintain their tactile perception of the keyboard, even if they’re looking at the display.

Another key strength of Alcantara is its ability to resist stains. The Surface Laptop will be subject to spilled coffee and greasy fingers, but its anti-absorbent properties will help stop discoloration because of normal usage. Only the toughest stains are likely to adhere.

Panay spoke extensively about the hard work his team put in to ensure that the device maintained a smooth, sleek exterior at the reveal of the Surface Laptop. Alcantara contributed much to this effort, particularly when it comes to the laptop’s speaker system.

“We were able to invent a technology to integrate the speakers underneath the keyboard”

Most laptops require visible speaker holes to deliver audio to the user, but that’s not the case when it comes to the Surface Laptop. “We were able to invent a technology to integrate the speakers underneath the keyboard, use the fabric to push the sound through, and then push it out the keys to push it right at you as you’re creating,” Panay said at the event.

It’s clear that Panay and his Microsoft cohorts have a great appreciation for Alcantara. And with that in mind, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the material continue to serve as a prominent component of the Surface line’s design going forward.

Materialism

The Surface Laptop isn’t the first time that Microsoft has employed Alcantara in its products. The Signature Type Cover released for the Surface Pro 4 also utilizes the material in a very similar manner. As the Surface line continues to expand, common materials will offer a sense of cohesion and continue to establish its aesthetic identity.

Branded materials are often used in consumer devices, because they can instill a sense of premium quality. Take Corning Gorilla Glass, for instance — it’s used in a host of different smartphones, tablets, and wearables, and it’s frequently listed as a selling point for these products. Even if they’re not aware of the tangible advantages Gorilla Glass holds over regular glass, consumers have been trained to recognize it as a premium component.

As detailed by Panay on Tuesday, Alcantara does provide several practical benefits to the Surface Laptop. However, those same design choices could have been executed with another material. Alcantara kills two birds with one stone, reaffirming the system’s status as a luxury device.

Microsoft isn’t targeting users on a budget with its Surface devices, and that remains true of the $999 Surface Laptop. Instead, the company is looking to court customers who are willing to spend a little extra on a system that boasts top-tier design and high-end materials.

Microsoft’s decision to employ Alcantara serves as a shorthand for the Surface Laptop’s billing as a luxury laptop, and a competitor to similarly ‘deluxe’ systems like the MacBook Pro. The company could just have easily wrapped its new device’s keyboard in Ultrasuede — but result perhaps wouldn’t have seemed quite as lavish.

With eye on future, Periscope brings 360-degree live-streaming to Android app

Why it matters to you

Are you looking to embrace the 360-degree video trend? Periscope for Android finally now helps you do so.

There’s little doubt that 360-degree video is the future, and Periscope seems to know that. In fact, the company just updated its app to allow users to live-stream 360-degree video content from Android devices. Periscope first started experimenting with 360-degree video a while ago, and launched initial features to iOS users last year. Full 360-degree video features are now available to iOS users.

Of course, users wanting to take advantage of that will need a 360-degree camera, but there are plenty of them available, most of which you can simply plug into your phone’s microUSB or USB-C port.

If you want to watch 360-degree videos that are being broadcast live, you’ll be able to tell that they’re 360-degrees by the “Live 360” badge that will appear alongside them.

“As a broadcaster, 360 video allows you to spend less time and energy on framing your shot so you can focus on adding new dimension to your viewers’ experience,” said Periscope in a blog post. “In 360 broadcasts, viewers will be able to look anywhere while also having the broadcaster present to anchor the broadcast.”

While 360-degree video streaming is now available to Android, options are still a little limited. Currently, the only native 360-degree camera that’s supported by the app is the $130 Insta360 Air. Using the Periscope Producer app, you can broadcast 360-degree video using two external cameras, but you can only use the Ricoh Theta S and the Orah 4i at this point. Hopefully, we’ll see support for more cameras at some point in the near future. For example, it would be very helpful if more widely used cameras, like the Samsung Gear 360, were compatible with the app.

While the hardware features for Periscope are limited, the new launch shows the company is focusing on 360-degree video. That makes sense — Facebook launched a 360-degree live-streaming video feature at F8 in April, and Twitter, which owns Periscope, likely wants to try to compete.

Charge and sync with one of our favorite Lightning cables for iPhone

When you bought your iPhone or iPad, you probably got a standard Lightning cable in the box with it. But if you want to be able to charge your device at work or in different rooms without having to carry that cable around with you, you’ll want to invest in a spare cable or two. You may also prefer something a little longer, so you can use your iPhone comfortably while it’s plugged in, or something a little stronger that can survive tugs, bumps, or the unwelcome attention of a pet and child. Let’s take a look at the best Lightning cables around.

Native Union Cable Collection

• MFI-Certified: Yes
• Length: Belt Cable 1.2 meters, Night Cable 3.0 meters, Key Cable 16.5 centimeters
• Warranty: Lifetime
• Price: All three cables for $76, or Belt Cable $25, Key Cable $30, Night Cable $40.

Native Union has perfected the art of turning cables into lifestyle products, and for its new Cosmos Collection, the company has also added in extra toughness using DuPont Kevlar fiber, ensuring the cables remain looking good. It has also reinforced the join between cable and Lightning connector, a common point where other cables may fail. The new print combines grey and white for a cool, modern look, with a great texture. Native Union’s Cosmos Collection color scheme will be available on its Belt Cable models, Key Cable, and Night Cable from May 15; but other colors and styles are available right now.

