Mobile Technology

Break-away Pogo plug could save your headphones

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The Pogo is designed to protect headphones by allowing them to break away when pulled
The Pogo is designed to protect headphones by allowing them to break away when pulled
A look at how the Pogo is able to disconnect quickly
Multiple Pogo plugs
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A new device called the Pogo is aimed at protecting headphones or earbuds, as it is designed to allow them to break away if pulled, instead of snapping off their plug.

The obvious comparison to make is to Apple's MagSafe charger cables for its laptops – if you pull on one of the magnetically-attaching cables, the plug releases instead of the cable breaking, or even worse, the laptop going for a ride to its doom. The big difference is that the design of the Pogo is universal, so it will work with any 3.5-mm plug – that plug is inserted into the Pogo, which is in turn plugged into the headphone port.

The electrical signal is transferred using four pins on the inside of the device. The magnet in between the pins is what holds everything together. In the demonstration video, which you will find at the bottom of the post, designer Jon Patterson demonstrates that the magnets are strong enough to hold the weight of an iPhone, but will still disconnect when there is a sudden pull.

The Pogo also features connections on both the bottom and side, so it can be used straight, like most headphone plugs, or at a 90-degree angle.

Patterson cites patent issues preventing the product from coming to market just yet. As of now, it stands as a really cool concept for a product, and one that hopefully will find its way to market in the near future.

Source: Jon Patterson via Technabob

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2 comments
Gadgeteer
An expensive solution for a problem that's been solved before. Sony, for instance, has had earbuds for many years that include a small connector along the cord. Enough force and the connector pulls apart. Plug it back together and it's good to go again.
Njall
Regarding the Sony solution for protecting ear bud cords, you are correct. However I will point out calling the Pogo an expensive solution when it is only a concept is somewhat disingenuous. The beauty and genius of the Pogo is both its strain protection and being able to use one hand to quickly change headphone sources. I wouldn't buy just one, I would likely buy to 5 on the assumption the price isn't too steep.