Diane Bullock wrote this dreck over at Minyanville:
Apple is providing this superior product and environmentally friendly service for the special price of $10 -- and all in the interest of the safety of its customers. How responsible. How beneficent. How -- wait, ten bucks? Is that actually a deal? How much does this thing normally cost? Try nearly double. In the interest of keeping its iPhone faithful free of electric shock, Apple is practically giving away this one-inch plastic cube at just half of what it normally charges ($19) -- and thus settling for a slightly less egregious markup.
The short story is that Apple is offering its own chargers, at a discounted price, as a replacement for potentially unsafe chargers made by other companies. This is in response to a woman in China who was electrocuted when she answered a phone call while her iPhone was charging using a knockoff charger. Bullock apparently takes issue with this move since her article seems to imply that Apple bears responsibility for this situation by maintaining a high price for its accessories. Mind you, Apple is under no obligation in these circumstances since it bears no responsibility in the case of knockoff chargers. This move by Apple is both a positive public relations move for the company and a positive move for consumers.
Folks, if someone offers you a sirloin steak for a nickel, please turn down the offer.