Lightning is a terrifying yet majestic force of nature, especially when you see it from an aeroplane. But scientists have recently discovered that lightning can sometimes be invisible—and it could be bombarding planes with radiation as they fly. Read More >>

When lightning flashes across the sky, you only get a chance to glimpse its fractal form for a split second. But when you send 15,000 volts coursing through plywood, you get a much better look at how it grows. Melanie Hoff, a student at the Pratt Institute in New York City did just that, and the result is a timelapse where you can see the patterns slowly grow out and smolder, like lightning made from molasses. [Vimeo Staff Picks] Read More >>

You can never carry too many backup charging cables, and since you probably never leave home without your wallet, the ChargeCard is the perfect accessory for battery-sucking smartphones. It's only slightly thicker than a credit card, and lets you leech power from any available USB port. Read More >>

Something must not have been to the liking of the Almighty if He decided to strike St. Peter's Basilica in Rome with not one, but two major lightning bolts shortly after the soon-to-be-ex-Pope Benedict XVI announced that he wants out. Read More >>

We get it. You love your iPhone 5 so much that you're willing shrug off the money you lost on the two-year-old, 30-pin speaker dock that's now obsolete. You're ready to invest in an 8-pin dock because Apple wouldn't dare change its proprietary standard again. Right? RIGHT? Don't worry, this burly burnt orange speaker dock for Apple's Lightning iOS devices will disappear your cash in a flash. Read More >>

Fully-funded on Kickstarter almost three times over, the POP universal charging station was basically ready to go. That was until the creators failed to get Apple's approval, as it won't allow the Lightning adaptor, used in the iPhone 5, to live harmoniously with the older 30-pin connector. Now it seems Apple has changed its mind; the POP may not be dead after all. Read More >>

Surprise! Apple's being a massive dick again. It's crushed a really great, universal charging idea, which was gaining serious steam on Kickstarter, because it won't allow the Lightning adapter to be used in a device with multiple charging options. Thanks Apple, some of us still have older Apple devices you know, oh, and the odd microUSB-charged thing too. Sometimes, you're a right nob. Read More >>

Griffin has just announced the first third-party Lightning cables to become available on the market, giving you an alternative to official Apple products when it comes to charging and syncing your new iOS device. Read More >>

Apple's controversial Lightning connector has a name that nicely matches up with the Thunderbolt data connection. But its name caused Apple some trouble — because it had to buy the trademark from Harley-Davidson. Read More >>

Well that didn't take long. JBL's just unleashed the 'world's first' Lightning speaker docks for your shiny new iPhone 5, iPod touch, iPad Mini or 4th gen iPad. You do want a speaker dock, right? Read More >>

Think about anything you need to do regarding your gadget charging needs. Need to power an iPhone 5? What about a fourth-gen iPad? An Android phone? Some weird gadget with a strange USB port? Need to charge at home? In the car? Hate tangled cables? Scosche has addressed all of these scenarios with its latest line of charging accessories. Read More >>

The authenticator chips in Apple's new Lightning connectors put a stop to unauthorised third-party accessories, at least for a little while. In the meantime, authorised third-party accessories are on the way. The first pair are a car charge and a dock from Belkin. Read More >>

Now that Apple's shoved some security chips in its iDevice Lightning connectors it can pretty much charge what it likes for cables and accessories. Thankfully, nothing stops Chinese ingenuity. And yes, £3 Chinese knock-offs work just fine, so Apple can go stuff it's £15 Lightning cable. Read More >>

Apple doesn't make a standup dock for the iPhone 5, which sucks. Normally we'd turn to our friends in China to do what Apple can't (or won't), but in this case, no: purported Lightning docks are complete broken fakery. Read More >>

Apple doesn't want you buying cables for your iPhone 5 (or new iPads) from anyone other than Apple, because it charges a fat £15 for each one. Luckily, we can now confirm a flood of cheap knockoff cables are real. Read More >>