iPad iOS 4.2 Power Loss Leaves Connection Kit Users In The Cold

Complaints have surfaced over Apple's iPad Camera Connection Kit, after iPad owners upgrading their tablets to iOS 4.2 have apparently discovered the adapter no longer provides sufficient power. 9 to 5 Mac claims Apple has reduced the power supply from 100mAh to just 20mAh, which means that many cameras – along with keyboards, microphones and flash drives – now throw up an error message warning "The connected USB device requires too much power."

Apple has never publicly promised that the Camera Connection Kit – which includes two dongles, one with an SD card reader and the other with a USB port – would work with keyboards and other non-camera peripherals; still, many iPad users rely on the adapter for easier text entry and for holding VoIP conversations using USB headsets.

It's unclear whether Apple's move to reduce the power supplied by the dock connector was a conscious one or an accident; the potential upside is that the iPad's battery will likely last longer. The USB 2.0 specifications outline a 100mAh single unit load per regular connection, so it's unsurprising that various peripherals aren't happy with the iPad putting out a fifth of that. Apple is yet to comment on the power issue.