Stop using that cheap Apple charger

A third-party charger for Apple gadgets may be a lot cheaper than the ones hanging off shelves at the Apple Store, but a vast majority of those chargers aren't safe, a new study has concluded.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), a UK association representing trading standards professionals, has tested 400 counterfeit chargers for Apple products, the BBC reported Friday. The result was pitiful: Only three chargers were insulated well enough to protect against electric shocks. 

Another test targeted second-hand goods in local shops, and found that 15% of 3,019 electrical goods were non-compliant with UK standards. Considering the potential danger, a counterfeit charger could cost you your home or even your life. Read more...