Buy it now from

Native Union

Anker PowerLine Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 6 feet
• Warranty: 18 months
• Price: $13

This is a really great Lightning cable at an affordable price. It’s fast when it comes to charging and data transfer, it’s certified by Apple, and it’s really durable. The cable is reinforced with Kevlar and Anker has strengthened the stress points at the ends to ensure it lasts. It also comes with a handy Velcro tie and you can pick it up in black, white, blue, red, or grey. The end of the Lightning connector is slightly wider than the basic Apple cable, however, so it might not fit every case. Otherwise, this is probably the best cable at this price point.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

1byone Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 3.28 feet
• Warranty: 12 months
• Price: $7

This cable from 1byone is well worth considering, especially since it’s half the price of Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable and features nearly the same design. It’s fast at charging and syncing data, and it’s easy to carry around. It’s not going to be especially durable given it’s essentially a clone of Apple’s cable, but it will fit all the same cases, including Otterbox cases. Needless to say the latter can be a real problem with other cables.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

ZYD Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 6 feet
• Warranty: 12 months
• Price: $12

You actually get two tangle-free, braided cables for this price, which is a great value. They’re a bit heavier and tougher than most cables, yet they can still quickly charge and sync data. The black and white stripes are eye-catching, too, though they might not be to everyone. Their resistance to tangling is welcome as well, as are the aluminum-alloy connectors. Just keep in mind that the Lightning connector is bigger than those on a standard cable, so it probably won’t fit every case.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Ventev ChargeSync Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 6 inches
• Warranty: Limited lifetime
• Price: $18

Maybe you have a USB charging hub on your desk, or you want to plug into your laptop and you hate the cable clutter. Whatever the reason, there are times when you might prefer a really short cable to keep things tidy. Thankfully, this cable charges and syncs data at full speed and measures a mere 6 inches long. It’s also flat, so there’s no danger of tangling. It’s a little pricey and the Lightning connector may be a little big for some case cut-outs, but it works well and it’s pretty durable.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Fuse Chicken Titan Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 3.25 feet
• Warranty: Limited lifetime
• Price: $35

Billed as the toughest Lightning cable on the planet, the Fuse Chicken Titan is wrapped in two layers of flexible steel. This thing will survive pet attacks without fraying and the manufacturers even took a chainsaw to it just to prove its strength. That said, it’s a lot heavier and stiffer than a regular cable, which means it can be rather difficult to coil up. The Lightning connector can also be a weak point and the neck is wider than a traditional Apple cable, so it won’t fit all cases. But if you want something that your pets can’t chew through — this is it.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Zus Kevlar Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 4 feet
• Warranty: Limited
• Price: $20

We actually blew the Zus cable up during testing, but before that, it survived a tug-of-war with a dog and came out unscathed. This is a seriously tough Lightning cable with a thoughtful design. It’s reinforced with Kevlar and finished with nylon braiding — two facets that helped it survive an impressive 15,000 bends during lab testing. It’s also tangle-free and comes with a Velcro tie. One thing we really like about the cable is that the USB connector is angled at 90 degrees, so it can fit in tight spaces. It’s rugged, a good length, and the right price.

Buy one now from:

Nonda

Moshi Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 10 feet
• Warranty: 12 months
• Price: $25

The big attraction with this cable is the 10-foot length, which allows you use and charge your iPhone at the same time, regardless of where the outlet might be. It also comes with a Velcro strap, so you can tidy it away when you don’t need the full length. The cable is encased in aluminum and the ends are reinforced for added durability. It syncs and charges at decent speeds, too, though it’s not ideal for cases outfitted with a tight cut-out given the connector end is quite wide.

Buy one now from:

B&H

AmazonBasics Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 4 inches – 10 feet
• Warranty: 12 months
• Price: $5+

This cable is available in an array of differing lengths, including 4 and 10-foot varieties. Amazon’s proprietary accessories are known for their build quality, too, and this cable is no exception. It comes in either black or white, which is perfect for those who have an all-black iPhone. Amazon also guarantees its durability, and it will back it up with the company’s one-year warranty.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Aukey Nylon Braided Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 4 feet
• Warranty: 24 months
• Price: $12

Braided-nylon cables are very durable, and Aukey’s lighting cable comes with reinforced aluminum shielding that’s designed to help it survive day-to-day abuse. Each cable is 4-feet long — meaning they’re neither too long or too short — and is backed by Aukey’s two-year warranty. They also come in four different colors (black, white, silver, and gold), so finding the right cable to match your iOS device shouldn’t be a problem.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Incipio Cable

• MFi-Certified: Yes
• Length: 3 feet
• Warranty: 12 months
• Price: $10+

This is a quality lightning cable from Incipio. The cable comes with a one-year warranty and the company guarantees it will arrive with zero defects, which is part of its Zero Defect Guarantee. What makes Incipio’s offering so unique, however, is the vast amount of colors that you can choose from. This cable comes in black, white, blue, gray, pink, red, yellow, and cyan.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Updated on 05-10-2017 by Andy Boxall: Added cables from Native Union.