Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with adapter

Can you swap one apple power adapter attachment for another older one?

ndicecco — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:13:47 -0800

Is it safe to swap the power adapter attachment between an iBook G4 and an intel MacBook? Please bear with me, because I'm not sure of the proper terminology: my girlfriend has an intel-based MacBook (2 or 3 years old - from just after the switch to intel). She was unplugging her power cord and the casing came off the power adapter attachment... I'm referring specifically to the piece that can be swapped out for a longer cable (if this is still unclear, let me know).

I have a seemingly identical piece from my old iBook G4 - both say "2.5A 12.5V-" on the bottom. The piece fits perfectly, but is it safe to use? Will it void her applecare? She's going to call them tomorrow to see if they will replace the piece, but I don't see why they would. She still has the long cable, but she would prefer not to carry around the extra weight.

Last minute advice for solo trip to Paris?

cider — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:21:50 -0800

I'm heading off to Paris for four days, and I'm starting to get a bit nervous that I'll forget something important. I've never been to Paris, and I haven't been to Europe for fifteen years. I'll be staying by myself in a hotel in Arondissement 7. I'm wondering if you can help me out with any last-minute tips or things I'm likely to have forgotten. Here are the types of questions that I suddenly find myself asking:

Will I need an adapter of some sort in order to charge my camera or ipod?

Am I required to carry my passport with me, and if so, should I get some sort of money belt? (I believe my hotel room has a safe deposit box -- is it better to leave it there?)

I'm assuming that I can get Euros out of a bank machine with my regular (Bank of America) card. (That's what I did in Germany years ago.) Is this true?

Will I generally be safe walking around at night? I'm a woman who will be travelling by herself; are there areas I should avoid?

I hate not having access to internet in case I want to look up directions, print tickets, or other computer-based tasks. I have an iPod touch -- is there likely to be free wi-fi around? Are internet cafes common in Paris?

Is there anything else that I'm forgetting?

Thanks so much!

Finding the right AC adapter.

brenton — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:46:03 -0800

Where can I find a 2/3a 700mAh 2.4v AC adapter? I am trying to convert my battery-operated rechargeable beard trimmer into a "wired" trimmer. (The battery was dying, and it wasn't able to run off AC, so it was pretty much useless.

If I can' t find the exact right AC adapter, which numbers can I fudge? Is it ok if the voltage is the same but it's 10 amps? If the amps are correct, can I get away with a voltage of only 1.2?

Would an adapter work, or do I need a new power supply?

ZaneJ. — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:43:35 -0800

Do I need a new power supply with the correct connection, or can I get an adapter and not fry anything? I'm building a new gaming computer for myself. The motherboard is a DP45SG, from Intel. The power supply is this one here. The motherboard's slot to power to the CPU is a 2x2 connection. The power supply doesn't have a 2x2 connection. It has a plethora of connections to power SATA devices, as well as a 12v 2x4 connection. So, do I need to send back the power supply and get a new one, or can I use an adapter such as this? I've also seen adapters that attach to a SATA power connection and have the 2x2 connection.

This is my first computer I've constructed by myself without friends cohorts lending a significant hand. Any assistance would be grand.

Where to buy travel adapters in NYC

cookie googleman — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:56:18 -0800

Where to find a three-pronged British style electrical adapter plug in New York City? Hello,

I'm leaving for Tanzania tomorrow and am looking for a travel store that sells adapters in New York City. It's too late to order online. Thank you in advance!

UNIVERSAL AC ADAPTERS AINT WHAT THEY USED TO BE (a question)

defmute — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:40:01 -0800

How do I buy a universal AC adapter from Radioshack? So I went into a Radioshack today and was all like "Ay, man. Gimme a universal ac adapter," and the lady was all like lookin at me like "Yeah, AAANNND?". Turns out that Radioshack (at least in downtown Philly) only carries universal adapters in two parts: (1) the block that you actually plug into the wall and (2), the little connection piece that goes into the hardware you're powering. At Radioshack, they sell the little connection piece in a variety of sizes of different "letter" types (i.e. "Y" size, "C" size, "G" size). So....

If I want to power a Korg Electribe ES-1, which adapter type (I know it's a 9V, but Radioshack has two different varieties of those) and connection piece type do I need to buy?

P.S. I lost the original adapter so please don't tell me hurtful type things like "I AM A THE NOOBZ"".

THANKS EVERYONE FILTER!

Camera, look the other way!

