Awesome Stuff: Cords & Cables
from the plug-it-in dept
There’s no escaping it: our wireless age still requires plenty of wires. Cables for your devices are a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t occasionally an interesting innovation or an awesome new offering — and that’s what we’re featuring this week.
The picture kind of says it all, doesn’t it? The Connex is a clever, convenient idea that appeals to all of us with a drawer full of semi-tangled charging cables of varying lengths, qualities and conditions (so, all of us, right?) It’s an ultra-flexible silicon charging cable which, in its folded state, is about the size of a credit card, but which stretches out into an 18″ cable then snaps right back when you’re done. It’s available in both Lightning and Micro USB connectors, and as a fun little bonus it’s designed to be easily decorated with pens and markers — dress it up with an image in its flat form, and watch it become a twisty artistic mess when extended.
Though the Connex is designed to be strong and durable despite all the stretching and bending, it’s still unlikely to outlast an IronWire — a braided metal charging cable that can famously tow a car. This was demonstrated when the original full-length IronWire was launched last year, and now the team is bringing a new small, ultra-portable version to Kickstarter, with a variety of connection options: USB to Lightning, USB-C to Lightning, USB-C to USB, and USB to MicroUSB. The price of £10 feels a tad steep, but for a cable that can take such a beating that it’s likely to last forever it’s not a big deal.
This one isn’t a cable, but a cable accessory. In truth, it’s more focused on traditional power cords than mobile device chargers: it’s a solution for that age-old problem of too many plugs. Most of us have come to terms with there being an unnavigable tangle in between our desks and the wall, but it’d be nice if (at least) the plugs on the far end of that tangle were identifiable. That’s what The Sticker Project aims to provide: a nice and simple pre-fab solution for labelling all your plugs, with just enough design flair to make them more appealing than scraps of masking tape.
Filed Under: awesome stuff, cables, usb
Comments on “Awesome Stuff: Cords & Cables”
Sticker Project
The Sticker Project is really cool, but if you don’t want to shell out for stickers, silver metallic sharpies work perfectly on black plastic power bricks.
Re: Sticker Project
I also use metallic sharpies at the USB end, so I know whether I am unplugging the keyboard, the mouse, or something else.
Not impressed by the idea of super USB strong cables. My phone’s USB connector is delicate. I would rather have cables that break than indestructible cables that break my phone.
Sticker Project
Anyone remember Dymo labels?
Connex...
I watched the video just for the girl in the red dress. 🙂