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    Do we still need headphone jack accessories or are they a thing of the past?

    Do we still need headphone jack accessories or are they a thing of the past?

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    It all started with the SonarPen, a $30 iPad stylus that made use of the headphone jack in the year of our lord 2018. That got us thinking, “Hey! Let’s see what other headphone jack accessories are out there,” which led us to lots of fun little things.

    The most well-known headphone jack accessory might be the original Square credit card reader, which was given out for free. It works the same way as the SonarPen, using the iPad’s built-in analog-to-digital converter to convert audio signals into usable data. All you had to do was plug it into an iPad and swipe your card, it was that simple!

    We also found a smart Geiger counter which is supposed to plug into your phone and measure Gamma and X-ray radiation. Nobody should ever use it as a real, functioning Geiger counter though, because the Amazon reviews are saying the companion app is giving them some real funky readings. If the level of radiation from the microwave is really as high as it says, everyone would be dead by now.

    And finally, all this got Paul falling into an iPad accessory wormhole, finding a whole bunch of strange hands-free iPad holders and bathtub caddys, and the next thing you know, he’s on the ground watching Altered Carbon.

    You can watch the rest of Circuit Breaker Live below — Chaim hacked an iPod, and Ashley played some smart toothbrush games, so you definitely don’t want to miss it. And don’t forget that you can ask us questions which we’ll answer live on YouTube every Tuesday at 4PM ET. See you there!