It's Austin, TX! — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:59:29 -0800

Is there some sort of adapter, like a small prism that I could clip on my laptop's built-in webcam so that I can record video behind the laptop (in front of me) of what I am looking at? I have a 1.3M pixel cam built into the LCD panel of my Lenovo Y430 laptop.
What I want to do is be in class taking notes but have my webcam recording the teacher's lecture.
I've searched for prism adapters but I dont see anything. It would be something along the lines of this, but kinda doing the opposite I guess.
Or, any easy home made solutions?

Using a ViBook with Mac Mini and Cintiq 12WX?

austinlee — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:05:13 -0800

I have a last generation mac mini and would like to use a cintiq 12WX with it. Would a ViBook USB adapter help me accomplish this? Ok, so I have a last generation mac mini and can only use one monitor on it. I want to start using a WACOM CINTIQ 12WX. The problem is that the cintiq works like a monitor so I can only have either the cintiq plugged in or my normal monitor. I found a piece of hardware called the ViBook which I think might solve this. Has anyone used this thing with good results? Will photoshop run ok on it? Any advice is appreciated. Also, I've found similar USB adapters that were less expensive. Is one better than the other ones or could I get away with getting a cheap one? Thanks!

Make Apple in-ear phones work better with T-Mobile G1?

Mo Nickels — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:32:14 -0800

How can I get my Apple iPhone/iPod/iTouch in-ear headphones to work easily with my T-Mobile G1 phone? The headphones are great--the best in-ear headphones I've used, except for ones I cobbled together using parts of two different models.

The problem is that when they're plugged into any of the four adapters I have for my T-Mobile G1 phone, they don't work properly. I have to pull the plug out a little bit, to just the right spot, to have full audio in both ears. This is probably due to the nonstandard, four-part nature of the plug: there are four metal places on it that probably don't line up well and my G1 doesn't/can't use the ones for the volume or the microphone.

Does anyone have an adapter that they know for certain works with these earphones? Or a simple hack or trick for making them work easily?

Needed: Laptop Adapter

theichibun — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:16:12 -0800

Lost my laptop's AC adapter, time to find a new one. I was an idiot and lost my AC Adapter to my Vostro 1000 at a hotel 10 hours from where I am now. I looked, didn't find it, asked at the hotel desk, they didn't have it. Oh well, so I managed the rest of the time I was there and bummed charges off of friends that had compatible adapters.

But I can't do that anymore, so it's time to get a replacement. I've seen other questions here asking in generalities and specifics for laptops that I don't have.

Specifically for my laptop, what are the advantages of getting a Dell brand over any other brand? Is there any reason to get a new one over a used one?

I'm not going to give links to specific places to buy, but Ebay has some off brands new for around $15 and used Dells for $30. Dell's site has adapters starting at $65 and I'm not sure which one of those I should be looking at, or even if there's any important stat other than how much power is needed by my laptop.

How could I hack a phone receiver to act as a PC audio device?

bartleby — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:10:33 -0800

Can I use the RJ11 (modem) port on a PC to plug in a phone handset and use it as an audio device? Trying to help a Skype user who has trouble with headsets but knows how to pick up a phone. So I've got a relative who's had to cut out phone service and move to Skype for budget reasons. They love Skype, but find that when it rings, they just can't make it to the computer and get the headset on and activated in time to catch the call. They also don't like the speakers/mic option, since this makes every call a speakerphone call.

And we both know that there are purpose-built Skype phone devices out there, but they can't afford to buy any of them (and won't take one as a gift - stubborn SOB).
But they know how to pick up a phone and already own several.

So I'm thinking that perhaps there is some way to plug a plain ol' phone into their RJ11 modem port and somehow get the system to use the receiver as the speaker and mic. Skype rings, you pick up the phone, the sound comes out of the phone.

I know that they'll still have to use the computer to dial; I'm just trying to find a way to repurpose an old phone receiver as a PC headset alternative.

As another option, they also own a cellphone headset that they like, but it's got an 1/8" plug connector like most of them do; is there a dongle out there that would adapt that for USB? That would solve the problem too, and they'd probably believe me if I told them it only cost a few bucks - even if it didn't.

Power adapters needed for US-to-Mexican travel?

joe lisboa — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:21:19 -0800

Help! My SO is leaving for Mexico (work-related) in the AM and needs to know what the deal is with electronics (i.e., laptops, digital camera, cell phone, etc.) w/r/t converters or adapters for power cables and so forth. I've done the Euro-jaunt and am up on that stuff, but I'm woefully ignorant when it comes to North American voltage/current (whatever) discrepancies. She likely doesn't have time to pick up any converters state-side (save for what we can find at our neighborhood drugstore tomorrow morning before hitting the airport), but will she need to sweat it if she packs all of her power cords for said electronics? She'll be staying in a (more-or-less) major hotel chain in Mexico City. I apologize in advance for sounding like the ugly American (TM) but I just tried googling to (surprisingly) no avail and would hate for her to be stranded powerless in the literal sense. She'll be there two weeks. Thanks in advance, all.

Power Supply for PSR 740 keyboard

stray — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:32:14 -0800

Where in Vancouver, BC might I find a replacement power supply (I believe it's a Yamaha PA-6 adapter) for a PSR 740 keyboard?

Can you help me find this audio cable?

Jimmie — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:58:15 -0800

Can you help me find a 1/4'' Stereo Female to 1/8'' Right Angle Stereo Male cable? I need a 1/4'' Stereo Female to 1/8'' Stereo Male adapter.

Much like this one...

Except: I would like it as a CABLE, not a solid, straight, adapter.

Lastly: I would like the 1/8'' Male end to be a RIGHT ANGLE. The female end can be either.

I would prefer as few pieces as possible, so buying a right angle adapter and adding it to the end is not an option.

Thanks in advance!

Appropriate power adapter for a Roland A-33 midi controller?

larsks — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:20:42 -0800

Help me find a power adapter for my Roland A-33 keyboard. I've tried what seemed obvious and haven't made much progress. I recently purchased a Roland A-33 midi controller. Works great on batteries, but I would like to stop feeding it batteries and instead connect it to the wall. The power connector on the keyboard is a labelled "DC in 9v 80mA", with negative on the pin and positive on the outside. It also says, "Use ACA Adapter Only".

I picked up a 9v power adapter at Radio Shack (output: 9V DC 1.5A) and an "Adaptaplug" size "Q" that seems to fit. If I plug everything in I get bupkis.

So, can I make this adapter work for me? Or do I need to find some sort of custom power adapter? Help me, Hive Mind!

Using Old Laptop Charger?

bytemover — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:22:04 -0800

My old laptop blew the motherboard after 3 years of great use (Acer Aspire 5670). I just bought a new laptop (Acer Extensa 5630Z). Can I use the power charger/AC Adapter from my old on my new without doing damage? The new one is rated 19V 3.43A. The old one is 19V 4.4A. (plugs are the same). Long live the hive mind!

Where in Los Angeles can I buy a travel adapter THAT WILL POWER MY LAPTOP in other countries?

drjimmy11 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:21:35 -0800

Where in Los Angeles can I buy a travel adapter THAT WILL POWER MY LAPTOP in other countries? So as mentioned previously, I'm headed to Australia and New Zealand. and I would like to use my U.S. electronics there.

Since all of them are rated 100-240v I only need an adapter, NOT a converter. I just ordered one off Amazon, and on the label it says 'cannot be used with Class 1 devices." Class 1 includes a laptop and just about anything I want to use.

So, I'm leaving the 24th. I need to buy a real adapter than can power real devices. Is there some kind of awesome travel store in L.A. that sells them? Eastside or Westside is ok.

thanks!

Whining about a Whining Outlet

sjuhawk31 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:06:29 -0800

Why is this high-pitched whine coming from one of my outlets? I recently replaced my USB hub, which was powered by a 5V/2.6A adapter, with a hub that is powered by a 5V/3.8A adapter. All of a sudden, there's a whine coming from the outlet where the adapter is plugged in. I tried moving it to other plugs within the same outlet set and even plugging it into my power strip (which has outlets to spare) but am getting the same whine.

Is there something wrong with the adapter, or am I overextending my outlet? I've got my laptop, monitor, printer and two hard drives plugged in, but even with them powered down and disconnected from the strip, there's the whine.

Help this grandson of a late electrician not embarrass his family name!

How to record electric guitar noiselessly with minimal computer specs?

Phire — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:03:06 -0800

I'm looking for a decent USB-to-audio input adapter, like the M-Audio Jam Lab So I'm looking for a 1/4" jack to USB adapter that I can use to record electric guitar playing with minimal noise, without getting a professional recording system and a $500 sound card. The two I've looked at are the Jam Lab referenced above and the Edirol UA-1EX.

What can you tell me about either of those adapters, and are there better alternatives out there?

Price range is around 50-120 CDN (so 100 USD max).

Help a tech idiot pick up more wireless signals...

dahliachewswell — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:00:31 -0800

Help a complete tech idiot: What wireless adapter/dongle (??) should I purchase to boost the wifi range of my laptop? (Also, maybe you could help me understand some of the tech language or point me to a DIY project an idiot could accomplish...) Thanks for your patience in advance! I've searched through the past questions on this topic but I must admit it is a little hard for me to deciper.

I'm looking for something like THIS to allow me to extend the range my laptop can pick up wifi from.

(So, this is called a wireless adapter. Is a dongle a separate category of wireless adapters?)

What is the best type of equipment for getting this done? Or do you recommend a specific model?

I have two options for machines which this will be used on, it can work on one or the other, or both:
a Mac laptop with a nonfunctioning wireless card running OS X
a PC laptop with functional wireless card running XP

My ignoble instinct is to just buy something that I can plug in and do the magic for me, if it exists. But I'm open to gaining some skills that would allow me to be a little more creative and build my own set-up, so if you have a suggestion for a really beginner level instructions or guide, that would be nice too.

What do I need to buy to hook my new Macbook Pro up to my TV (using composite cables)?

kosmonaut — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:28:57 -0800

What do I need to buy to hook my new Macbook Pro up to my TV (using composite cables)? I bought the new Macbook Pro that has a mini-DisplayPort. Our TV takes composite (RCA) cables only.

On my old computer, I just used the included S-Video -> composite adapter in order to watch TV. The new Macbook Pro doesn't come with any adapter in the box at all. But the worst thing is that Apple does not even sell a mini-DisplayPort -> composite/S-video adapter.

Since I sometimes might want to hook my computer up to projectors, I'm probably going to buy the mini-DisplayPort -> VGA adapter anyway. I know there are VGA -> composite adapters out there (like this), but the reviews for them are really mixed. I hear things about the specific computer needing "TV-Out" support, which I don't know anything about.

Does anybody know what VGA -> composite adapter will work with my Macbook Pro setup? I would especially love to know if someone has successfully done the very same setup.

This shit is BANANAS.

BobFrapples — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:33:58 -0800

Why does my network adapter keep disappearing in XP?? Hi all!

Your tech expertise is required here. I just recently finished building myself a new pc. Got it all set up and installed Windows XP as the OS. It's been about 4 days now, and I am having a consistant problem with the network adapter for my onboard gigabit LAN.

I installed the Realtek driver that came with my motherboard (AsRock P45ts), and it worked fine after I installed it. However, the next time I booted up, I had no internet connection. My LAN connection was missing from the Network Connections folder, and Network Adapters was also missing from my hardware profile.

Now, I selected the option to "show hidden hardware" and then the Network Adapters show up, but Windows doesn't detect any problem.

So, each time I'm forced to uninstall the driver, then reboot and reinstall. I also went and found an updated version of the Realtek driver, but that hasn't seemed to make any difference.

What the heck is going on here??

The specific driver that I'm using is "REALTEK GbE & FE Ethernet PCI-E NIC Driver".

Thanks!

Bringing U.S. laptop to Buenos Aires

cookie googleman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:59:11 -0800

What king of laptop adapter/transformer do I need for Buenos Aires? I have a U.S. Apple MacBook Pro with a THREE-pronged grounded cable. As far as I'm aware, I will need both an adapter that will work with my 3-prong grounded U.S. cable and also a converter or transformer to adjust the voltage. Is this correct? Does anyone know where I could purchase these items? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you

Will an FM transmitter from the US work in the UK?

steeb2er — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:55:20 -0800

Will an FM transmitter (to listen to an MP3 player in the car) bought in the US work in the UK? What about the cigarette lighter adapter? A friend in the UK drives a delivery truck all day. As a gift, I'd like to send him a means to listen to his iPod while driving around. I don't know if he has a cassette deck in the truck, and since he doesn't own the truck he can't hard-wire anything into the stereo.

The only option I can think of is an FM transmitter. I'm just not sure if UK radios use the same frequencies or "rules" as they do in the US.

I just wanna buy the drives naked and have one adapter to rule them all

GleepGlop — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:19:54 -0800

What is the best solution for having a whole bunch of hard drives and being able to easily swap them around? I find myself with more and more hard drives, and right now I have a 2.5" and a 3.5" enclosure that require a lot of screwdriver action to swap the hard drives out.
My ideal solution: bus powered, supports any size of 2.5 or 3.5", and easy to swap the drives.
I've seen things where you stick the HDD in like a nintendo cartridge but I understand that more capacious hard drives may take up more physical space and maybe not all drives would fit inside.
I've also seen cheap USB 2.0 to SATA cable adapters on newegg where the drive just connects and sits there with no enclosure around it but they are low priced and perhaps low on reliability, and I don't know if I should be worried about having an exposed hard drive. Maybe I would need some kind of snap case to go with that option.